ASJA: Islam bans gay lifestyle

Even as one Government Minister has indicated her willingness to support the inclusion of abortion and gay rights on the National Gender Policy, a prominent religious leader yesterday denounced the alternative lifestyle movement as being contrary to the teachings of both Islam and Christianity. At a stakeholder consultation at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s on Wednesday, Gender, Youth and Child Development Minister, Verna St Rose- Greaves, described human sexuality as a human rights issue which “must be at the core of whatever we do” and vowed to back moves to extend the upcoming Equal Opportunity (Amendment) Bill to cover gay people. In response yesterday, Anjuman Sunnat-Ul-Jamaat (ASJA) president general, Haji Yacoob Ali, said Islam and Christianity do not recognise gay lifestyles in their holy books. “We do not subscribe to it because Islam does not permit it and our religion does not recognise gay practices,” he said. Ali also cited the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible which he said also condemn homosexuality. However, Ali said a meeting was being scheduled with members to discuss the potential consequences if gay rights were given legal recognition in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We will be having a meeting to discuss the issue and afterwards we will be issuing a statement on the issue but the Koran is very clear regarding the matter and that is it is not permitted in Islam,” he added.

He noted the issue had become associated with human rights and was being propagated by those persons who had little faith in established religions.

Secretary-general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Sat Maharaj said the Hindu organisation had a policy position but is not yet ready to disclose it to the public.

“Let’s give it a few days. We’ll discuss it with the pundits before I make a definitive statement,” he told Newsday.

However, a Hindu pundit from Chaguanas, Premchand Goswami, said the Hindu scriptures, like the Holy Bible, stated that the origin of mankind began with a male and female.


(2012-05-18/newsday)