A discussion with Salim: SRH from an Islamic Lens from the National Muslim Leaders Forum coordinator

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Salim Maina Charo, and I'm the Nairobi County Coordinator of the National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), an organisation in Kenya. I was formerly Chair of Kenya's Council of Imams and Preachers (CIPK). I was first involved in SRH activities in 2020 when there was Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2019 at the Kenyan Senate sponsored by Hon. Despite opposing the bill at the time, I later came to realise that our communities, especially in the informal settlements and in the rural areas are seeing, feeling and experiencing the impact and consequences linked to not looking at SRH and education, so it's not something that we can ignore. We can not put our heads in the sand.

Why do you feel it's an important topic that needs to be addressed by Imams?

It's not a topic that many Muslims, especially in this region, are interested in by name, as a specific or exact theme to discuss publicly; it's a taboo and yet, at the same time, is seen around us in our community. This means we must consider how we package and frame the messages about the topic. As imams, we can not stand on the pulpit and talk about such topics directly. Still, we can speak through other platforms and share stories alongside the facts, which can initiate a conversation to educate the people in this area based on Islamic values and teachings.

How do you know this is a reality in your communities?

I've seen this myself first-hand through my work. We used to buy sanitary towels for girls and distribute them in slum areas. Here, we heard stories of their experiences with menstruation and saw how vulnerable some became at this transition stage. In one area, we learned that many adolescent girls who could not afford sanitary towels were reaching a point where they would engage in sex with boda boda (motorbike) riders in exchange for 100 shillings.

There is also a high level of adolescent unintended pregnancies. These are the result of both teenage to teenage sexual activity and also sexual violence and, in some instances, rape. We need to educate both our boys and our girls so that they are both informed. If we only speak to one gender, the other will remain ignorant and may threaten SRH.

And so, is your Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) focus on the education of young people?

Speaking to and informing the general Muslim community is part of my role, but also I engage the young people in many other platforms like Madrasas, which is a form or type of Sunday school. We also organise youth camps, training them in many life skills and running sessions on topics such as drug abuse and relationships. Here, we provide information that will help them make decisions; this is both from religious leaders, experts, and professionals from outside our faith community. We also organise women's conferences and men's symposiums.

I am also a marriage counsellor within the community, and it is here that we can have conversations on private and more complex matters. It is a challenge to balance the reality related to SRH and faith: where we believe that children come from Allah, and they are to be received as blessings, and yet we lack child spacing, as taught in Islam, and this can put unnecessary strain and trauma on a family, including maternal and infant mortality, alongside additional health challenges and financial pressures.

Another important personal role is amongst the faith leaders. I can reach all the imams in Nairobi. That's close to 300 of them, and whenever we hold workshops, I'm privileged to trigger some serious conversations.

And why is this area of work important to you and to share with the Imams??

It is our duty, as imams, to look into the welfare and affairs of our congregants. And it's not only the spiritual. Within the community we support them in many aspects, including the raising of school fees for children, in fundraising for medical bills and assisting them in other challenges.

Congregants know we are always there to listen if they need to talk. The community has faith and trust in us. So even in their worldly issues, we have that obligation to look into these, as our beloved prophet used to do.?

We must therefore inform ourselves; this includes learning more about SRH and CSE, even for those who are closed to the idea because we have a saying in Kiswahili that says, "mtu huwa hakatai ualishi hukataa anachoitiwa" meaning "You don't refuse the invitation, but you can refuse what you're invited for". It is part of our teaching to listen. We are sometimes invited to events and briefings, and I often ask imams to remain open. It is with this spirit that I encourage people to attend.?

As a duty, how do you start this conversation in the community and introduce imams to SRH?

If you want to talk to Muslims, speak with their language, one they understand and can relate to. Number one, that you realise that sex is prohibited in Islam outside marriage, that it is sin. Despite this, our efforts to date, and approach in teaching abstinence, have not prevented this from happening. Our young girls, our adolescent girls, and boys are engaging in sexual activities. So the approach has not worked and as a result, some adolescents contract diseases, and others get pregnant. So what are we going to do about it, about this taking place within our community? What do we do to prevent this whilst upholding Islamic and African moral values?

Can you tell us more about the connection between SRH / CSE and the African Values you mention?

We need to start with values. We preserve our own moral values as a community, our cultural and religious values, our family and African values. When considering SRH, some values are congruent across all these lenses, and we work from this place. As well as respecting elders and using a familiar language.

When I talk to people who are resistant to these topics, many parents say that they can not discuss this topic with their children, and I need to remind them of our ancestors and the practices we had.

Girls used to sit around a bonfire with their ‘aunties’ or their grandmothers, and they would talk about what would come, their bodies, and that they would see blood, for example. These older ladies shared in their own words guidance on knowing their bodies, how to get ready for marriage, knowledge of sexual activities, and roles in their community.?

Boys would also have similar experiences at separate bonfires with their ‘uncles’ or grandfathers especially during initiation ceremonies, exploring what it means to become a man, information about relationships, sex, roles in community, and duties.

SRH is not new for us; it is not an evil brought by the West. We need to be clear on this; the root topics are the same, but the framing is different, our beliefs, and cultural values need to be considered, sensitive topics also have to be aligned with the Islamic scriptures to be accepted within the Muslim community.

What do you hope for in the coming year?

Firstly, I hope this topic is accepted widely by Muslims in Kenya and recognised as necessary. Transformed to where it can be discussed in both the pulpit and within the family setup because once we have that kind of conversation, it means that the efforts made for change are having an impact, and we can invest further resources into SRH that works. If we don't do this, we'll continue to have the same problems we currently face. We have the choice to do something different, and together bring about this positive change in our community.?

I also hope that our contributions and memos shared to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), on bills deliberated on East Africa Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill 2021 (EAC SRH Bill, 2021) are able to move forward. We provide a Muslim perspective, consulting Muslim gynaecologists, lawyers etc.

We have previously objected but?this time, I don't think we are going to oppose it because of the things that we are seeing happen in our community. We need policies that genuinely help our young girls and women. We need change.