Friday, August 10, 2007

18 face death sentence for homosexual activities in Nigeria

Iran and Iraq are not the only countries where gays are executed for merely being gay. Nigeria, home of Anglican Archbishop "Homo Hater" Peter Akinola, is another country where the Muslim extremists confuse civil laws with religious laws. Here's a story on this issue (http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=070809154001.tmxj73bd.php):


Eighteen men have been arrested in northern Nigeria for alleged sodomy, which carries the death sentence under Bauchi state's Islamic sharia law, the official NAN news agency reported Thursday. Judge Malam Tanimu ordered the 18 remanded in prison until a further hearing on August 21 following their arrest on Sunday in a hotel in Bauchi city.

The court on Wednesday heard that the men, who were wearing female clothing, had come to the city from five neighbouring states to celebrate a gay "marriage". Prosecuting police officer Tadius Boboi said the men's actions had contravened the sharia penal code adopted in Bauchi and other states in Muslim northern Nigeria eight years ago following the end of military rule.

With all of Nigeria's huge problems and abject poverty, worrying about homosexuality should be far down the list of issues that the government concerns itself with. Yet further proof of the dangers of mixing religion with the civil laws. Why the international community, including the United Nations, doesn't make pariahs out of such nations for human rights abuses is mind boggling. Oh, I forgot - these are oil producing countries, so they get a free pass.

2 comments:

D-Man said...

Sickening. Just plain sickening.

Anonymous said...

As Hitler found out, its easy to put the blame on innocent "strange" people to make the masses ignore the REAL problems.
Every time I read about fucked-up contries like Nigeria, I realize how lucky it is I live in America where, despite the damn fundies wishes, we still have it somewhat easier. And also realize we should strive to keep it that way and even make it better!