ABSTRACT
Muslim immunization in Zimbabwe, as elsewhere, is theologically guided by the infallible second source of the Shariah, the Sunnah of the Prophet. The central tradition is the proclamation by Muhammad that “To remove a harmful object from the road is an act of benefaction” (Al-Bukhari, 1996, as cited by Al-Khayat, 2004: 23). The physical act of removing objects from the environment is generalized to include all environmental pollutants, including viruses for which immunization may be legally mandatory according to the Shariah. Considering that the Muslims are part of the cross-section of the Zimbabwean society, whose overall negative perception of the uptake of the vaccines is seen in the low response to vaccination (less than a third of the population in twelve months), it is not surprising that Muslims have not been spontaneous despite theological encouragement. The response itself has been more of a mosaic than homogeneous. The prohibitive conspiracy theories are worsened by some of the outlets of the vaccines, including China and India, where Muslim populations are maltreated and live with fear of decimation. This research intends to theorize the contours of Muslim responses from an Afro-Muslim perspective.
