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Opinions of Sunday, 7 November 2021

Columnist: Abukari Majeed

It is Ghanaian values and norms which detest LGBTQI+

People from the west undermine our local values but expect us to embrace LGBTQI+ People from the west undermine our local values but expect us to embrace LGBTQI+

The meaning of a developed country is from analog to electronic mindset of citizens, from higher to lower crimes, from higher rate to lower rate of unemployment, from marginalized to all-inclusive society, from less freedom to freedom, from weaker to stronger institutions, from deprived to an accessible society, from poverty to richness, from illnesses to good health, from under-development to development, from inequalities to equalities and from lawlessness to lawful societies.

Whilst, underdeveloped country means, poverty, higher rate of crimes, higher taxes, marginalized society, illnesses, less freedom, inaccessible society, weaker institutions, higher unemployment rate, under-development, inequalities, deprivation and lawlessness.

Additionally, to compare the statuses of the above, time is essential. These developed countries didn’t wake up in the morning to see their countries developed. It took them years to develop their countries. Therefore, the undeveloped countries also need time to develop to a certain level where there shall be equalities and individual rights to guarantee their countries' safety like the developed countries.

Absolutely, it would’ve been weird for the developed countries to just turn round and instruct the under-developed countries to accept and practice under conditions which are necessitated by both human and institutional developments, where these underdeveloped countries lacked the same. Some rights are automatic when there’re human and institutional developments. Not when these countries are underdeveloped and their citizens are living in abject poverty.

Unfortunately, those of our professionals who should have been heard advocating for governments building stronger institutions, propounding robust economic policies susceptible to create change in the lives of Ghanaians, are however tragically heard lamenting that Ghana shall be cut off from foreign aid if the anti LGBTQI bill is passed. They should buttress it with a statement from any of our donor nations threatening Ghana on this frivolous claim.

Our professors, doctors and engineers aren’t even aware that, instead of partnerships with the west to develop the country, they still want our leaders to continue begging whilst the country has already been blessed by God with natural resources.

We are tired of mediocrity.

When the values and norms of developed countries detest underdeveloped countries, they don’t care. But when we abhor theirs, they describe them as Human Rights violations. This is because they undermined ours and favored theirs during the draft state. To the extent that some animals have certain rights over others. Those they crave for as a delicacy have no rights but those they do not eat have some rights to be treated with. This is why there’s no fairness over some drafted human and animal rights.

In China and many parts of the world dog meat is acceptable, while in the US and many parts of Europe, it is prohibited. Again, in many parts of the world, pork is acceptable, while as in Islamic countries both dog meat and pig meat are prohibited.

Still, on inequalities, Moslems have the right to marry more than one wife, while as it is a crime to marry more than one wife in many countries.

These inequalities are not seen as unfair treatment to the less powerful nations because, at the draft state of these laws of human and animal rights, the most powerful nations favored theirs and muted the rights of the less powerful nations. Just to amplify theirs and suppress those of the less powerful people.

A typical example of equalities and fairness before her citizens is the Sharia laws practiced in Nigeria. The laws are applicable to only Moslems because Sharia is not in the Bible, where Christians must face its consequences.

Therefore, LGBTQI shouldn’t be seen as a universal practice in the name of protecting the rights of individuals just like polygamy, Sharia, etc. The values and norms of countries that detest it must not be forced by their leaders to accept it.

For these reasons, many African leaders have fought and continued fighting LGBTQ+ on the continent. Our leaders here in Ghana must also have some amount of respect in them for the sake of the people who gave them that mandate to lead them. The same people have the same power to make you powerless one day if you failed them.

Former Presidents Kufuor, Mills, Rawlings and Mahama spoke against it without any scintilla of hesitation because the good people of Ghana abhor it. The current president must equally do the same, simply because, it’s inimical to our values and norms.

However, for the majority leader to say that religion will not be a reason to pass the anti-LGBTQI + bill is unfortunate. Agree that Ghana is a secular state, it does also makes meaning to customary rights as such Islam and Christianity. Islam, Christian and traditional religions have all abhorred the practice of lesbianism, transgender, homosexuality etc. More especially, people who have not chosen any of the religions above equally have rights to living though, but the majority of them despise LGBTQI.

More importantly, MPs go to Moslems, Christians and traditionalists for their votes to represent them in the parliament. That is why the country is a representative of parliamentary practice in nature. And so, if you decide not to consider them in the passage of the bill, then don’t go to them for any votes.

Truly and honestly, our decent MPs will not fail us.

The Arab world has only oil yet is self-identifying and self-sustaining. No country can impose their cultures on their countries because they don’t borrow money from the West. Whilst Ghana has oil, cocoa, timber, bauxite, etc yet are not self-identifying and self-sustaining because she is under neocolonialism. We borrow to even pay less than 700,000 workers out of a population of about 30.8 million. Yet, even the over 30 million Ghanaians who are living on their private businesses are recklessly taxed and also forced to swallow bitter pills by the West.

Trust me, any politician who’ll openly support any foreign practice inimical to our religious practices, cultures and traditions shall have themselves blamed at the polls.

Many bold and courageous presidents in Africa have spoken against it to make their stances very clear without any ambiguity. We want to hear the same from our president without any scintilla of fear.