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Opinions of Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Columnist: Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako

Of polygamy vs homosexuality (in shadow boxing)

Homosexuality is a crime in most African countries Homosexuality is a crime in most African countries

This comment was my reaction to a post that asked, “How did the West manage to convince us that polygamy is evil and homosexuality is a human right?”

First, Ghana has three forms of marriage: Ordinance, Mohammedan and Customary. Both Mohammedan and Customary marriages LEGALLY allow for polygamy. No Western country has told Ghana or Ghanaians that polygamy is evil and we cannot practice polygamy under our own laws. Ordinance marriage on the other hand, forbids polygamy. Nobody forces any Ghanaian to marry under Ordinance marriage laws.

If you do however, then you accept one-man-one-wife as part of the provisions of that law. If a Western country decides to have a different law, why should that be your problem?

Second, our law forbids having unnatural carnal knowledge of another person. Sodomy and homosexuality generally therefore are punished under our criminal law. So again, the West has not convinced us to change our law to accept homosexuality as a human right while polygamy is seen as evil. They have changed their laws to reflect what they want. Why should that be your problem?

If you go to their country, you abide by their laws. If they come to our country, they abide by our laws. They may want us to change our laws to mirror theirs, but there’s nothing yet for you to say they have managed to convince us to accept their principles, knowing our laws have not been changed.