Islamic Information Bureau (IIB) has warned Malawi Government not to succumb to the pressure from the donor community in order to legalize homosexuality in the name of aid saying if they don’t want it is better the donors should stay away with their aid.
Few months ago, the world leaders met in Australia where they agreed that they should not give aid to countries that reject gay marriages.
And in the State-of-the-nation address, on Friday President Mrs Joyce Banda hinted that she would seek to repeal a law which makes homosexuality illegal in the southern African nation, despite pressure from religious groups.
The current constitution of Malawi does prohibit gay marriages and those who do that receives a maximum sentence of 14 years in imprisonment with hard labour.
However, responding to the President’s speech, one of the religious leaders who is also IIB’s National Coordinator Sheikh Dinala Chabulika said government should not make things for the sake of pleasing donors but rather should also respect and listen to the views of Malawian citizens who are against the practice of such ‘evil acts’.
“We still maintain our stand that Malawi is a God fearing nation. Therefore, the government should not allow such evils. If they say is about human rights, we also have right of worship and it is our beliefs that does not allow that. So, they have to respect our beliefs as well.
“These people don’t even believe in God. If people don’t know, they are the same people who sleep with dogs and if we tolerate them this time, tomorrow they will come to force us to put laws to allow people to sleep with these animals as well,” he lamented during Islamic Information Bureau updates’ program aired on Radio Islam on Sunday evening.
Sheikh Chabulika also challenged the ‘so-called’ human rights activists to come in public and tell people if they have ever heard stories that animals of same sex were making sex.
[pullquote align=”right”]”Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, “And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing” [/pullquote]
“They should tell us if at all they are any but I know they cannot do. So, if animals can’t do that, what about a human being whom God blessed with more wisdom?
“We know the donors have got money but they should not use it as bargaining tool to force us to do things which we don’t like. We have also a right to choose what we want and what we don’t despite we are poor,” he added.
Quoting from Quran 26 verse 165-166 to support his argument Sheikh Chabulika said Quran does not allow the practice of homosexuality.
“Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, “And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing.”
He also quoted a Bible at Leviticus chapter 18 verses 22 where it categorically stated that “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”
The coordinator therefore asked people of all denominations to hold hands together by saying ‘no to homosexuality’ in Malawi and that they should depend to God as He is the one who provide food for everybody.
“America and Britain does not feed people. It is God who feeds us all. If that is their aid condition, then I am afraid. If they still force us to legalise such evils, then I say let us leave them and opt for those who will not give us such oppressive conditions.
“The problem we have in Africa is that we think everything that comes from Europe is a true civilisation. We do not have our own guidance and time to think for ourselves. We take everything from them as normal but we do not know that these people just want to deteriorate our cultural values and beliefs which we need to respect and preserve,” said Sheikh Chabulika.
