Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al Awsat – It was announced recently that two clerics would establish a non-governmental organization (NGO) to help combat AIDS in the region of Ahsa, Saudi Arabia in cooperation with Saudi authorities.

Adnan al Falaq and Adel Bou Khamseen stated that they were in the process of founding the NGO to spread awareness on the dangers of the disease and ways to avoid contracting AIDS. If their efforts are successful, the project would be the first of its kind established by preachers from both the Sunni and Shia doctrines to be engaged in a joint venture in the kingdom.

The project was put forward during a lecture presented at the cultural forum of Bou Khamseen entitled, ‘The role of Religious Scholars in Combating Aids’, in which Bou Khamseen and al Falaq had taken part. The speakers stated that they were keen to contribute to the fight against the disease due to the high number of AIDS cases all over the world.

Bou Khamseen and al Falaq also participated recently in a conference held in Cairo that discussed the role of religious leaders in the fight against AIDS, attended by a large number of religious scholars from various religions and Islamic sects from all over the Arab world, including Saudi clerics.

Bou Khamseen said, “The number of people infected by the disease has reached 40 million the world over and half of this number have died as a result.” Sheikh al Falaq highlighted that “it is very important that everybody make a concerted effort to combat AIDS to curb its spreading all over the world, otherwise the results would be tragic.”

The lecture tackled various aspects of the disease including it causes, the disease itself, methods of prevention, scientific efforts to combat the disease, how AIDS victims can deal with the disease and general guidelines and advice.