- Last week, the Supreme Court said the decision to deny LGBTQ members their right to register as an NGO was discriminatory.
- This followed a ruling made in 2013 by lower courts to deny members of the community in Kenya to register an NGO for the advancement of their rights.
Image: COURTESY
Jamia Muslim Community has urged President William Ruto to take a stand over the ongoing LGBTQ debate.
Last week, the Supreme Court said the decision to deny LGBTQ members their right to register as an NGO, despite homosexuality being illegal, was discriminatory.
This followed a ruling made in 2013 by lower courts to deny members of the community in Kenya to register a Non-Governmental Organisation for the advancement of their rights.
However, the Muslim community through its secretary general AbdulBari Hamid on Tuesday opposed the Supreme Court judgment on LGBTQ.
He said that the President’s voice against these social evils was important and Kenyans are looking to him to lead them in rejecting these vices
“We call upon President William Ruto to unequivocally stand against these machinations whose ultimate goal is to decriminalise homosexual relationships,” Hamid said.
The Muslim community said the decision by three of the five Supreme Court judges to allow gays and lesbians to have legal recognition is shocking, unbecoming and unacceptable to Kenyans who value religion, cultural traditions and family relations.
"The judgement has come amidst growing concerns, especially from parents about. Insidious covert plans to push the homosexual agenda to young minds in school and selling of children books in leading bookshops advocating for homosexuality,” Hamid said.
He said Article 11 of the Constitution recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and as the cumulative civilization of the Kenyan people and nation.
However, religion has often been interrupted by the court to be a form of culture.
“The vast majority of Kenyans adhere to Christianity, Islam and traditional beliefs and a common factor in all these beliefs is that homosexuality is immoral, repugnant and a criminal act which cannot be tolerated in Kenyan societies,” Hamid said.
“Further we wish to remind Kenyans to be vigilant about the insidious plans which are ultimately aimed at legalizing homosexuality in Kenya.”
The Jamia Muslim Community called upon other faith groups and Kenyans of goodwill to come together in a unified voice to fight against these machinations which they feel will threaten to tear apart the long-standing societal institution of marriage and the family as they know it.
They have also appealed to the media to live up to its responsibility and be part of the collective resolve to protect the religious and cultural traditions held dearly by Kenyans.