Perspectives of Muslim Religious Leaders to Shape an Educational Intervention About Family Planning in Rural Tanzania: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Muslim religious and lay leaders in rural Tanzania interpreted Islamic teachings as accepting of family planning (FP) for birth spacing and uniformly supported spacing through breastfeeding and the calendar method. nThe need for more FP education in Muslim communities was widely agreed upon, and leaders were open to helping to provide this education. n Leaders' insights yielded recommendations for educating Muslim religious leaders in their communities. These included educating men and women both together and separately depending on context and partnerships between medical and religious leaders to co-teach educational sessions.n Muslim religious leaders can be empowered to teach their own communities by receiving education about contraceptive methods, including how the methods work, their efficacy, and potential side effects.

Islam and contraception: A missed opportunity

“…These claims are further compounded by a cultural belief that contraception is a Western agenda that aims at curtailing the growth and strength of the Muslim world. 6,7 In contrast, other religious scholars have sanctioned contraception. Their stand was based on two principles.…”

“…Islam and contraception are perceived as incompatible by some religious scholars who claim that Islam calls for a Muslim population that does not stop growing because the larger the population the greater the power of this population, and that any form of contraception violates God's intentions. These claims are further compounded by a cultural belief that contraception is a Western agenda that aims at curtailing the growth and strength of the Muslim world 6,7 …”