Malaysia mosque offers drug therapy

Muslim men in Malaysia are most at risk for HIV transmitted through intravenous drug use.A zero tolerance national drug policy and conservative religious leaders make addressing the issue difficult, but a pilot program at one mosque is making head way.

The ar-Rahman mosque in Kuala Lumpur offers free drug replacement therapy by providing addicts methadone in place of heroin. Health experts want this, the first such program in the world, to be replicated throughout Malaysia, but some religious leaders consider replacement drugs like Methadone to be just as religiously forbidden as the substances they intend to take the place of.

Al Jazeera's Florence Looi reports from Kuala Lumpur where after completing their ritual prayers, worshippers will go upstairs to submit to a urine test and receive treatment for what is becoming a growing national problem.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Mosque
• Malaysia
• ar-Rahman
• Florence Looi
• AlJazeera
• Al Jazeera
• Methadone
• Heroin
• Asia-PacificNews