In a desperate attempt to curb expansion of HIV and AIDS in the Malawian society, Muslim traditional leaders have demanded a ban on condom use for unmarried people, arguing it was fueling the spread of the pandemic in the secular, but diverse religious southern African nation.

“Islam has always been against use of condoms outside the confines of marriage,” Dr. Imran Shareef, Secretary General of the country’s supreme Muslim body, Ulama Council of Malawi, told the media.

“We allow condoms to be used only for discordant couples and in situations, where a mother is breast feeding for about 2 years, but other than that, we are totally against it. Its ban would save the next generation of this country from further peril.”

Dr Shareef was commenting on the recent debates the surrounded the use of condoms in Malawi.

The debates erupted after a group of Muslim traditional leaders from the predominantly Muslim south stunned activists of HIV and AIDs recently during a public debate on gender, HIV and AIDS organized by the country’s Network of AIDs Service Organizations (MANASO).

“As traditional leaders, we have noted with grave concern at the rate we are losing young men and women who could have been productive citizens of our country due to the pandemic. Our observation is that condoms are fueling HIV and AIDs,” an influential Senior Chief Kadewere told the debate.