Muslim groups urged to fight move to legalise gay sex

Muslim clerics have denounced the Delhi High Court order decriminalising gay sex and called upon all Muslim socio-religious groups to rise up and fight against any legislation in parliament legitimising same-sex relations.

The priests of various mosques, during their Friday sermons, termed the court order as "unfortunate" and warned that this would lead to collapse of family system in the Indian society and invite the wrath of the almighty.

Reacting to Thursday's Delhi High court order for amending the 149-year-old Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the speakers and priests underlined the need to stop any legislation in parliament to amend the section and fight against the sin of homosexuality.

Addressing the Friday congregation at Masjid-e-Azizia, one of the biggest mosques in the city, Ijaz Mohiuddin Wasim called upon All India Muslim Personal Law Board and religious groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and Tableegi Jamat to rise up in protest against the move to legalise homosexuality.

"All the groups should pressurise the government to ensure that the law banning homosexuality is never amended," he said.

Wasim termed the court order as a "black chapter" in India's history. He also hailed the stand some Christian and Hindu groups have taken to oppose any move to decriminalise homosexuality.

"Doing and allowing something which is unnatural will invite the wrath of Allah as happened in the past," Wasim said.

Quoting extensively from the holy Koran, the speaker pointed out that Allah had sent one of His prophets Lut to warn his people against indulging in homosexuality. "When they continued to indulge in unnatural acts, they were wiped out from the face of the earth," he said.

Meanwhile, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the apex forum of Indian Muslims, is likely to urge the government not to amend the Section 377 of the IPC. The executive of the board at its meeting at Kozhikode July 12 is likely to make a demand on this.

Mohammed Abul Rahim Qureshi, assistant secretary of the board, said the government should not allow homosexuality as it would destroy the family system in India. "The government should challenge the high court order in the Supreme Court and make out a strong case against homosexuality," he said.

The Muslim political leaders are also strongly opposed to the move to legalise homosexuality. Hyderabad MP and president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) Asaduddin Owaisi has termed as "unacceptable" the high court order. He said the Indian culture could never accept homosexuality as it is an unnatural act.

Last updated on Jul 3^rd, 2009 at 18:29 pm IST--IANS