The Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG) has urged President Akufo-Addo to ignore the threats being issued by the US and other multilateral partners over the passage of the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
COMOG said it is happy that after three long years, efforts towards proscribing the practice of LGBTQI+ in Ghana has been achieved.
It noted, however, that the Western World is discontented about the passage of the Bill and urged the President to ignore their threats.
“Now that Parliament has demonstrated its altruistic disposition, it is our fervent hope that His Excellency the President will assent to the bill for it to become fully operational. We are not oblivious of the threats of withdrawing financial support to the state in the event of the passage by the Western World.
We therefore wish to call on the government to consider seeking for such facilities from the Muslim Countries, which do not come with such draconian conditionality as that of the Bretton Woods,” part of a press release signed by Mohammed Shamsudeen Shaibu, Chairman-Media and Research Committee COMOG reads.
Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday, February 28 passed the anti-LGBTQI bill after successfully going through all three reading stages.
The Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin put the motion for the third reading before the House. At the end of the voice vote, he said, “the ayes have it.”
The Coalition expressed its highest contentment with the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill.
COMOG described the development as “an important milestone in the history of the Parliament of Ghana.”
“COMOG therefore feels elated and vindicated for the long battle fought to ensure the passage of this bill into law. We are highly grateful to Allah for answering our prayers as a Muslim Organisation,” the press release stated.
Coalition of Muslim Organisations welcomes passage of anti-LGBTQ+ Bill | 3News
The press release dated February 28 further noted that, “Having recognised the courageous contributions of our parliamentarians, we wish to commend them for listening to the aspirations of the people of Ghana. We specifically wish to crown the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for standing his grounds in ensuring the passage of the bill as promised in one of our engagements last year. It is worthy of note that, COMOG in its long years of battle against the practice of LGBTQI+ conferred the title of “Saiful Lah” on the Speaker a few months ago on behalf of the Muslim Community just to encourage him, and also demonstrate the former’s resolve to remain faithful to the course.”
Meanwhile, the Ambassador of the United States to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, has expressed her sadness over the passage of the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
‘I am saddened’ – US Ambassador to Ghana on passage of anti-LGBTQ+ Bill | 3News
According to her, the Bill takes away the human rights of all gay people in the country.
“I am saddened because some of the smartest, most creative, most decent people I know are LGBT. The bill Parliament passed takes away not only their basic human rights, but those of all Ghanaians because it undermines their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press,” she wrote on her Facebook page.