Practically everyone out here must have realised that I'm not particularly fond of Islam but in the week I spent in Senegal, where my dad is posted, I saw something I really liked.
Actually, I've posted a lot about Senegal because my parents & sister live there, my father's a diplomat.
I saw a Muslim preacher's wife distributing free condoms to prostitutes & any "young men & women having unprotected sex."
This preacher lives near the Embassy, & I saw a large group of women coming to her house. Our gardener(a woman) told us that this preacher's wife distributes condoms to sex workers primarily, but anyone else who wants them as well. Prostitution is legal in Senegal btw.
Gardener disapproved of sex workers being legal, & was worried about her sons, but she said it was good that they use condoms at least.
I remember Hesperado saying that Senegalese AIDS statistics are false, & he's right about Senegal being pretty homophobic, but this incident makes me think statistics might be correct .
Anyway, this preacher's wife, & the Senegalese attitude of widespread condoms seems good.
I made friends with some girls there-two sisters one is 14, a few months younger to me, the other is 19. The older one has had sex with her boyfriend. Their mother told them to "mix" with me to "make good" their English.
Older one's told her parents about her boyfriend, but not the bit about sex, but she had protected sex, she told me. She says that she knows all about protection, & further
everyone knows about protection.
These are upper middle class girls, but their attitudes could provide a mirror to Senegalese attitudes.