Prosecute Homo Sexuals -Muslims

Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharabutu

THE AHLUSSUNNA Wal-Jamat Muslim sect in the country has called on the government to institute legal measures to prosecute people who practice gay and lesbianism.

The institution of rigorous legal actions, according to the Muslim sect, was the only way to help arrest the increasing menace of homosexuality and same-sex marriages.

The Ahlusunna Wal-Jamat has also recommended closer collaboration between Muslims and Christians to support each other in the promotion of religious values, ethics and morality in the country's educational institutions without discrimination.

Registering Muslim protests against the recent upsurge in the number of gays and same-sex marriages in the country, the Islamic sect found it worrying that latest media reports that a non-governmental organisation (NGO) had registered about 8,000 homosexuals, amongst HIV/AIDS victims.

Describing the menace as a disturbing development which had the tendency to plunge the Ghanaian society into total anarchy, the Ahlusunna Wal-Jamat emphasised the fact that God, and for that matter Ghanaian society, abhors this unnatural sexual relationship between persons of the same sex.

According to them, homosexuality and lesbianism are practices that go contrary to the natural frame into which Allah created humans, and that any sexual gratifications outside the man-woman union, amounts to some kind of an aberration and mental disorder.

The Ahlusunna Wal Jamat contended further that since the Constitution of Ghana recognises only marriage between opposite sexes, any other forms of marriage, apart from what is approved in the statute book, must be deemed illegal, and people found to be engaging in it must be prosecuted.

The group noted that the fact that the constitution guarantees fundamental human rights and freedom is not a yardstick for people to breach natural laws and Godly-ordained decrees.

'We have followed with keen interest the various statement and comments made by some sections of the Ghanaian populace, especially, lawyers and human right activists, but we would like to draw their attention to the fact as Ghanaians, and by extension Africans, we had our culture before the white man enveloped us with their brand of governance which seems to legalise almost anything,' they stressed.

Quoting portions of the Islamic Holy Book, the Quran, to buttress their stance, the Ashanti Regional Imam of the Ahlusunna Wal-Jamat, Sheikh Muhammed Kamil Muhammed, cited Qur'an: 29:31-34 which states: 'And (remember) Lut; behold he said to his people: 'You do commit lewdness such as no people in Creation (ever) committed before you. Do you indeed approach men and cut off highway.' 'O my Lord! Help thou me against people who do mischief' '…When our Messengers came to Abraham with the good news they said… 'We are indeed going to destroy the people of this township, for truly they are addicted to crime'…For we are going to bring down on the people of this township a Punishment from heaven, because they have been wickedly rebellious.'

Stressing that a similar narration is found in the Christian Holy Book, the Bible, the Muslim sect cautioned that if something was not immediately done to arrest the situation, Ghana could incur the wrath of the Creator, and suffer immeasurable afflictions.

'As Muslims, we owe it a divine duty to strive towards eradicating this sinful act in society, and we would want to believe that the Christian and traditional bodies too will give helping hands in this regard; with 84.7% of Ghanaians making up the population of Ghana (in the 2000 Population Census) which belong to the Islamic and Christian, and 8.5% being traditional, we believe that this social abrasive behaviour could be defeated,' the contended.

The Ahlusunna Muslim sect has further recommended, amongst other measures, that religious and traditional bodies should encourage their followers and subjects not to support advocates of homosexuality and lesbianism.

'We further call on politicians, chiefs, the imams and pastors, together with opinion leaders, must publicly wage war against the canker, so as to deter others from going into it, and discourage those already in it,' it added.

The Ahlusunna Muslim group also charged the media to dedicate quality airtime and space to wage a crusade against these evil acts in society, instead of focusing on less important matters which do not have any significant bearing on society.

The Muslim group further appealed to the government to hasten the passage of the Tobacco Bill to safeguard the health of Ghanaians who suffer the harm of passive smoking.