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STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR, 14 Nov 2006 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Muslim clerics
from 25 African countries have begun a five-day population and development
meeting in Tanzania's semiautonomous island of Zanzibar, focusing on issues such
as HIV/AIDS and gender violence from an Islamic point of view.
The
participants, from member countries of the Network of African Islamic
Faith-based Organizations, are also focusing on social and development
problems.
The network's deputy secretary, Issa Ziddy from Zanzibar, told
a news conference on Tuesday in Stone Town, capital of Zanzibar, that the
network was launched in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2005 during a meeting of Islamic
organisations from several African countries.
Senegalese Sheikh Hassan
Cisse, he said, initiated the network, with the support of the United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, after finding that religious leaders could play a
great role in combating HIV/AIDS and gender violence through Islamic
teachings.
He said the UN had included religious leaders in promoting
human rights and fighting social problems such as HIV/AIDS and gender
violence.
Ziddy said the network's operating plans were set during the
first meeting in Abuja, and "now this is a continuation of what we have; we also
need more Islamic organisations in Africa to join the network, despite the
problem of [not] having a common language in our meetings".
He added: "We
are being supported by the United Nations Population Fund, which works to ensure
universal access to reproductive health, including family planning and sexual
health for all. But we are discussing these problems in reference to the
teachings of Islam."
Opening the meeting, Zanzibar's constitutional and
good governance minister, Ramadhani Abdallah Shaaban, said the network's
establishment was timely. "This is what Almighty Allah has ordered us," he said,
so that we can "conduct our affairs by mutual consultation".
He said
African governments, including Tanzania's, which were signatories to the
International Conference on Population and Development, must put people first
and promote human dignity and equal opportunity for all, "especially those who
are marginalised and excluded".
Shaaban said it was crucial for Muslims
to boost development efforts, especially in population, health and
environment.
He urged the Muslim clerics to come up with ways of
providing awareness on issues such as family planning and safe motherhood;
access to sexual and reproductive healthcare; and how to counter gender-based
violence.
Shaaban said one of the crucial factors limiting Africa's
development was the technological gap between developing countries and the
industrialised world. He said good governance was also vital for development and
the implementation of accountable, transparent, just, fair and democratic
systems, which respond to people's needs.
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