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'Should we enforce gay rights in Africa?'

FUTURE?: Gay couple in Africa

Each week we ask two writers with contrasting opinions to answer the question...

YES
TOM WHITER

DAVID CAMERON’S recent comments that countries receiving British aid should respect gay rights, left Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham stressing that Britain would not force pro-gay laws upon African governments.

Fair enough, but this doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying to make African countries do more. There is a difference between making aid conditional on laws we'd like to see enacted and punishing bigotry and injustice by removing our support. I'm simply talking about acceptance and tolerance.

Homophobia across Africa is rife. A bill is currently going through the Ugandan parliament that proposes the death penalty for certain homosexual acts. Police in Malawi actively hunt gay activists, and punishments doled out include 14 years hard labour in work camps. I could go on. Facing such pressures, it's clear being gay isn't a choice, or you would have changed your mind by now.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu put it best: “We struggled against apartheid in South Africa, supported by people the world over, because black people were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about: our very skins. It is the same with sexual orientation. It is a given.”

Cutting the aid budget is out of the question. George Osborne has, quite rightly, ring-fenced our international contribution. But the Chancellor also talked about getting better value for money in tough economic times. The £70 million Uganda will receive this year deserves to go to a country that wants to help its citizens, not one that's about to try and put its homosexual community to death.

It's easy to forget that it was Britain's political pressure in the nineteenth century that helped force the abolition of the slave trade across much of Europe and Africa, where over 50 leaders signed anti-slavery treaties.

The colonial hangover means we are rightly questioned when we try to impose our ideas on other countries. Ironically, many of the laws banning homosexual acts are a legacy of British rule. It's easy to get bogged down in religion, traditions and cultural differences, but the fact is, this is about standing up for minorities and human rights, and nothing else.

Gay bashing isn't cultural, it's discrimination. In the global community in which we live, Britain has a responsibility to speak out and act accordingly.

.................................................................................................................

NO
CHRISTINAH ADEGASOYE

ENFORCING GAY rights in Africa is an absolute infringement of political and religious power. David Cameron threatening to cut aid to African countries that do not overturn a ban on homosexuality is not only eroding the sovereignty of that nation but the will of the people. He is simply blackmailing countries in need of aid, nothing more and nothing less.

I am sick of the bullying nature of the European Union, trying to force their morally inferior ways on other countries. Wasn’t it David Cameron who said Britain needs a ‘moral renewal’? If the moral renewal he had in mind was bullying poor countries into his beliefs then it is absolutely irresponsible.

Forty-eight percent of Africa’s one billion inhabitants are Christian, and 41 percent are Muslim. They do not permit homosexuality and their rejection of gay rights is based on religious and cultural traditions.

The reason westernised countries have enforced gay rights is because they want to adhere to human rights, so if this is the case infringing their religious values are an invasion on their human rights too. Double standard if you ask me.

‘Homosexuals’ aren’t part of their cultural language. It is often said that a word that doesn’t exist in a society isn’t a reality in that society! Homosexuality is deemed as a westernised concept and should not be interfered with stringent values, so why should the majority of Africans adhere? I say, if the collective do not want it, do not impose it.

The African society is structured around family life and values; the inability of homosexuals to naturally produce children is seen as an abnormality and fundamental threat to the survival of the African way of life. If everyone were gay, how would we be able to procreate? It is a taboo and an abomination to others.

If David Cameron is so sincere about enforcing gay rights, he should open his borders for them to find safety and security in the land of Great Britain. That is all.

*THE 'HEAD TO HEAD''COLUMN IS BY THE LONDON 360 REPORTERS
To find out more about what our reporters are up to go to www.communitychannel.org/london360
-WE ARE LONDON!

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Comments

The whole argument that

Tom1's picture
Tom1

The whole argument that "africans have too many babies" is based on envy and racism.

China call Africas large population of youth "their secret weapon".

In 1900 the population of Europe was over 400 million, and Europeans were busy carving up the Globe, stealing peoples land and mineral resources. They were the second most populous race on earth after the Asians, and used their numbers to seize as much land and resources as possible.

At the same time in 1900 Africas population was 178 million and declining. Centuries of stolen human wealth, imported disease from invaders (such as the cattle sickness Italians brought to Africa which killed out millions of cattle, leading to massive starvation killing millions in Ethiopia.) had been gradually reducing the population.
In Congo King Leopald (who you can find out about by googling the video "White King Red Rubber Black Death") was busy murdering millions of people in Congo. By 1924 upto 20 million had died in the Belgium rubber plantations, and many experts believe HIV began in these death camps as SIV spread from monkeys for the first time to the sick diseased dying people in the camps. The punishment for not meeting quotas was having your hand chopped off, so cross infection was very easy in these conditions. (Again google "The out of darkness Colonial Theory" to read about this)

So Europe was booming, and Africa was dying.

