Polio flourishes where Muslim extremism rules

[XemaSab]

Here's another reason not to let the Taliban take over Afghanistan or any other country for that matter.

In a spectacularly misguided effort at bringing peace to the Swat Valley Pakistan's central government let the Taliban take over and install their own harsh and extreme version of Islamic rule, causing 2 million people to flee what had once been a prosperous resort area.

One of the Taliban's more bizarre and cruel acts was to outlaw polio vaccinations on the grounds that they were both un-Islamic and a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.

Now that the Pakistani army has retaken the region and restored a semblance of normality, the government has set out to immunize some 215,000 children.

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/sep/14/polio-flourishes-where-muslim-extremism-rules/

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I can't BELIEVE the bigotry inherent in this headline.

[Quantess]

1. Well, is it true?

If so, then what would you prefer the title to be?

[XemaSab]

2. There are four countries with endemic polio

India, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

60% of all cases are in India, and Nigeria is only marginally Islamic. So there are two Islamic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, that have endemic polio.

This leaves dozens--literally dozens--of Islamic countries where there is no polio.

So yeah, the headline isn't true. A much better headline would be "Polio flourishing in Afghanistan and Pakistan" or something to that effect.

[Quantess]

3. Thanks for clarifying.

You're right, it is very simplistic and clumsily written.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. why so many cases in India?

[BlooInBloo]

8. I assume because so many are dirt-poor.

[dsc]

10. India has a huge muslim population

so it is quite possible that India's muslims are doing the same thing.

[depakid]

4. Screening and vaccination are now required during the Hajj

Saudi Arabia says Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage must have polio immunisation certificates if they come from states where the disease is endemic. The requirement affects people from Nigeria, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Saudi authorities say. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned there could be a resurgence of the virus unless it is eradicated.

Fears of a plot to sterilise Muslim girls have hampered polio vaccination campaigns in northern Nigeria. For good measure, pilgrims arriving from Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India will be given an extra dose of polio vaccine as they arrive in Saudi Arabia.

A few years ago, the WHO came close to wiping out this paralysing disease for good.

The fruits of a vigorous 20-year campaign were becoming clear as the numbers of child victims dropped from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands, and finally down to a few hundred restricted to just four countries - Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

Then things started to go wrong, particularly in largely Muslim northern Nigeria, where certain local politicians starting spreading rumours that the polio immunisation programme was an American plot to sterilise Muslim girls. The programme went into reverse, and new outbreaks were recorded, spreading well beyond the endemic regions.

So Saudi Arabia has imposed new restrictions ahead of the December Hajj.

Saudi Deputy Health Minister Yacoub Yousef al-Mazrui said Muslims in Nigeria and the three other endemic countries should face no problems.

"Fortunately, the vaccine is so cheap that it doesn't cost much and it's available everywhere in Nigeria, because Nigeria is holding more and more campaigns for vaccinating their children against poliomyelitis," he said. The BBC's Alex Last in Nigeria says immunisation rates are now high in some parts of northern Nigeria.

But our reporter says some people are still suspicious of the vaccine in the country with more polio cases than anywhere else. Furthermore, very few adults possess a vaccination certificate, as names were often simply ticked on a list, our reporter says.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6046184.stm

[aquart]

9. Saudi Arabia leading the backward toward enlightenment.

I must pause and absorb that thought.

[parkia00]

12. Only partly

Religious zealots of various religions who have forced themselves in various ways into positions of power both in government and the community of their country are leading the backward slide away from enlightenment. After all religious zealots are from all the major religions are very similar in their behavior. Although they would never admit it.

[SoCalDem]

11. Perhaps neutering the males would be something to consider

polio aside

:evilgrin:

the women might enjoy not having 14 children with a lout who treats them like shit, and with less angry males, maybe their society would be more peaceful:)

[ConsAreLiars]

6. As the previous 4 posts prove, the hate-mongering kill-em-all gibberish

you echo is just sick, deceptive, ignorant and not worthy of repeating here. Why you did so, well, an error in judgment, maybe, at best.

(edit tiny typo)

[XemaSab]

7. Are you talking to me?

:shrug: