29 January 2005	Saturday	18 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Jan 28: Unicef has distributed info-kits among religious scholars so that they can sensitize people on the severity of hiv/Aids. "It's high time we reached people at the grassroots and prepared them to practice the teachings of Islam in letter and in spirit.

This would save them from becoming victim of the disease that has plagued the entire world," said Dr Attaur Rehman, a member of the team that prepared the info-kit.

Also a religious scholar, Dr Rehman told Dawn that people despised NGOs and international donors so much so that they were unwilling to listen to them, even if they were saying something that could benefit the people.

He expressed the hope that the booklet would help educate people on the deadly disease. Dr Iqbal Khalil, another religious scholar and medical doctor who has also contributed to the booklet, told this correspondent that religious scholars had played an instrumental role in curtailing Aids in Thailand, Uganda and Senegal.