Skip forward to 2011, and the picture is quite different.
In 1914 Europe went to war, and the beginning of their decline began. Millions died. Millions more died in the uprisings in Russia which followed. Stalin is estimated to have killed upto 60 million, Hitler killed upto 24 million. The USSR were busy murdering their own people until the late 1960s, in places like Lativa, millions were displaced and killed in gulags. It is estimated that if world wars one and two and the soviet purges hadnt happened (which included the 19333 genocide of upto 9 million in the Ukraine by deliberate starvation) the population of Eastern Europe would be double the 300 million or so it is today.
After world war two, Europe set about using extraordinary high levels of birth control, in places like Italy, so few children are now born, that soon their economy will collapse, as elderly will greatly outnumber youth, they really need 3 million immigrants instantly, simply to prevent this happening.

Africas population has increased to over 1 billion, Europes population is 730 million or so.

Europes power continues to decline year on year. Without births, your power deminishes.

If Africa can get proper progressive leadership, their power will greatly increase. Europe will continue to decline in power, in fact they need far greater levels of immigration than they currently take in. Britain needs greater migration to survive, not less. Low birth rates among white British, mean there are not enough people to do the jobs, and the fact is the right wing argument against migration is totally false, based on failed race ideology, and not reality.

Wed, 2011-11-30 18:40

I was not going to comment

Payback's picture
Payback

I was not going to comment about this but I feel that I have to. When the EU can make the middle East allow homo's to be allowed then come and talk to Africa. Mean while many many hundreds of Muslim men have more than one wife in the UK,which is against the law. So as an old African leader once said you keep your England and I will keep my Africa.

For many years Africans have followed the West,and truely where has it got it. The world can not function without Africa yet Africa is poor,something is fundimentaly wrong. In many countries we have war,mean while in slips a Westener to steal,gold,oil,and diamonds etc. The the leaders who mostly went to school in the UK treat thier own people like slaves. There is nothing we can do,most of the people vote for some big belly man who might give them a bag of rice...So sad,and then all the people do is have more and more babies,why when you can not feed them.....

Tue, 2011-11-29 18:35

David Cameron cannot protect

Tom1's picture
Tom1

David Cameron cannot protect his gay citizens, because homophobia is on the rise year on year in Britain. You have your head in the clouds, though CRIME is dropping in Britain, VIOLENT crime is on the increase. There are many different types of crime, from so called white collar crime like fraud, the street robbery, to armed robbery, go and educate yourself, this inn't an episode of "Victor And Hugo" the cartoon where "crime is crime!"
Read this and weep! Britain is no more tolerant of gay people than anywhere in Africa, the anti homophobic laws hide the fact the British people havent changed one bit in their attitudes!

From "The Independent"
Homophobia exacts a chilling price as hate crimes climb
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/homophobia-exacts-a-chilling-...

In Africa, people asked their Government for the anti gay laws, which means the Government are simply doing what the people demand.

It is not in Camorons place to tell black Governments what to do. He does not own them, Empire ended years ago, slavery finished a long time ago. He can clean up his own backyard, and realise this is the 21st Century! He cannot use carrot and stick methods to bully Africa, and his "aid" amounts to a tiny sum of money in reality, most of it spent in the cost of administration, very little ever gets to the poor. Its mostly a method of greasing palms so the African governments allow Britain to continually steal their resourses such as Coltan, diamonds and gold, and turn a blind eye, in return for Britains miserly sum of "aid"!

Mon, 2011-11-28 16:53

Tom1, what country are you

SpaceCadet's picture
SpaceCadet

Tom1, what country are you living in?

You bat about a few anecdotal stories and wildly claim Britain is one of the 'most homophobic and violent societies in the world according to the popular press', where's some hard evidence? Like the ten year year-on-year decline in crime levels across the country that show you up for the raving loon you are.

David Cameron can't protect gay citizens you say, at least he's not legislating against them!

Mon, 2011-11-28 11:35

Tom Whiter, Those who were

Fred's picture
Fred

Tom Whiter,

Those who were enslaved freed themselves by continuous resistance hence slavery became unprofitable, and was not a result of the 'goodness' of the Establishment.

Maybe you should read up on the rebellions in Barbados, Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean?

As a matter of fact, why even mention it??

Mon, 2011-11-28 11:23

Macbern, A question that we

Fred's picture
Fred

Macbern,

A question that we should ask, is the religious view on homosexuality in line with our physiological and biological makeup or just plain bigotry?

