Tijjaniya Muslim Movement urges parliament to prioritise national interest in handling of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

The Tijjaniya Muslim Movement of Ghana (TMMG) has called on Members of Parliament to put aside partisan divisions and prioritize national interest in handling the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti LGBTQ+ bill.

The appeal follows what the movement describes as “unnecessary infighting” between the Majority and Minority in Parliament over the passage of the bill, a situation it says has spilled into public discourse and shifted attention away from the substance of the legislation.

Speaking in an interview with Modern Ghana News in Tema, the Executive Secretary of TMMG, Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman, expressed concern that both sides of the House appear more focused on political positioning than on safeguarding what he described as Ghana’s cultural and moral values.

“The Ghanaian people expect their elected representatives to work in harmony on matters that define our identity as a nation,” he said. “It is unfortunate that the passage of this bill has generated unnecessary debate from Parliament into the media space, driven by partisan interest rather than national interest.”

He stressed that the Tijjaniya Muslim Movement fully supports the legislation and is urging Parliament to handle it with the same seriousness given to other matters of national importance. According to him, the movement has consistently advocated for the swift passage and presidential assent of the bill to protect what it considers Ghanaian family values.

Alhaji Osman also raised concerns about what he described as political manoeuvring that could delay or frustrate the process of transmitting the bill for presidential assent.

He noted that religious bodies, including Muslim and Christian communities as well as traditional authorities, are increasingly frustrated by the ongoing controversy surrounding the legislation after its passage in Parliament.

He further urged both sides of Parliament to rise above political calculations and work together in what the movement describes as a “sacred duty” to the nation.

“We do not hate persons,” the movement stated, “but we find the behaviour abhorrent and contrary to the Quran, the Prophet, and his progeny.”

The Tijjaniya Muslim Movement maintained that lawmakers must demonstrate unity in defending values it believes transcend party affiliation. It also renewed its appeal to President John Dramani Mahama and the leadership of Parliament to ensure the bill is transmitted and assented to without further delay.

Alhaji Osman referenced President Mahama’s position during the 2024 campaign period, when he reportedly reassured religious and traditional leaders of his commitment to protecting Ghana’s cultural values, and urged him to remain consistent with that stance.

“We do not want a repeat of what happened in the 8th Parliament, where the bill was passed but not assented to,” he said. “We urge the President to stand firm in those convictions.”

The movement further stated that it would hold parliamentary leadership accountable for any delays in forwarding the bill for presidential assent within a reasonable timeframe, insisting that leadership carries a responsibility to protect what it describes as the country’s traditional family structure.