Michigan: Visitors Exchange AIDS Ideas; African Leaders' Tour Builds Cultural Bridges

Dr. Latifa Mayou is returning to her native Cameroon with new ideas about combating the spread of HIV/AIDS and helping those with the disease. She also has a reinvigorated optimism about working across cultural boundaries for a common goal, after she and eight other African leaders visited the Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition (MJAC) in Southfield. "We are impressed and happy to learn about the different approaches to treating AIDS through interfaith programs," said Mayou, a pediatrician who founded and leads the Muslim Women's Organization in Douala, Cameroon. The visit was part of a US Department of State initiative to share ideas about faith-based responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The eight visiting metro Detroit June 26-30 learned about several local programs and shelters for those with HIV/AIDS, and attended services at the Islamic Center of America in Detroit. Kim Roth, a program director for MJAC, accompanied the visitors to the Muslim prayer service. "It's one of those life-changing experiences," she said of her first time in a mosque. "After the prayer, someone said, 'In my country, people would never believe a Muslim was sitting down with a Jew and we were helping each other.' We understand that regardless of what race or nationality, this is about human suffering -- and we're all trying to help alleviate that."

Abdul Kayum Ahmed, of Cape Town, South Africa, said he also was surprised that parents and religious leaders in America struggle to confront sexuality and the AIDS crisis in the same way as they do in his country. His organization, Positive Muslims, is a nonprofit research, support and educational group for Muslims with HIV/AIDS. Ahmed said he learned new ways of approaching interfaith AIDS education, counseling, fundraising and providing support services, such as food delivery. "In South Africa, we work very closely with Christian and Jewish groups," he said. "I think it is important that we maintain a very close link between our respective cultures so we can learn from each other," he said. "The differences are not so great."

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