The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has expressed his excitement over the recent passage of the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
On February 28, after nearly three years of deliberation, Parliament finally passed the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
The Bill imposes a prison sentence of up to three years on anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for advocacy or funding by LGBTQ+ groups.
This portion of the Bill, among others, has stirred contention from some civil society groups and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who argue that it violates basic human rights.
But despite these criticisms, Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu believes that the passage of the Bill is a step in the right direction.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on March 2, the Spokesperson for the Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, said they [Muslim community] were elated by the news because the Bill will preserve family values.
“I can say without any equivocation that the Chief Imam was relatively joyful about the passing of this bill because he has fully been briefed about what we are going through with respect to the evolvement of this LGBTQ+ phenomenon in our country and the attempt to really universalise it and make it something normal and something acceptable.
“And as somebody who is the leader of Muslims in this country, he could not actually give any support to such matter to be allowed.
“For us, it is a moral issue, it is something that also goes to the very heart of the protection of the family which in the Muslim understanding of things is the property of God. It is the smallest unit of society into which every single human being is born,” he said.
He clarified that anything that undermines the family system will not get their support.
“Any practice that seeks to undermine the survival of the family must truly be condemned. For us, it is reprehensible, abominable, and objectionable. So Chief Imam is so happy,” he added.
He commended legislators for their steadfastness despite the countless objections and battles the bill faced.
When asked about concerns that the Bill violates basic human rights, the spokesperson said laws are enacted to benefit the people and human society; therefore, any law that threatens the purity of society is injurious and must not be viewed as an academic exercise.
“It is not an academic issue, it is not a human rights issue but it is about survival. Any law that is harmful to society, society must think together within our wisdom and that is what identifies us and distinguishes us from other nations,” he added.