From Swine Flu to HIV/AIDS, from Covid-19 to HPV, and now Monkeypox, all these diseases have shown that the practices declared haram (prohibited) in Islam are largely responsible for massive mortality and morbidity. Monkeypox provides the world another opportunity to learn from Islam’s perfect Health Protective System Dr JAVED JAMIL | Clarion India
THE 19th Century began with the Swine Flu pandemic which has till date has killed more than 100 million people. The second biggest killer since then has been HIV/AIDS, which has killed around 40 million people in the last 35 years. Other major killers before the rise of Covid-19 have been HPV virus (which causes cancer of cervix in females), rabies virus and CoronaVirus.
Now, the WHO has declared Monkeypox as a world emergency. All these diseases have shown that the practices declared haram (prohibited) in Islam are largely responsible for massive mortality and morbidity. Swine Flu spreads due to pig farming necessitated by pork eating. HIV and HPV have directly linked to promiscuity, homosexuality, prostitution and drugs. All these substances and practices are prohibited in Islam. (HPV largely spreads in women having relations with uncircumcised men.)
Corona is again believed to have originated from the meat of animals not permitted in Islam. Furthermore, its outbreak killed more people in the countries where nightlife is flourishing as a big market. More than 60 million people have already died of Covid. And now, Monkeypox has just started hitting the news headlines, and it has already between proven to have direct relation with the sex. More than 16,000 people have already fallen ill and the number is expected to rise rapidly.
According to researchers at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting, the sexual transmission component of a Monkeypox outbreak that has affected hundreds of people – mostly men who have sex with men – in at least 27 countries outside of Africa.
According to a new paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, out of a total of 528 confirmed cases reviewed, 95% are believed to have transmitted the virus during sex between men. Monkeypox may not be as dangerous as Covid in terms of mortality, but it can make huge numbers of people bed-ridden or confined to their homes for several weeks, causing a huge burden on the economy.
What do all these statistics prove?
First, health needs to be given a higher position than economics if life and healthiness of life are to be protected.
Second, any substance or practice that has direct relation with dangerous diseases, especially pandemics, cannot be allowed in the name of “Freedom of Choice”, which is nothing but a ploy in the hands of the market forces to commercialise human susceptibilities.
In today’s world, first the causes of the diseases are commercialised to the hilt and then the solutions are commercialised in a big way. The psychology of the market is that if there will be no problems, there will also be no need for solutions. If the healthcare market is to prosper, markets of the problems must also prosper.
Third, Islam provides a perfect health protective system, and the international health organisations must learn from its three dimensional approach of Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Prohibitions.
Fourth, unfortunately, several Muslim countries, including Arab countries, are also fast moving towards the commercialisation of the practices prohibited by Islam. They must set an example by not only effectively banning them within their own countries but also by building pressure on international organisations to ban them at the international level.
If the world does not listen to the call of God, more and more and bigger and bigger pandemics will continue to emerge and claim human lives.
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Dr Javed Jamil is an eminent Islamic scholar and author with over twenty books to his credit including his latest, A Systematic Study of the Holy Qur’ān”. He is currently Chair in Yenepoya University Mangalore. His email address: doctorforu123@yahoo.com.
