Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

Even the talk of birth control was once taboo among Muslims, particularly those living in remote areas of the state of Assam. This scenario has changed considerably and today Muslim men after having two or more children are voluntarily undergoing No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) to limit the size of their families.

The credit for this change goes to Padma Shri Dr. Ilias Ali, a renowned surgeon who has been popularizing the best practices followed in Muslim countries like Iran and Indonesia to motivate Muslims to have smaller families by using contraceptives and sterilization.

Speaking to Awaz-The Voice Assam Dr Ali said Muslims, particularly the uneducated ones and those living in villages, are opposed to birth control. Such opposition is seen not only in Assam but in many other parts of India as well.

Dr. Ali was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019 for his pioneering work in the field of population control among Muslims in Assam. He has also received global recognition for his focused efforts at population control.

Dr Ilias Ali addressing Muslims in Assam

“Many Muslims believe children are the blessings of Allah and all births take place as per his wish. They consider it a sin to go against the wishes of Allah. It was not easy to fight against such a mindset. But I did not give up and started taking religious leaders into confidence to convince the masses to adopt family planning measures followed in Muslim countries like Iran and Indonesia," Dr. Ali, who conducted his first NSV, also known as 'keyhole vasectomy' in Assam, said.

Dr. Ali said NSV is one of the most popular and least invasive techniques to conduct vasectomy through a single puncture in the scrotum. It doesn’t require suturing or stitches; is the least painful and has fewer post-operative complications.

Dr. Ali was trained by Dr. Li Shunqiang, the inventor of the NSV, in China. Though NSV was invented in the early seventies, it was introduced in India in the mid-1990s.

Dr. Ali said one of the strengths of Iran’s promotion of family planning is the involvement of men and it is the only country in the world that requires both men and women to take a class on modern contraception before receiving a marriage license. Iran is also the only country in the region with a government-sanctioned condom factory. In addition, lakhs of Iranian men have undergone vasectomy, he said.

Dr Ilias Ali submitting a report to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Population

“In Iran the religious leaders had involved themselves with the crusade for smaller families, citing them as a social responsibility in their weekly sermons during Friday prayers at mosques. They also issued fatwas, religious edicts with the strength of court orders, which permit and encourage the use of all types of contraception. These include permanent male and female sterilization — a first among Muslim countries. Birth control, including the provision of condoms, pills, and sterilization, is free,” Dr Ali said.

According to Dr Ali, Indonesia being a Muslim country where birth control is not a priority managed to get all its citizens on board by talking to the clerics not only in the Muslim areas but also by convincing the Christian and Catholic priests. He said developing countries like India with fast-growing populations can profit by following Iran and Indonesia's models in promoting population stability.

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Besides popularizing the best practices followed in Muslim countries Dr Ali has also interpreted the Holy Quran in the right perspective to convince the Muslims about the necessity and urgency of adopting family planning.

"I have been using references from the Holy Quran to explain to the people that birth control is not against Islam," Dr Ali said.