As people here know, I consider HIV/AIDS a disability. So does the World Health Organization and the Americans with Disabilities Act. So if you have a problem with my position, take it up with them. Trust me, you don�t want to take it up with me. But that�s a different subject for a different day.

According to Physicians for Social Responsibility, two Iranian AIDS researchers � brothers Arash and Kamiar Alaei � have been arrested and charged with communicating with an enemy government. Excuse me; I thought that was what you did when you were trying to solve a public health problem. As far as I know, trying to treat HIV is not a crime in any country of the world. What does a virus know about international borders? And can we afford to be affected by them when we�re trying to stop it?

According to Declan Butler, �Of course, viruses don�t care which hosts have been talking to members of �enemy regimes� or friendly ones. Viruses don�t care who is a Shiite, a Sunni, or an infidel. Viruses are just looking for a suitable host so they can get to the business of replicating.�

I�m a health educator, and my reaction to that line of thought was, �well, duh.� On Monday, at 9am, I am calling the Iranian Mission to the UN. You should call too, and tell them that imprisoning people who want to end the AIDS crisis is a bad idea and a publicity nightmare. Now, the Iranian government has delayed the verdict, which will keep them in jail longer or keep them from being punished, whatever that might entail in Iran. Personally, I don�t want to think about it.

The number is 1-212-687-2020. Tell them why you are calling � something along the lines of, �I want to voice my objection to the trial of the Alaei brothers, on the basis that you have to communicate with other researchers if you want to cure AIDS.� I am also going to conduct my own fax zap. For people who don�t know what that means, it means either doing it yourself with your own personal fax machine or paying someone $20 or so to repeatedly send the same fax to the same number. I don�t have much money, but I figure doing this could count as my tithe for the month. You can fax, too � to 1-212-867-7086. The website in support of the doctors is requesting that after you fax or call, you email the doctors� support system at [email protected] so they know what you did.

Just when I think the world can�t get any more ridiculous or insane, something like this happens and I have to raise my bar on how crazy the world can get. As a health educator, I think this is dangerous. As a person dedicated to ending the AIDS crisis, I think this is dangerous. As a disability rights activist, I think this is dangerous. Basically, as a whole person, I think this is dangerous. As a person concerned with health care, especially health care for the underprivileged and disabled, I urge you to spend 10 minutes on Monday and $10-20 faxing the Iranian government, letting them know the world is watching.

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