Islam in Xinjiang: Tian Shan District interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS
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Local/Global Encounters
Islam in Xinjiang: Tian Shan District interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS
KIM WHEELER, MUKHTAR KHASIM, NI MINGJIAN AND CHEN WEI
ABSTRACT Kim Wheeler and his colleagues discuss how specific project initiatives have been designed and implemented to provide education on HIV/AIDS to Imams in Urumqi city. They argue that these initiatives have built Imams’ capacity to provide counselling and pastoral support to individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. KEYWORDS vulnerable communities; support networks; stigma; Imams
Islam in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Around half (50 percent) of the 20 million people living in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China are followers of Islam. Muslim religious leaders (Imams) in Xinjiang are regarded as key opinion leaders in communities and have been shown to be very influential in supporting attitude change in many key areas including public health in support of government policy. Imam education has been demonstrated as a powerful mechanism in conveying key messages for reducing HIV and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. Imams are becoming increasingly involved in the response to HIV and AIDS in Xinjiang. It is very challenging to superimpose key public health issues such as the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne viruses (HIV and Hepatitis B and C) through injecting drug use within religious teachings; however, the religious groups in Xinjiang are doing exactly that. A pilot project was implemented in Tian Shan District of Urumqi City. The project focused on providing education to Imams, the development of key messages that linked to the Koran and the development of peer support networks. The results of the project provided compelling evidence to support the positive impacts of these interventions increasing followers’ knowledge and supporting attitudinal change. Imams achieved a level of confidence that enabled them to speak in mosques in the District on a sporadic basis. Imams and their followers’ knowledge and attitudes in relation to HIV/AIDS improved significantly. As a result of this project this model of Imam peer support has been expanded in other areas of Xinjiang to enable wider scale benefits for vulnerable communities. Development (2007) 50(3), 90–92. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100409
Wheeler et al.: Islam in Xinjiang Project location Tianshan District is one of the largest administrative districts in Urumqi (the capital city for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, northwest China). It is an inner city district. The total population is 490,000 of which over half are aged between 15 and 49 years. Ethnic groups such as Uygur, Karzak and Hui, make up over one-third of the total population.
AIDS in mosques during education sessions following Friday prayers. The Imam peer group were also supported in developing information materials for other Imam and followers which were disseminated widely through the mosques. Monitoring and evaluation processes were included in each stage of the project to as
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