There is a massive difference between human rights and humanitarian rights. There is a huge difference to a right to a lifestyle, and the right to have three square meals a day. For example, feeding the hungry and healing the sick, are humanitarian rights as well as right to an education, access to health, housing, threat of violence, and the preservation of life.

Everyone has the right to autonomy, and make their own decisions as to what is right for them. It is the free will that we have been given.

However, our free will is to be used in conjunction with the universal laws of nature, the physiological/anatomical design of all creatures to function in natural relationships, determined by such criteria.

Do we need the bible to tell us this? No. It merely CONFIRMS what 'is'.

As for the gospel, it was first taken to the African continent BY AFRICANS, the Ethiopian eunach in Acts 8 and Simon of Cyrene [Lybia] and his two sons - Mark 15:21.

1. Corrupt African leaders are often backed by the West in order to plunder the land of it's natural resources. Pay the corrupt leaders £$ whilst the majority go hungry.

I wonder if Mr Cameron will also impose this 'sanction' of countries that persecute Christians? Hmm...I guess not. Too much [oil] at stake!

2. 'And where do wars come from? Yourselves because of your greed' - James 4:1-3

3. Africa - most naturally rich resourced continent BUT who owns it and prevents the indeginous people from benefitting by 'proping' up corrupt leaders... ...Europe.

Mon, 2011-11-28 11:17

Should we enforce.

Nick Withers's picture
Nick Withers

Mr Ron yours is the voice of reason and tolerance a characteristic sadly lacking in societies ruled by the monotheistic religions.
If homosexuality is unnatural how come there have been hundreds of recorded incidents of such behaviour in mammals, reptiles, birds and fish? Did God make a mistake? I think not. By all means make laws against rape, murder and robbery but if it is only an offence against God then kindly leave it to God to do the punishing.

Sun, 2011-11-27 12:17

Neocolonial racism, where

Tom1's picture
Tom1

Neocolonial racism, where Britain still think the white man is top dog, and the black man has to do as he is told.
In anycase its doubtful that they will really stop financial aid, as its usually tied to the countries agreeing to allow Britain to steal their assets, such as gold, coltan, copper and other precious minerals. If the aid stops, these african nations will throw out the British mining companies and do business with China, so its mostly hot air.

Britain cannot even protect their own gay people, only recently a gay man was burned to death tied to a tree, a few months ago a transvestite was pushed in front of an underground train, and homophobia is rife in Britain and on the increase year on year. Britain is officially one of the most violent societies and homophobic societies in the world according to the popular press, and no it isnt immigrant crime, white Britains have a higher lifetime offending rate than black British people.

So David Cameron cannot protect his own gay citizens despite all the rhetoric and all the protecting laws, but he is shouting and screaming at black leaders to do as they are told "or else".
Cameron needs to sit down and shut up!

Sat, 2011-11-26 17:35

I'm black, straight, and

Mr Ron's picture
Mr Ron

I'm black, straight, and fortunate enough to have friends from all races and of all sexual orientations. Their colour is of no concern to me and their sexual orientation is none of my business.

I am always staggered to see how some black people cannot draw the parallels between our own prejudicial treatment and that of gay people.

Of course the struggles are not exactly the same, but there are enough similarities for me to see the hypocrisy in statements like Christinah's.

Every gay friend I have, if at some point when they were younger they could've waved a magic wand and become straight - they would have. Because the upheaval it causes virtually every gay person to 'come out' to family and friends is something anyone would want to avoid. On the basis of this alone we can assume that homosexuality is not a choice for the vast majority of gay people. It is a state of being and destiny decided at birth or before. Fortunately, most gay people grow to love who they are and rightfully wouldn't want to be any other way.

I do not agree, however, that the UK has the right to lecture Africa on any subject outside maybe cricket and croquet, as their motives have historically and consistently been ulterior. Although I do believe every person and country is entitled to voice an opinion. Homophobia is a matter for Africa to sort out from within.

A British gay rights activist lecturing African leaders on gay rights - yes. David Cameron doing the same - no.

Sat, 2011-11-26 13:04

'Should We Enforce Gay Rights In Africa?'

macbern's picture
macbern

CHRISTINAH ADEGASOYE your argument look as dump as your western false hair style.....christainity and Islam were imported the Africa especially the sub-Sarah.
Lets talk morals and family valves
1. Corruption in africa :leaders of africa states are either christian or Muslim, well come to world good religion practice
2.conflict wars within states... good morals
and list could go on on but wont go any further
3.family poverty... need of better standard of living in Africa
by the way the next time you going to buy your false hair remember chilrdren in africa suffering and i think you look better without it

Sat, 2011-11-26 12:39