Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, yesterday, broke his long silence over the thorny Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Tran-gender, and Queer plus (LGBTQ+) issues, putting paid to criticisms that his silence is an endorsement of the gay community.
Visiting the Kumasi Central Mosque to worship during the Eid-al-Fitr celebration, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, stated categorically that he is against the LGBTQ+ practices, based on his fundamental belief as a Muslim, and also on the cultural values of Ghanaians.
“My faith is very strictly against the practice of homosexuality, no “ifs” or “buts”. No shades of grey. Therefore, I cannot support that which my religion, and indeed, all the major religions in Ghana clearly and unequivocally forbid. All the major religious
traditions in Ghana (Christianity and Islam) are opposed to this practice and I stand opposed to it now and I will stand opposed to it as President, Insha Allah,” Dr. Bawumia assured.
Read Dr. Bawumia’s statement below:
“I will take this opportunity to personally comment on the raging issue of LGBTQI+ in Ghana. First of all, it is important to note that our cultural and societal norms and values as Ghanaians frown on the practice of homosexuality.
Furthermore, as a Muslim, my view on this matter aligns with the position of my religious faith. The Holy Quran is replete with verses frowning on LGBTQI+ acts, including same-sex marriages. One such verse is Quran Chapter 7 Verse 81 (Suratul Al-A’raf), where Almighty Allah emphatically forbids LGBTQI+ acts and describes them as acts that transgress beyond the bounds or the limits of nature. My faith is very strictly against the practice of homosexuality, no “ifs” or “buts”. No shades of grey.
Therefore, I cannot support that which my religion, and indeed, all the major religions in Ghana clearly and unequivocally forbid. All the major religious traditions in Ghana (Christianity and Islam) are opposed to this practice and I stand opposed to it now and I will stand opposed to it as President, Insha Allah.”
Recall that the discussion around normalizing and liberalizing queer sexual relations in the country took an interesting spike in 2021 when some MPs in Parliament proposed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, to among other things criminalise the practice and propagation of LGBTQI+ activities.
The bill which has currently been passed by Parliament has drawn calls from the public on leading Political stakeholders to indicate their stand, a call to which the Vice-President has responded in this significant religious day of Islam, to underscore his solemn stand against it.
