Homosexuality: We’re worried about the future – Chief Imam’s spokesperson

• Posted on November 28, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu has described President Akufo-Addo’s comments on homosexuality has given Ghanaians a cause to worry.

Speaking on News hour, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu said although the president’s stance is not clearly cut out, it opens up a discourse for the Ghanaian populace. “I can only qualify his statement as that of ambivalence, he did not discuss the morality or ethics of the practice, and he only gave indications about a certain future with respect to what could lead to a change in legislation.”

In an interview with Aljazeera on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo said “These are socio-cultural issues if you like, I don’t believe that in Ghana so far, a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact on public opinion that will say ‘change it, let’s now have a new paradigm in Ghana’.” President Akufo-Addo said. Reacting to the President’s comments, Sheikh Aremeyaw feared President Akufo-Addo may be kowtowing to foreign pressure. “It gives us a sense to be worried about the future, because there is pressure from outside and democracy now is being  defined for us not in the context of ‘Africaness’ or ‘Ghanaianess’, and not in the context of our being Christians or Muslims.” Sheihk Aremeyaw Shaibu stated emphatically that Islam frowns on homosexuality.

“Our values as Muslims, as Ghanaians, and as Africans completely reject and frown upon homosexuality and it is not something that we will support at all. We are one, and we can mobilize our collective consciousness to dominate the public discourse.”

By Irene Amesimeku