The West and hypocrisy in pushing gay practice to Africa

Anti-gay protest in Paris, France, recently

By Paul Arhewe

What will the western world gain when the whole of Africa continent adopt an alien culture of sodomy and gay life styles? Many advocates of anti-gay practices are asking with fewer responses to this question.  The fierceness in which western countries are pushing for the adoption of gay practices in all parts of the world, especially in cultures that abhor it, makes it looks as if the world’s existence depends on a practice that is known to have sent many to their untimely graves.  Homosexuals are known to be among those who had first contracted the Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which took a rapid spread among same-sex partners. Initially, the terminal disease was referred to as homosexual ailment, where it was called Gay-related immune deficiency (GRID). Some commentators have argued that the move of the West remains sinister, as they continue in pushing the wide recognition of gay lifestyle when it brings no positive contribution to humankind and the society, but diseases and deaths.

President Goodluck Jonathan drew the annoyance of some western nations, recently, when he signed the prohibition act against same-sex marriage in Nigeria.

Antagonists of the anti-gay law have described it as obnoxious and draconian. Some Western governments, including the United States and Britain say the enactment of the law is a direct encroachment on the rights of gay people in Nigeria. The views of these opponents are that the law will make the country a barbaric state and relegate it to be slave to tradition, morality and religion.

In its reaction recently, the Nigerian Federal Government said the Western nations are playing double standard with their crying foul of the new law. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, recently, in her trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, told reporters that the president signed the bill into law as a way of protecting Nigerians and democracy. She did not fail in adding that the criticisms of the West are based on “double standards”.

Parts of her words read: “What happened in Nigeria is democracy in action and it will really be unfortunate that people who are talking about democracy when they now see democracy work, they want us to go against democracy,” she said.

“Is democracy for pick and choose? When it suites them they want us to do good governance and democracy, but when it does not suit them they want us to go against the democracy that has been put in place.

“The National Assembly took a decision, the National Assembly is the face of democracy in Nigeria, they are the representatives of the people, they form the voice of the people and they have spoken,’’ she said.

Many Nigerians from different occupations have lauded President Jonathan’s action for approving the law. Some religious group leaders have shown backings for this singular act. A bishop of the Living Faith Church, David Abioye, in his commendation said, “The decision against same sex marriage is pace setting for nations in Africa and other nations of the world. “We commend the president for signing the bill into law. Same Sex marriage is against ethics; it is against tradition; it is against culture, humanity, the will of God and everything. Not once will that evil rise up its head in this country,” he said.

Nigeria’s Catholic Cardinal, John Olurenfemi Onaiyekan also gave his approval of the government‘s stance. In his words: “The position of the Catholic Church has always been clear that the designs of God are very clear to us. God created man; male and female He created them and told them to go and multiply and the church has stood by that natural plan of God. As a catholic, obviously I am against homosexuality therefore against same-sex marriage. My position all along has been that strictly speaking there is no such thing as same-sex marriage because marriage by definition is between a man and a woman. Anything else, you can call it whatever you like. Don’t call it marriage because marriage is between a husband and a wife."

Delta state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan also is puzzled by the amount of opposition and pressure from the western world. In his words: “There was a public hearing by the National Assembly and we are not aware of their opposition to this bill. What happened was that a lot of Nigerians appeared and made submission in favour of it. So it is a surprise that after the bill has been passed, we are now facing this opposition by the international community.”

While airing his view recently, the governor likened gay marriage to paedophilia. He insisted that gay marriage offends the cultural norms of Nigerians and that it can be likened to paedophilia. The governor said the way it is viewed as taboo for an adult to sleep with a 10-year-old girl in Ireland, is the same way Nigerians view gay marriage.

“Whenever a couple come together, they are not coming together by themselves, it almost involves their different families and if it is known that in that family there are married gays, the danger is that the taboo emanating from that might even affect others who are straight and that is not right,” he stressed.

The double standards of the West are traced to the huge pressure placed on Africans to forgo a rich cultural heritage that forbids homosexuality and lesbianism. The politics behind this western campaign to expand the gay practice has reflected a scenario where less pressure are mounted on few western countries that have decided to single themselves and preserve traditional decorum.

Russia has made it known to the world that it will not allow gay practice in its society, as it seeks to protect children and preserve the family tradition in its society. President Vladimir Putin, recently, had to douse the fear of athletes, and sports lovers who have the intention to visit the Eastern European country for the impending Olympics, by assuring that they won’t be punished by the country’s existing anti-gay laws.

