أصالة علم مقارنة الأديان في الفكر الإسلامي

The interfaith dialogue has a very intricacy in its terminology. The interfaith dialogue changes with the passage of time. So getting the fruitful result is impossible unless & until the clear definition of interfaith dialogue. Islam teaches to respect all religions and Prophets to maintain and sustain the peace & harmony. Islamic teachings emphasize to convey the message to the followers of the religions but especially to the revealed religions. This is the need of the day to develop the sprite of harmony and understanding among the followers of revealed religions. This article discusses the different ambiguous terminologies and all these dimensions which are very essential for interfaith dialogue

Risk of Childhood Asthma in a Tropical African Urban Setting: A Case - Control Study at the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

Objective: To determine the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for childhood asthma in children aged between two and 15years in a tropical urban East-African setting. Methods: Hospital based case-control study matched for age + two months and sex. Data were obtained from parents of cases and controls using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 226 cases of two to 15years old, with physician-confirmed asthma, who met a set of defined clinical criteria and 226 controls with no previous diagnosis or symptoms of asthma matched by sex and age (+two months). The Risk Factors included in this study are broadly classified under family history of asthma, race, socio-economic factors, pre and perinatal factors, comorbid history of eczema or worm infestation and indoor environmental pollution. Setting: The outpatient paediatric clinic at Aga Khan Hospital, a secondary care hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania between July 2012 and January 2013. Results: Of the modifiable risk factors for asthma in this study, maternal smoking during pregnancy yielded an infinite Crude Odds Ratio P = 0.0207. Maternal diet rich in fish and other seafood during pregnancy showed a protective association with asthma (Adjusted Odds Ratio- 0.60; 95% confidence intervals 0.37 – 0.99, P =0.044). A diet rich in milk and dairy products during pregnancy was protective in children older than five years. (Adjusted Odds Ratio - 0.63, 95% confidence intervals 0.38- 1.06, P = 0.024). Family history of asthma is an important non-modifiable asthma risk factor; Paternal Asthma - Adjusted Odds Ratio of 3.14; Confidence Interval 1.49 -6.63, P=0.03), Maternal Asthma - Adjusted Odds Ratio 2.63; 95%Confidence Interval 1.34 – 5.15, P = 0.005and sibling asthma -Adjusted Odds Ratio 2.57; 95%Confidence Interval 1.60 – 4.14, P < 0.0001. Conclusion: Family history of asthma is strongly associated with asthma. Maternal diet during pregnancy is an important modifiable asthma risk factor in the tropical African setting with fish and sea-foods being protective. Further research in a more powered study is required to determine the role of maternal diet rich in milk and dairy products.