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1. Southern African bishops urge release of jailed gay Malawians
2. A protest against injustice in Malawi
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1. Southern African bishops urge release of jailed gay Malawians
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Southern Africa's Anglican bishops have called on the government of South Africa to press for the release of two Malawi men jailed after sharing a traditional ceremony of engagement in a same sex relationship. "We, the bishops of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa call upon the government of South Africa to seek the release of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who were recently sentenced in Malawi to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour, after they shared in a traditional ceremony of engagement," the bishops said on 26 May. The Anglican leaders called on South African President Jacob Zuma and his government to lobby the Malawi government at every level to uphold the commitment it shares through the treaty of the 15-nation Southern Africa Development Community to promote human rights.
The bishops said "we should love one another as Christ has loved us, without distinction" alluding to the Gospel of St John and words of Jesus. Their statement runs counter to stances taken by some churches in Malawi and Uganda supporting the jailing of people who are homosexuals. "More generally, we wish to reiterate our deep concern at the violent language used against the gay community across Sub-Saharan Africa, and at the increased legal action being taken against gay individuals, communities and organisations," said the bishops. "Even in South Africa we are aware of instances of violence against the gay and lesbian community." The bishops noted, "Though there is a breadth of theological views among us on matters of human sexuality, we are united in opposing the criminalisation of homosexual people."
The statement was released on behalf of the clerics by the office of the Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba. The bishops represent Anglicans in Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, St Helena, and Tristan da Cunha. They said they viewed the sentences handed down "a gross violation of human rights". The bishops said, "We emphasise the teachings of the Scriptures that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore must be treated with respect and accorded human dignity." They described their principles as being linked to the "heart of South Africa's own constitution, whose provisions we see as setting an example for the world to follow". These include commitments to uphold "human well-being, dignity and respect, in our external relations" and to "engage in dialogue with their counterparts on the rights of minorities".
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2. A protest against injustice in Malawi
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001ok9oKmGhv2WQKbgoPiR8Uu7balzlg9ijbyD7UKSWBv_fcnpMvRRx-42DDBfQmG6Kt16EHFPNi-kz4ea_8xxCz5VIe70PjBJB1tg9y0e3vxo%3D
A vigil and demonstration will be held outside the Malawi High Commission on Saturday 29 May 2010, as part of an international effort to show support to Malawians Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza who were sentenced to 14 years hard labour on the 20 May. Their 'crime' is betrothing to each other as a same-sex couple. Amnesty International declared " This sentence sends a strong and unacceptable message that discrimination is legally justified in the Malawi justice system." Support for the couple has also been expressed by South African bishops, the former Anglican bishop of Southwark, Ekklesia and many other civil society groups.
Gather between 1:00pm - 2:30pm
outside the High Commission,
70 Winnington Road,
London N2 0TX
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s) and not do necessarily reflect the views of the AfricaFiles' editors and network members. They are included in our material as a reflection of a diversity of views and a variety of issues. Material written specifically for AfricaFiles may be edited for length, clarity or inaccuracies.
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