By Omar Bah
The Movement for Social Justice, a pan-African movement, has challenged President Adama Barrow and his government to openly denounce the European Union’s call for gay rights in The Gambia.
“We call on the Government of The Gambia under the leadership of President Adama Barrow to denounce such doctrine by the European Union in The Gambia. We also demand that the government tell the truth to the Gambian people about the conditions signed with the EU in the EU–Gambia partnerships with immediate effect,” the movement said in a statement shared with The Standard.
The movement sees the European Union advocacy for LGBT in The Gambia as a declaration of war against “our natural and scientific civilization and this indigenous African movement will fight to stop that from happening”.
A recent statement by the European Union suggesting its commitment to protect gay rights in The Gambia has sparked controversy and even condemnations from Gambians, among them political leaders.
The EU has been concerned about the criminalisation of same-sex marriage in The Gambia.
But last year, the Gambia government categorically stated in its submission to the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group that it has no plans to decriminalise same-sex marriage.
However, the movement said the European Union must learn to respect the sovereignty of The Gambia and her people.
“The sovereignty of The Gambia does not limit to border issues imposed by the selfish and heartless imperialists but includes Gambian cultures, beliefs, religions, values, customs and conscience. The so-called lip-service aiders of Gambia and Africa as a continent must never try to make a mistake on trying to mislead the people through poor and inhumane indoctrination of the western people and their uncivilized, pagan, unnatural, and unscientific ideologies and concept of satanic and devilish LGBTI in our godly, civilized, natural and humane nations across the blessed Africa continent”.
The movement said the EU must never continue to have an impression that The Gambia and her people will ever accept gay rights.
“We still see you as the same Europeans who claimed to be superior to the black race and thus forcefully enslaved, tortured, and engaged us in coercive labor without reward or compensation for your selfish motives and benefits. You have a debt to pay to Africa for the thefts and damage or injury you caused this beautiful continent. This moment will never repeat itself not even with your new strategy of colonizing our brains,” the movement added.
“The worst mistake you would ever make is to try to bring us to those days of colonization. We totally condemn LGBTI in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. Enough is enough! If you are really sincere about helping or returning what has been stolen from Africa, you should be thinking about realistic health care for all, proper, quality and meaningful education, and a more sustainable and productive agriculture instead of promoting LGBTI”.
The statement added: “We call on the EU office in The Gambia to respect the cultural and humane values of the Gambian people and their religious and customary beliefs. Failure to adhere to this may result to opinionated crimes among Gambians that could contribute to destabilizing the peace and security of this country. This is why we considered and regarded such message from a foreign power seeking for international dominance a threat to our national security”.
The Movement for Social Justice is a pan-African movement that is anti-imperialist, and anti-colonialist seeking to protect and jealously guard African cultures, beliefs, norms and way of life.
