This condemnation was voiced out yesterday at a protest match by thousands of Gambians including government officials, religious leaders, youth groups and students at the city centre.
The protesters marched from Gambia Senior Secondary School to State House chanting: “No homosexuals, No man-to-man, woman-to-woman, No gay.”
It was held as part of welcoming President Yahya Jammeh to the State House, after completion of his visit to Vision 2016 rice-fields in the Central River Region of the country.
The object of the visit was to personally assess the state of the rice fields and participate in the harvesting of approximately 30 hectares of paddy rice, all in a relentless drive to mainstream and ensure attainment of the Vision 2016 Agenda, which calls for self-sufficiency in rice production and consumption by 2016.
Delivering a statement at the welcoming match-past at State House grounds, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, Saikou Sanyang, said President Jammeh’s leadership and statesmanship is worthy of emulation and constitutes the many reasons they fully support and “shall verily continue to support” the President and the APRC Government and administration.
“It is significant to contextualize such lofty statesmanship within the overall provisions of the constitution of The Gambia 1997 which in no unclear terms and provisions have established The Gambia as an independent, sovereign state and self-respecting Nation on equal status with all other nations, irrespective of geographic size, economic or political might or wherewithal,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, PS Sanyang said “the government’s stance on the principle of secularity in no way admits or accepts the principle to be either co-terminus and amenable to immorality and wayward sexual disorientation.”
Sanyang said Gambians are a deeply religious people and live by the dictates of God as commanded in “our religious teachings and therefore practice.”
“It thus goes without saying that our intolerance to the unnatural and abominable malpractices of homosexuality and lesbianism, on the one hand and, on the other, our government’s position are non-negotiable.
“It is on the basis of such ingrained religious, social, moral and ethical up-bringing, hinged on higher moral grounds, that we stand-by our government’s position of zero tolerance for either homosexuality or lesbianism,” he said.
Nominated Member of Parliament Hon. Seedy Njie described The Gambia as “a sovereign nation.”
He denounced homosexuality in The Gambia, on basis of the country’s religious, cultural and traditional values.
Speaking in an interview with the press, he said “homosexuality is evil, inhuman and anti-religion,” adding that “God created human beings to inter-marry for reproduction.”
He said “whoever wants to advocate homosexuality should be charged with treason and murder,” describing the act as “putting an end to the world.”
He said “those advocating for homosexuality are not fair to themselves, their parents and everyone and preaching the act is against God.”
“As members of parliament, we are asking the people to say ‘No to homosexuality’, and we are in support of government and the will and aspirations of the people of The Gambia,” he declared.
