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Meeting of faiths in battle against AIDS

An inextricable offshoot of the week's AIDS awareness tour of Thailand may well be a new meeting ground for religious harmony in Sri Lanka which has experienced some tensions in recent months.

A common inter-faith programme to fight AIDS is taking shape, though small and causing a ripple effect after the return of the 19 religious delegates from Thailand.

"The visits to victims being looked after by temples and churches, especially the heartbreaking scenes of little HIV orphans playing and running around unaware of their condition created a strong bond among the clergy," says Dr. Hettiarachchi. The numerous discussions and role plays of situations in Lankan communities broke down the reservations the religious leaders may have had about each other.

The religious leaders echo these thoughts and say that as a joint force they can increase awareness, inculcate ethical and moral values, raise funds for HIV prevention and care and counsel the infected, their families and also society to treat victims not like pariahs but with maithriya.

By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
The 'Most outstanding woman in Buddhism in Thailand 2004' is meeting 19 Sri Lankans in Chiang Mai to share her experiences. It is a meeting just like any other taking place all the time in different parts of the world.

Or is it? Mrs. Pim Jai, who has been bestowed this signal honour by the United Nations is not just another woman - she is HIV Positive and has been so for 17 years and the Sri Lankans are not just ordinary people but 19 clergymen drawn from all the religions practised in this island-nation.

"This was the first time that I had ever met a person affected by AIDS," says Ven. Kithalagama Hemasara Thera, from the Vivekarama Temple in Mirihana, Nugegoda, who was part of the 19-member delegation that visited Thailand in March.

There was another first as well. It was also the first time that religious leaders in Sri Lanka had been actively co-opted in the battle against the deadly Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a ticking time bomb the world is attempting to defuse. The number of men, women and children living with HIV in South Asia alone exceeds six million while just across the Palk Straits, India has a horrific figure of four million.

Though the numbers in Sri Lanka look inconsequential - only 539 Sri Lankans were reported to be HIV infected at the end of March 2004 with an estimated 7,200 suspected cases -- health authorities are not complacent.

With several high-risk categories in the country, the need to muster support from all segments of society, especially religious leaders to halt the relentless march of HIV has been identified. In a society where HIV victims are shunned, ostracized and chased from hearth and home and most people feel they have got what they deserve for leading a sinful life, the role of the religious leader cannot be downplayed in creating empathy towards them.

Learning from the example of ancient Lanka, where the life of the village revolved around the temple, and where the clergy wielded much influence and credibility in the community, the National STD/AIDS Control Programme and the World Bank funded National HIV Prevention Project have taken the initiative of harnessing this powerful force.

The visit to Thailand by a mix of clergy, comprising nine bhikkus, four Christian and Catholic priests, three Hindu and three Muslim religious leaders was the first step.

"The contribution of religious leaders in combating HIV/AIDS has been regrettably inadequate in our country. That's why we have initiated several programmes to change this," explains Dr. Shantha Hettiarachchi of the STD/AIDS Control Programme who coordinated this effort with the support of the Sangha Metta Project in Thailand. The awareness visit was sponsored by the World Bank.

The Sangha Metta Project in Thailand had been founded by Australian Lawrence Maund who had converted to Buddhism 30 years ago and dedicated his services to the community by launching temple and church based programmes not only in the prevention of HIV/AIDS but also in helping victims and their families.

Though the prevalence of HIV in Sri Lanka and Thailand are different, many similarities exist in the two countries, says Dr. Hettiarachchi, adding that Theravada Buddhists in Thailand form the majority, like in Sri Lanka. They comprise about 95 percent of the Thai population and live in harmony with the Christian, Hindu and Muslim minorities. The courage and dedication of Thai religious leaders in the prevention of HIV/AIDS is outstanding.

"We visited many temples and places of religious worship and spoke to many victims. The plight of children affected by HIV and those orphaned because their parents had died of AIDS was pathetic," says Ven. Hemasara.

The role model set by HIV Positive Mrs. Jai had been an eye-opener for the Sri Lankan clergy. Mrs. Jai infected without her knowledge by her husband, on being detected with HIV, had drawn strength from Buddhism and turned to meditation to bring about inner peace and control over the disease. Seventeen years on, she is at peace with herself and also committed to helping other victims and their families through support schemes such as self-employment projects.

For the local clergy, the Thai tour also dispelled many preconceived notions about AIDS and how it is contracted. "Early on, after meeting some of the victims, you wonder whether you can get AIDS by sitting on the same chair as they did. But now we know that such fears are unfounded," smiles Ven. Hemasara.

Adds N. Karthikeyan, a Hindu religious leader in Bambalapitiya, "Before going to Thailand we did not have much exposure to what AIDS was all about. Now it is different."

Fr. Ranjit Perera, an Anglican priest from Piliyandala agrees. "In Sri Lanka religious people don't come across HIV Positive victims and many in our society are not sensitive to their needs. Even religious leaders feel it is not their concern as this disease is considered a taboo issue.

The programme in Thailand showed us the social, emotional and economic impact of AIDS not only on the victims but also on their families and societies."

Though religious leaders have been involved in counselling and advising people, few or none have discussed the sensitive topic of AIDS and the gravity of casual dalliances, which could lead to the infection.

There was only one line on AIDS at the Diocesan Council session of the Anglican Church in October last year, concedes Fr. Ranjit. "After some discussion the Bishop took it up and asked that an AIDS Desk be set up. That was the time the Thai awareness tour came along, making it a godsend."

The Thai model was a good learning experience. "It showed us that at the beginning the health programme was not very successful in dealing with the spread of the disease and also social isolation of victims. The involvement of the clergy changed that and the spread rate reduced drastically," says Mr. Karthikeyan.

That's because all religions have a set of guidelines that help prevent HIV. All religions also preach love and care of the sick, explains Moulavi M. Inamullah of Hulftsdorp. "We became aware, after the Thai tour, of how AIDS is not only a health disaster but is also turning out to be a socio-economic disaster. Prevention and care are the challenges of the new century."

The clergy is clearly set on treading a new path. Says Ven. Hemasara that so far in Sri Lanka they have only discussed and advised the people about diseases such as dengue. Never AIDS. "This is a major challenge. I feel that we can introduce it in our bana preachings," he says confidently.

The temple, church, kovil and mosque have now come to the fore in Sri Lanka in the battle against AIDS which has left 20 million dead and 42 million with the death sentence hanging over them worldwide.

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