play videoAbdul Karim Ibrahim says the LGBTQ+ bill is hateful
Abdul Karim Ibrahim, a journalist, and an award-winning debater has described as “ridiculous and nonsensical” arguments that persons who have mounted a spirited defense for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) activities should be doing the same in Arab countries if they find the Private Members Bill against LGBTQ+ being spearheaded by some eight legislators as afront to free speech,
The past few weeks have seen arguments for and against LQBTQ+ activities following a decision by Ningo Prampram MP, Sam Nartey George, and seven others to push for ‘The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021’ to be passed.
The proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bill, among other things, states that “a person who, by use of media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produces, procures, markets, broadcasts, disseminates, publishes or distributes a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, or a person who uses an electronic device, the Internet service, a film, or any other device capable of electronic storage or transmission to produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publishes or distribute a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction, to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years.”
While strong proponents of the bill contend that the time is ripe for the country to criminalize the practice as well as advocacy to protect generations, persons against the bill have rebutted, stressing that it is hateful.
The likes of Gabby Otchere-Darko, a former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, have also maintained that the bill, when passed, will violate international law are consequently lead to sanctions but others, including Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command, Vladimir Antwi-Danso, think otherwise.
Making a submission on GhanaWeb TV’s Bloggers’ Forum, Abdul Karim Ibrahim emphasized that the bill is obnoxious considering that it curtails fundamental human rights.
“It’s a hate bill. It’s specifically designed to censor speech, to prevent conversation, it is anti-democratic, it is all the negative things you can say about anything because that bill is far more than simply expressing disagreement over people’s sexuality or their gender orientation,” he said.
On suggestions that advocates should propagate their message in countries that abhor LGBTQ+ groups, including Saudi Arabia and Iran if indeed they are bent on protecting human rights, the journalist asseverated that such an argument is completely flawed and repugnant.
“It is the most ridiculous thing anybody can ever say. It’s not just ridiculous; it’s completely nonsensical,” he told host Abrantepa.
“You know what else doesn’t happen in Saudi Arabia? It’s Christianity. Today, a secular, democratic, constitutional country like Ghana is having its citizens draw examples from a theocratic, autocratic state like Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia that gave us the many atrocities we are seeing..."
Abdul Karim Ibrahim continued: “If people wanted to be sincere in this conversation, they’ll not be drawing examples from Saudi Arabia. Why can they also not draw examples from Sweden when Sweden is a liberal democracy like ours. Why are they not drawing examples from New Zealand, Norway that look a lot like us? It is very funny. And interestingly, you don’t even get Muslims make that kind of analogy; you get Christians largely making that very ridiculous analogy that somehow, there are some lessons we can draw from Saudi Arabia. Really? Saudi Arabia? Iran?”
