President John Evans Atta Mills and members of Ghana's parliament are outraged after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested that foreign aid should be decreased to countries that do not respect gay rights.
Officials and religious leaders in the West African nation have compared the suggestion to colonialism and "oppression", reports Radio Netherlands Worldwide Africa.
Reverend George Asante, the head pastor of the Christian Messengers Church in Ghana’s second largest city Kumasi, opposes the UK premier’s ideas. "Homosexuality is wrong on so many levels. From a constitutional and religious point of view it is illegal and must never be tolerated," he says. Ghanaian law does indeed prohibit the practice of homosexuality, which makes it difficult for gay people to express themselves.
Cameron’s threats haven’t impressed President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana. Cameron said that "British aid should have more strings attached… While we appreciate all the financial assistance and aid which has been given to us by our development partners, we will not accept any aid with strings attached if that aid doesn’t serve our interests."
Reverend Asante [believes] that “Ghanaians must resist every form of oppression even if it means economic sanctions. Historically we have never condoned homosexuality, which is why Ghana’s constitution makes sure that any form of unnatural sex isn’t legalised.” But [the] constitution of Ghana doesn’t explicitly mention homosexuality.
RNWA quoted one gay Ghanaian who supported sanctions. But many other African LGBT and human rights groups have publicly distanced themselves from Cameron's position.
Several MPs said "to hell with their aid," reports Ghana's MyJoyOnline.
"When it (gay) became a topical issue, we made one of our members to make a statement condemning it and unanimously, across both divides, we said never shall we ever pass a law in the Parliament of Ghana [promoting gay rights]," Gershon Gbediame, Majority Chief Whip has told Myjoyonline.com.
Gbediame ... asked Ghanaians, especially, Christians to remain firm behind the government in the fight against gay rights to avoid the wrath of God visiting us.
"When you come to Ghana you will know that Ghana is richly blessed, so much, there is no need why we should bow and kowtow to people like Cameron, Obama to say that if you don’t pass gay rights we are not going to give you any aid; to hell with their aid, we shall not, shall not sell our birthright, we believe in the word of God, we shall not go contrary to the word of God...we are prepare to go hungry."
UK Prime Minister David Cameron made the announcement at the recent 54-nation Commonwealth meeting in Australia in response to soaring HIV rates in the global south. A number of African leaders have criticized the suggestion and Britain apparently is backpedaling.
Recent months have seen an increase in anti-gay rhetoric coning from elected officials and media in the West African nation. Last summer, President Mills denounced homosexuality and the Western Region Minister announced the "immediate arrest of all homosexuals."
More than 100 African-based activists and organizations issued a statement criticizing Cameron's suggestion on the eve of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Many activists from Cameroon, Nigeria and other African nations have said that anti-gay persecution has escalated in recent months as a result of Cameron's threat.
You May Have Missed ...
Amazing Video of "Out and Proud" Gay Men in Ghana
Calls for Commonwealth to Repeal Anti-Gay Laws
African LGBT Leader Joel Nana Criticizes UK PM Cameron
Africa's Anti-Gay Laws Focus at ICASA 2011 in Addis Ababa
Tanzania Slams UK Threat to Withdraw Aid
Zambia Criticizes UK Threat to Withdraw Aid
Zimbabwe's Mugabe Calls Cameron "Satanic"
ZIM PM Tsvangirai Continues Calling for Gay Rights
ZIM: Tsvangirai Slammed Over Support for Gay Rights
ZIMBABWE: PM Tsvangirai Now Calls for Gay Rights
Wow! It hasn't even been passed and there's already backlash! These jackasses were going beat the "homosexuality is a product European colonialism" meme, though regardless. It seems its more about diverting attention from bigger issues and simply looking for a scapegoat. Hitler did the same thing in Nazi Germany with the Jews in the 1930s. Ideally speaking, if there were mass protests against these actions from everyone around the world, in the context that this is immorally wrong and a violation of basic human rights and human decency, then these corrupt leaders couldn't simply depend of memes of European colonialism and oppression anymore? Or would it simply create more backlash and animosity? What do you do in a situation where it REALLY does seem "damned if you do, damned if you don't"
It's difficult for me to entirely give into the notion that all of this solely the consequence European colonialism and USA involvement. I'm not going to apologize fr expressing discomfort that it almost seems there is an attempt at rationalization and justification. Post-colonialism and neo-colonialism exist but I'd figure if they're so angry with told "West" meddling in their affairs, where are the complaints of American involvement?
Posted by: Kevin Perez | 16 December 2011 at 12:04