|
Tear Gas Rains Down on Homophobic Crowd in Senegal
15 Feb 2008-
Dakar, Senegal- "We want homosexuals to be wiped out in this country. We
will continue to fight for Senegal to become a Muslim nation," said
Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye as he threw stones around the Grand Mosque de
Dakar, Senegal's main mosque.
He joined many other
homophobic protesters outside the mosque, where what was supposed to be
an anti-violent demonstration turned to a near riot. As he spoke with
ABC News reporters, piles of rubble burned ablaze for blocks around the
mosque. "This practice does not conform to the religion practiced in our
country."
The homophobic protesters have gathered in outcry of
Senegal's release of a group of gay men arrested for participating in a
marriage ceremony. Senegal does not allow equal rights to its LGBT
citizens, and evidential homosexuality can be punishable with jail time
and hard labor.
However, after international human rights groups
received word of the gay wedding attendee's imprisonment, they
successfully pressured the country's government to release them. And now
some citizens of the mostly Muslim country are vehemently upset.
Youths and children blocked roads around Dakar's
mosque, shouting "we don't want homosexuals", and "Allahu Akbar" (God is
greatest). Protesters spit ugly words of violence against what they call
"gorjiguene" (men-women). Since the just release of the men, Senegal's
newspapers and radio shows have been flooded with anti-gay sentiment,
citizens outraged over what the rest of the world considers human
rights.
Earlier on Friday, authorities had granted permission
for the anti-gay demonstration. Once violence had been sparked by
protesters, however, police were called in to tame and disperse the
unruly crowd. Facing a growing number of demonstrators and increasing
vandalism across the few blocks, officers turned to tear gas, spraying
the violent mob.
The unfortunate tactic seems to have calmed the uproar
for now, but with a summit of Muslim leaders about to take place in
Senegal and a focused eye from international human rights groups on the
country, Senegal's largely underground LGBT community faces a roller
coaster ahead.
|
