KUALA LUMPUR – Health advocacy think tank Galen Centre has voiced its ire over the “disparaging, discriminatory and bigoted” comments made by a local public university lecturer during a National World AIDS Day programme organised by the Health Ministry.
Its chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib has called out Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer and religious preacher Assoc Prof Datuk Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim for using his platform as a speaker at the event to amplify hateful narratives against people living with HIV and the LGBT community.
“A speaker who is supposed to be learned and representing a religious studies department of a higher learning institute instead sought to demonise and disparage these communities.
“(This illustrates) the very inequalities and attitudes faced (by these communities) in daily life, further blocking the end of the AIDS pandemic.
“(Izhar) is sending a terrible signal which may cause an escalation of harmful and discriminatory actions – both institutional and vigilantism – against these communities. Where is his compassion and generosity of spirit?” Azrul lambasted in a statement today.
Yesterday, Izhar received brickbats for allegedly telling the transgender community to repent, that being an LGBT individual is a mental disorder and is the root cause of HIV, and that people in a “normal” relationship would not contract the infection.
He is believed to have said this during his slot on the role of society in combating HIV and AIDS.
Meanwhile, Galen Centre senior fellow and Seed Foundation executive director Mitch Yusmar Yusof stressed that Izhar’s comments should be seen as a reflection of how such communities are viewed by the public.
“The communities highlighted by (Izhar) have been and always will be a valuable and essential part of Malaysia and its people. To degrade them…is demonstrative of how much work we still have to do.
“Fear and discrimination discourage (these communities) from seeking treatment and care. They may have trouble finding alternative healthcare services if they are turned away,” he lamented.
The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) and Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) have since expressed their utter disappointment over Izhar’s public commentary, which they noted has used discriminatory language that reinforces homophobic stereotypes.
MAC also said it filed an official complaint to the Health Ministry and the Negri Sembilan Health Department to respond to the incident.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s gender bureau head Ahmad Yasin had similarly questioned the Health Ministry’s decision to invite the controversial figure to speak on World AIDS Day despite him consistently advocating against the health and wellbeing of LGBT persons.
This is not the first time Izhar has made transphobic comments. There are past videos of him giving religious ceramah similarly disparaging the LGBT community, while he has also made Facebook posts of similar nature. – The Vibes, December 2, 2022