In addition, some states in the United States are still against the practise of gay marriages.  As at January 2014, only 17 states and the District of Columbia have constitutionally legalised same-sex marriage. In 31 US states, there still exist constitutional amendments banning recognition of gay marriages.

Virginia State adopted a referendum in 2006 that outlaw gay marriages. Virginia has upheld for over 400 years now that marriage is between a man and a woman, this is because the state has continued to uphold the important role father and mother plays in families.   Recently, a mass protest was held in France to stop law allowing gay marriages in the European country. It is interesting to note that before now Britain has not legally implemented the practice of gay marriage, but waiting to put into effect from 29 March 2014, the law passed by its parliament where it will be fully in force in England and Wales. Furthermore, a walk down history lane has revealed that homosexuality was a criminal offense, for over 300 years, in the United Kingdom. Reports say that it was decriminalized  in 1959; not based on the grounds of human rights, but because the son of the then Prime Minister, Nicholas Eden and the son of Lord John Wolfenden , Jeremy Wolfenden, were gays. It is reported that Nicholas Eden was among those first set of people that die of Aids. That the former colonial masters who created anti-sodomy and homosexuality laws in Nigerian failed to repeal them when it was decriminalising its domestic laws, is another pungent question that demands answer.

The western world is still against paedophilic practices, which is seen as a psychiatric disorder where an adult defile and have sexual intercourse with a minor. This paedophilic practice was termed together with homosexuality and lesbianism as a psychiatric disorder, but the later was removed from the category of the debasing practice. American Psychiatric Association included homosexuality in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a sociopathic personality disorder or perverse psychosexual disorder, but since 2000, this was expunged.

Westerners and those opposing the government’s same sex prohibition act may not have gotten concrete insight of the African culture and the chronological events surrounding the history of Nigeria’s stance against sodomy and gay practices. Nigerian society, since the colonial era, has stood against sodomy and gay practices. In the 1916, southern part of the country enacted laws that criminalized these practices in its sections 214 and 215 of Criminal Code Act which now in chapter 77 of the laws of the federation of Nigerian, 1990. Similarly, in northern Nigeria, the penal code in 1960, which became a chapter in the laws of Northern Nigeria, had provisions against sodomy and other gay practices. These laws have given credence to the new same –sex prohibition act.  It is seen that the recent law is a reinforcement of the previous ones.  Imperatively, what this implies is that since the law against such practices have existed since 1916 it becomes wrong to claim that Nigerian government is violating the rights of its citizens, in contemporary times, by reinforcing laws to protect its ‘sane society’ and preserve family values culture.

As a move to continue the campaign and propaganda against Nigerian government, alleged western sponsored activists and protesters are said to be writing petitions and staging protests from foreign countries against the law. One of such propagandas is the one signed by some ‘Nigerians’ from the United States; where they wrote that the prohibition on same-sex act “it ignores the fruits of many decades of scientific research which proves decisively that homosexuality is as natural as heterosexuality. Fourth, the law threatens to reverse the gains made by programs aimed at fighting the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the country”.

Some Nigerians have started utilizing the situation for some cheap advantages to travel abroad. The volume of applications from Nigerians to seek asylum in some western countries is increasing. The Netherlands embassy in Nigeria attested to reporters that it has received several applications from Nigerians seeking for asylum.

In addition, the Canadian embassy in Nigeria in a report said, it has not really received any increase from Nigerian applicants in recent times. However, it said applications for asylum would be granted, only in Ottawa, on arrival in their country.

“We cannot grant asylum to anyone here on any grounds, that is the prerogative of Ottawa. Such a Nigerian must have already satisfied regular visa requirements and must have travelled to Canada, he or she as the case may be, can now apply to stay back for fear of persecution upon return to Nigerian.”

 The embassy said it would investigate to verify if actually applicants are gay or just making a claim, when such applications are received.

When the Australian Embassy was contacted, about its view on the anti-gay law in Nigeria. Tom Beamish, Second Secretary of the mission said, “The Australian Government is concerned that some provision of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act  appear inconsistent with a number of human rights enshrined in international conventions, including the rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly”.

He said, “Australia condemns all discrimination, violence or harassment against people on the basis of their sexual orientation”.

“We have previously raised our concerns with the legislation with the Government of Nigeria prior to signing into law, and will do so again now that it has been enacted”, he added.

The argument of many commentators are that the hypocrisy and double standards of the West are pronounced when it continues to discriminate against some practices based on sexual orientation, like polygamy, incest and paedophilia and want the world to adopt  homosexuality and lesbianism, even in cultures that detest it.