Gay Couple Convicted in Malawi

[Shana A]

Gay Couple Convicted in Malawi
By BARRY BEARAK
Published: May 18, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/world/africa/19malawi.html

JOHANNESBURG — A gay couple in Malawi were found guilty on Tuesday of unnatural acts and gross indecency, the consequence of their holding an engagement ceremony in an insular nation where homosexuality is largely seen as nonexistent or something that must be suppressed.

Steven Monjeza, left, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, a gay couple, were convicted of unnatural acts and gross indencency in Blantyre, Malawi, on Tuesday.

Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 33, and Steven Monjeza, 26, face up to 14 years in prison. A magistrate said he would sentence the men on Thursday.

The case has drawn worldwide attention as another example of the broad anti-gay sentiment in Africa. A law recently proposed in Uganda calling for homosexuals to be executed in some cases stirred so much ire in the West that a presidential committee recommended withdrawing it from Parliament.

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Malawi: Couple convicted of 'gross indecency' must be released

Posted: 18 May 2010

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=18770

Amnesty International calls on the Malawian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release a couple convicted today on charges of "gross indecency" and "unnatural acts".

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga were arrested by police on 28 December 2009 in Blantyre, two days after holding an engagement ceremony in the southern city's Chirimba township. Both have denied the charges. Their sentence is expected on Thursday and they face up to 14 years in prison.

Michelle Kagari, Deputy Africa Director at Amnesty International, said:

"Being in a relationship should not be a crime. No one should be arrested and detained solely on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Their human rights, the rights to freedom from discrimination, of conscience, expression and privacy have been flagrantly violated.

[Ruben]

The thing that makes me MOST sick, is probably the fact that the authorities can call it 'unnatural' or 'indecent'. x_x I mean, surely attraction is natural, no matter who you are, you can't help who you like/love/lust after, and surely that IS nature at the highest order. As for indecent, its indecent to lock them up for LISTENING to their nature. ¬_¬

[Miniar]

He referred to the crime as "buggery," using language from when Malawi was a British colony and the current law was written.

Wonder if this much homophobia would be rampant if it weren't for the introduction of Christianity to the continent...

[spacial]

He referred to the crime as "buggery," using language from when Malawi was a British colony and the current law was written.

Wonder if this much homophobia would be rampant if it weren't for the introduction of Christianity to the continent...

While I can see where you are headed it is important to note that, prior to European colonialism and their introduction of Christianity, the predominant colonialisers were the Arabs with their introduction of Islam.

Indeed, it was from Muslim slave traders that Europeans originally bought slaves, only going in and taking them for themselves later.

There have been a number of commentators who have claimed that the Arabs introduced homosexuality. But this is probably proganda spread by the early European colonists.

However, the culture of Africa has been continually invaded and adapted by a succession of occupiers for many thousands of years. We know, for example, that Ancient Egypt had ties with Africa.

My personal experience is that sexual atitudes there are very ingrained. More so because of the social divisions that exist between the various cultural groups, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Annamist and so on.

Regretably, it seems unlikely there will be any major shift in the short term on these attitudes. The local press is filled with stories of decadence in the west due to promiscuous attitudes toward sex.

This link has some information in a sort of discussion format:

http://www.h-net.org/~africa/threads/homosexuality.html