Gay marriages: If Europe, USA are in love with it, Africa isn't

BY EDITOR

27th April 2013

Editorial Cartoon

The United States of America and some countries in Europe including Britain have legalized same-sex marriages. European countries like Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Britain and France have officially joined USA in legalizing same-sex marriages.

As Africans we still believe in the original definition of marriage as per our tradition as well as the holy books (The Bible, Quran) that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. We shall continue to believe so even if the masters or the so-called donors will freeze aid to Africa as they claimed in 2011.

But, our beliefs as Africans do not mean we don’t respect what the US and its allies have decided to legalize in the name of equality. Why? This is because sometime it’s better to learn to respect others who have contradicting views than simply condemning them. We may have contradicting views about the same-sex marriage, but that doesn’t guarantee anyone the right to condemn, let alone the right to judge.
We also expect those European countries and their partners in same-sex marriages, the US, to respect the views of Africans on the same topic because respect, we are told, is like a two-way traffic. Forcing Africans to accept same-sex marriages by using aid or some local Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by the same champions of the ungodly move, is unacceptable at all cost.

In Dar es Salaam, we have NGOs funded by those who think they understand the values of human rights more than we do, which have been campaign secretly to ensure that same-sex marriage is included in the new constitution. These NGOs have been recruiting media experts and activists to champion their agenda of same-sex marriage during the constitutional making process.

These NGOs want the new constitution to recognise same-sex marriage as a fundamental human rights; they claim that those entering the marriage institution should be given the right to choose what type of marriage they want: whether they want same-sex or traditional one.

To put things into perspective, these NGOs are championing the agenda of their paymaster, in this case the Western countries which have legalized same-sex marriage. As one African leader once put it , NGOs are non-government in Africa only, in the West they are government agencies funded heavily to crusade the agenda of their funders.

We have no problem with these NGOs because they are just being used to champion the agenda of their paymasters. However, our problem is when they force us (Africans) to accept everything from Europe and the US, even if it’s against not only our values but God’s will.

If Europe and USA believe that they can reverse the marriage definition as defined by God by legalising same-sex marriage, that’s their democratic right, but they shouldn’t impose it on Africans at all. Africa may be broke in terms of material wealth but it has never gone broke in terms of values and culture.

We may be black or coloured, but our brains and minds are neither black nor coloured. If we respect their values why can’t they respect ours? Why should they lobby to ensure that their ill-conceived ideas are included in our constitution?
It’s true we have gays the same as we have lots of thieves. 
Now should we also legalise theft simply because among us we have our friends, relatives or neighbours who are thieves? We respect gays as our fellow human beings who either have mental or psychological disorders; we cannot hang them because they are our fellow human beings. But we also cannot legalise gay marriages simply because they are our fellow human beings. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN