Zomba District Council this week called upon all religious leaders to encourage their followers to refrain from discrimination.
Zomba district AIDS Coordinating Committee Chairperson James Maluwa made the call on Saturday at the end of a meeting with religious leaders from the district, which was organised by Action Hope Malawi.
Maluwa said religious leaders are spirital fathers and that people understand and follow their advice. He said there is a need for them to preach against descrimination of any kind to their congregants.
He said there are some groups of people, who are descriminated in different places such as sex workers and homosexuals.
Maluwa, therefore asked the religious leaders to preach to these groups of people, so that they can leave their ways and at the same time preach as people not to refrain from this act.
Shaikh Alhajj M’bwana concurred with Maluwa saying, religion came because there was sin.
M’bwana said people like the sex workers need deliverance and encouragement and not discrimination.
Speaking during the meeting, Action Hope’s Project Officer Responsible for Prevention of HIV and Sexual Violence against Sex Workers Paul Sauchi, said his organisation is not encouraging bad behavior, but it’s work is to make sure that sex workers enjoy their human rights.
Sauchi, said the organization involved religious leaders becouse they are capable of changing the lives of people through their preaching.