Gay conviction and sentencing a positive development.

By: Peter Qeko Jere

The news that the court in Malawi sentenced the gay couple to 14 years in prison is most welcome, good and a positive step towards protecting our society from foreign influences. Though they are released, these two were firstly convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts before the Judge sentenced them to 14 years IHL under section 153 of the penal code. These two are allegedly agents of gay institutions across the globe who are doing everything possible to poison and contaminated African societies with abomination and detestable life style that is against the norms of African tradition, culture and religious beliefs.

It was during the Xmas season that the gay couple, Steve Monjeza and Tionge Chimbalanga, were arrested by the Malawi police for holding the unnatural engagement ceremony. At first Malawians thought it was a joke that two men were engaged to each other though relief came when the police had them arrested. They were arrested because they violated the laws of the land which stipulates that unnatural sexual act (homosexualism) is illegal in Malawi. According to Malawi’s supreme tradition, cultural and religious values, it is un-malawian for a man to marry a fellow man or a woman to marry a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that marriage is for a man and a woman and this has been the Malawian way of life ever since. Anything to the contrary is abomination and a taboo.

The arrest and sentencing of the gay couple continue to open the floodgates of criticism and anger from Western donor nations and human rights activists across the globe. their overseas Masters, the human rights organisations in many parts Africa and Malawi in particular continue to criticise government for the sentencing of the two and says that the rights of minorities have been violated. For instance, the Malawi Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (MCHRR) condemned the sentencing and says that the gay couple’s human rights have been violated. Amazingly MCHRR says that they are particularly disappointed with the sentencing because the crime the two have been convicted of (homosexualism) is not a serious offense. However MCHRR should know one thing; that homosexual may not be a serious offense to them and their Masters (Western nations) but this remains an abomination as far as Malawi is concern and infact this is a taboo. In as much as MCHRR and other rights activists have to speak for their Masters overseas on this gay issue, they should realise that they are in Malawi where things are done the Malawian way. These human rights agencies should know that the fact that homosexualism is allowed and legalised in USA, UK and other European nations does not mean that this can be legalised in Malawi because Malawi is different from USA, UK in terms of culture, tradition and religious beliefs.

Also these rights agencies should learn to respect the cultural and tradition values that Malawi has and should not sink so low to the point of asking government to legalise abomination. How do you open your mouth to ask for the legalisation of a wicked way of life in the name of promoting human rights? Even if Malawi is poor, it does it means that we have to accept anything just because it’s the donor community demanding of us. Acceptance depends on whether what they want us legalise is in line with Malawi’s culture, tradition and religious value.They also should know that the more they make noise against the sentencing, the more they become unpopular amongst Malawians.

Western donor nations have threatened to withdraw aid to the country so as to force Malawi recognise and legalise homosexuality. And in an effort to enforce their colonial authority, 65 British MPs signed a House of Common motion condemning Malawi’s while the Scottish MPs threatened to ask the Scottish government to withheld aid to Malawi until the two gay men are released. Britain, Norway, German and the USA who contribute about 40% of Malawi’s budget support have expressed their concern. The British says they are dismayed while the US State department says they are appalled by the sentence and called on the Malawi Government to respect the human rights of all its citizens while the Amnesty International in support of this abomination, have adopted the two gay men as prisoners of conscience and have asked Malawi Government to immediately and unconditionally release them.

In all this however, what is the main agenda of these western donor nations and why are they more interested in this issue? Don’t they know that on the 6 July 1964 Malawi became a sovereign state? Yes they may be economically supporting Malawi but that does not mean that they can still through their financial muscle dictate the terms of life for Malawian people.

It is wrong that even in the 2st Century western nations still wants to indirectly colonise African countries in the name of human rights and the so called “freedoms”. They are bankrolling huge sum of money to promote their wrong concept of life without considering that in Africa and Malawi in particular, people have values which can not easily be bought with donor money. Malawians will remain Malawians and can not be forced to accept detestable and abominable way of life in their society in the name of human rights and to make donors happy. Donors need to accept the fact that Malawi as a sovereign state has its own cultural values which does not accommodate and accept homosexualism. It is better to live in poverty with our head high than to accept or legalise homosexualism and get this money from the west.

Having said this, the donor community should be civilized enough and know that they don’t have the right whatsoever to force Malawians to legalise homosexuality. Just as there are things that western nations can accept in their society, we also in Africa and Malawi in particular have some things which though they may be bad for Europeans, they still remain good for us. Also there are things that though they may be good to western nations, they still remain detestable for Africans and Malawi in particular hence the best thing is for both western and African nations to respect each other’s point of view. Western nations should not impose on Malawi what they think is good for them because theirs is not the standard for all and also that Malawi is different from Western nations in terms of values. Western nations should know that Malawians are people of value and they respect their tradition, culture and religious beliefs which by and large shapes their daily lives. Malawians are people who believe in their culture which does not accept strange way of life particularly homosexualism.

Some have argued that sentencing of the gay couple contradicted the conventions that Malawi signed. However the fact Malawi is a signatory to the said human rights conventions does not mean that we are bound to apply everything thereof even to the point of legalising the abominable way of life into the country against our cultural and religious values. Countries are free to apply human rights guided by other statue which governs them. The so called conventions are not an end to themselves. In addition to the convention and the country’s constitution, there are some norms which are cultural and can turn the tables if not properly handled. What we are saying is that the so called human rights conventions have to be crosschecked with the laws of the land and what the culture of the people say about them. All nations of the world have different values and tradition which shapes their existence and in this regard, Malawi cannot accommodate homosexualism in the name of promoting human rights.

Now those who are unhappy with the sentencing of the two should know that Malawi is a religious society where 75% are Christian, 20% muslims and 5% African Tradition beliefs and others. Both Muslims and Christians (who make up 95%) do not accept homosexual way of life In this regard, western nations should know better the dynamics of Malawi religious life which plays supreme role in the way major decision are made. It is dangerous to undermine the role of religious institution in Malawi because about 95% of the population belong to such organisations and their influence in the way things are done is clearly known.

However below are the addition reasons why Malawians will never accept same sex marriage. Firstly is that religious and cultural values has taught Malawians that it is an abomination for man to marry a fellow man or a woman have it with a fellow woman. What Malawians know is that God created Adam and Eve to complement each other and not James and John. How do you expect a man to compliment a fellow man in the first place?

Secondly Malawians are aware of the various biblical stories where due to homosexual way of life, God destroyed the entire city of Sodom. God rained down burning fire and brimstone on the city of Sodom and Gomorrah where every living thing perished apart from Lot and his daughters. Thirdly Malawians are aware of what happened in the Judges 19 where due to homosexual behaviour of the people of Gibeah, God had it destroyed. Also no Malawian can forget Leviticus 18:22 where God declares, “Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination”(KJV). If God Himself declares that homosexualism is detestable then who are we Malawians to go against the Lord’s command? Western donor nations may have chosen to disobey God on this one but they should not force Malawi to do likewise because Malawians knows better who God is

Finally Malawians knows very well that homosexual behavour degrades human dignity, offends and violates the law of nature while at the same time this practice moral values. So Malawians themselves as custodian of their tradition and religious values have the responsibility to safe guide and protect the nation from any foreign ideology (ie homosexualism). Legalising homosexualism could lead to collective punishment from God upon the land. Just as God destroyed Sodom because of this abomination, the same God could destroy the entire Malawi if this is legalised.