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Archbishop Denies
Attack On Homosexuals
23 Apr 2008- Nigeria- Archbishop
Benjamin Kwashi, of the Jos province, (Anglican Communion), has denied
allegations that the leader of a group representing "Anglican''
homosexuals in the country was attacked.
In an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, Kwashi
rebuffed a statement credited to the Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) on
the alleged attack.
Kwashi was
reacting to an allegation by Mr Davis Mac-Iyalla, leader of Changing
Attitude Nigeria, that homosexuals were being physically assaulted in
the country.
Iyalla had
requested the intervention of the ABC as the `spiritual leader' of the
global Anglican Communion.
According to
Kwashi, the ABC criticised the alleged assaults on gay Anglicans in
Nigeria , describing it as `` latest round of unchristian bullying .''
However, the Jos
archbishop said: ``I have personally tried to discover the place or
nature of the attacks and threats without success.
``It is wrong for
Canterbury and a group of English Bishops to accuse the Church of
Nigeria of being the perpetrator of a physical attack on the streets.
``If a Nigerian
Bishop or church leader was mugged in England would the Archbishop of
Canterbury or even the Church of England in general be blamed for
this?''
He maintained
that ``the Church of Nigeria would not be bullied and was committed to
the human rights of all people''.
``We will not
condone violence against people even though they behave in a way that is
not acceptable to us.
``And none of us
wishes to be responsible (either directly or indirectly) for murder or
violence perpetrated by another person, '' he added.
The arguments in
the Anglican Church over homosexuality came to the fore in 2003 with the
ordination of a gay Bishop, Rt. Rev Gene Robins of USA.
Since then the
Church has been sharply divided between conservative Anglicans who were
adamant that ordaining gay clergy or blessing in the church is a sin.
However, the
liberals insist on tolerance and inclusion of homosexual people. Kwashi,
is the Coordinating Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North
America (CANA), a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria.
He said that
Nigeria would do all in its power to maintain the unity of the Body of
Christ. ``But we shall not compromise or ``dilute'' the gospel of Our
Lord Jesus Christ,'' he said. (NAN)
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