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Nigerian Humanists Fight for Survival of Country’s Gay Community
24 April 2006- A leading Nigerian Humanist is courageously
standing up for the country's gay community in the face of his
government's vicious attack on gay rights. With the blessing of the
Nigerian Anglican Church and its leader, Archbishop Peter Akinola, the
government of Nigeria has tabled in parliament one of the world’s most
comprehensive and repressive anti-gay laws.
The President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared
that homosexual practice “is clearly un-Biblical, unnatural and
definitely un-African.”
Leo Igwe, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian
Humanist Movement, has made an impassioned appeal to members of the
Nigerian National Assembly not to pass a Bill that would not only
criminalise gay marriage, but also impose a five-year jail sentence on
anyone who has a gay relationship or anyone who aids or supports a gay
marriage – or even a gay relationship.
“The Nigerian Humanist Movement calls for reason, common
sense, thoughtfulness, knowledge, love, tolerance, human solidarity and
empathy,” Mr Igwe said in his letter. He called on Nigeria to honour its
commitments as a signatory of the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and
other human rights documents.
George Broadhead, secretary of the Gay and Lesbian
Humanist Association, said: “This is probably the most oppressive piece
of anti-gay legislation to have been introduced in modern times,” George
Broadhead, secretary of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association, said
tonight.
“We fear for the safety of all gay people in Nigeria,
because when this law is implemented it will unleash a deep-rooted and
murderous religious-based homophobia.
“There will be witch hunts and persecution on a wide
scale. We fully support Leo Igwe’s appeal to the Government not to do
this, and we call on the United Nations to intervene to protect the
human rights of an extremely vulnerable minority.” |
