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Thursday, January 23, 2014

GAY RIGHTS? I THINK

There is a very hot seat African leaders are occupying now. They are forced to choose between giving gays/lesbians their rights and criminalizing every attempt to have meaningful same sex relationships. They are stuck between Africa’s religious and societal morals -what the people want- and the ‘right thing to do’ according to the west.

In 2009, a Kenyan gay couple, Charles Ngegi and Daniel Chege caused a sensation when they tied the knot in the UK. This week, a prominent Nakuru writer Binyavanga Wainaina announced that he is gay. These are just two prominent examples among many other Kenyan gay couples including those under the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya.

Before I indulge you any further I should note that it is very annoying that western powers still see it necessary to bully Africa into doing anything at all. Threatening to cut aid, stopping investors or giving travel advisories won’t do the trick anymore. If anything, it makes our leaders act like hormonal teenagers, rebelling and rebelling. It’s pretty suspicious the amount of attention the US foreign policy is giving to gay rights in Africa – Less than 20 states in the US have legalized gay marriages. Worldwide only 18 countries have done the same. It should be easier to convince Africa if President Obama and all the other western heads of states started their campaigns at home.

Gay Right situation in Africa

That said I should also make a point that just like over 80% of Africans I have been against gay right for a very long time. Because I care about my society, the morals it holds dear and the culture it protects. I still do have a thing against homosexuality just like my grandfather will never let go of that anti trouser for women attitude.

However, I also think that the direction Africa is going with this anti gay campaign is more political than logical. Truth be told, some dude marrying another dude doesn’t affect me or you in any way – Unless you are the dude getting married. It doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s freedoms and therefore should not be punishable by law. Now, throwing a death penalty at those dudes is pretty cruel. It’s criminal and unjustifiable.

Gays should have their rights. The basic right of associating, befriending, being in a relationship or marrying someone – same gender or not, younger or older – should not be something people have to fight for at this age. African governments using this particular issue to act defiant to the west is not fair for the Nigerian who will face execution or the Ugandans who will suffer 14 years for their sexual orientation. The fact that countries even go ahead to ban organizations that offer help to these people is just inhuman. There will be better opportunities for Africa to say no to the west. Opportunities that won’t need us to hurt our own people.

Christians would say that it’s wrong. God does not accept such unions. They will bring up the story of Sodom and call this the end of the world. Let me tell you a short story. A few thousand years ago in towns like Jerusalem adultery was punishable by death. Anyone speaking of any other god apart from the Jewish God was stoned to death. Prostitutes also suffered the same fate. But Jesus changed all that, by dying on the cross he gave everyone the freedom to choose between life and death, between heaven and hell. He took the burden of judgment from the masses and bestowed it upon himself, Upon God.

Now everyone answers to God for their sins. Every sort of sin. It would be very wrong for Christians to decide which sins will be allowed in the law and which ones won’t because as children of God our judge is God almighty. Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me. He said bring your burdens to me. He never said take upon you the burden of gays.

Africans like me would say that it is against our morals. It is wrong to legally accept gay marriages. It’s against our customs. Think about this; lying is wrong. Our politicians lie all the time, lies that have a very large impact in your livelihood, no one jails them for 14 years. No one stones them to death. What is important is that gays and lesbians follow the common rules of decency. Whatever people do in their bedrooms – so long as it’s consensual and not with a minor – should not be the government’s business. The police should focus on the crimes that actually harm people and the economy instead of hunting for homosexuals.

Like I stated earlier, I do not support homosexuality, I just don’t want to see people suffer for being who they are. The question is not whether or not I support it, homosexuality is in Africa and people need to start thinking straight about this issue. The Nigerian Government claims that 90% of the population doesn’t support homosexuality. But then, do they support killing homosexuals? If you were a parent, would you rather have your kid killed by the government or let him/her marry someone of the same gender? If your sister liked girls more than she liked boys would you be happier if she went to jail for that?

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize gay marriages in 2001. Since then, some 15,000 gay and lesbian couples have tied the knot. That is two percent of all marriages celebrated in Holland. Nothing has happened to their morals or their economy because 15,000 gay couples married over a period of 13 years. What happens if you arrest 15,000 gay couples and imprison them for 14 years? You have to build new jails. The funny part is, even if you take gays to jail, how does that prevent them from sleeping with other men in the jails? How does the government protect them in jail from being sexually exploited? Or will the government take gay men to women prisons?

The issue isn’t just allowing them to marry. It stretches to protecting them from the vigilantes who think they are God’s hand. The people who take it upon themselves to attack and punish homosexuals should be taught a lesson. Those are the people who deserve to be in jail for having nothing better to do than to dish out violence.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

LET ESKINDA GO: LET DEMOCRACY PREVAIL



A fellow blogger texts me this story about a detained journo in Ethiopia. It’s on a weekend so my internet access is restricted to a 10 mb subscription, a 240 by 320 pixels screen and a booster that can’t provide 3g connection. So in view of these circumstances, I shelve my curiosity and wait for better times.

From Monday I try to find out all I can about this blogger. Today I decide much has been written and much has been said; it’s time to add my voice to the glorious chant for the freedom Eskinder Nega.

When someone or a group of people detain a man and his pregnant wife on fabricated charges because they said no to a fraudulent election; that is where I draw my line. When a government is hell bent to destroy an individual because it can’t stand a little opposition; that is where it goes too far. When the same man is afterwards sentenced to 18 years in jail for ‘incitement’ and ‘planning to verthrow the government’ i ask; what tha …?

Great people have suffered for worthy courses. A great man in a movie once said ‘if you can’t die for what you believe in, then you are just as good as dead already’. The Ethiopian government is creating a legend out of Mr. Neja, they just don’t see it yet. At the end of the day I might never learn the name of the minister who ordered the arrest, I might never remember the name of the very paranoid president, I will definitely never know the name of the prison warden who is keeping him locked up but just like Ethiopian history and world history I will never forget the name Eskinder Neja.
Sycophancy





It’s very surprising that in the times we live in, there is still room to join the league of legends like Madiba in issues of freedom. More surprisingly in a country that is hailed in Africa for successfully resisting colonial rule. Ethiopians refused to be oppressed – or at least their ancestors did. Now, their government is run on fear, fear of detention, fear of torture, fear of being labeled a terrorist or a traitor, fear of wasting 18 years of your life in jail, fear of telling the truth.

Globally, press freedom has come a long way and what is happening in Ethiopia takes us back very many years. Since 2012 the Ethiopian government has imprisoned 13 journalists according to the Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ).

Journalists in that country go through thick and thin to get the truth out there. But to who? People who would read the story of a detained journalist like it’s just another story? People who don’t care for the people who care that they are oppressed? People who would rather conform and die from disease and poverty than object and risk jail? The same people, who will be ordered to arrest, torture and detain the journalists? One might wonder why a person would risk their life for such a people. But the truth is that they do it for the truth, for the greater good.

There is a very big difference between respect and fear. Fear breeds hate, respect breeds admiration. Leaders are respected, dictators are feared. Leaders are elected, dictators are overthrown.

The Ethiopian government should understand that elections are not the only measure of democracy. To a very large extend press freedom determines the maturity of a democratic state. The moment people start fearing their government that is when it stops being a government for the people. I know someone would say I am comfortably writing about other countries while my own is not any much better but this is not a message to Ethiopia its just in the context of Ethiopia.
democracy 3

When we say democracy

Looking at this 2013 press freedom index done by reporters without boarders I am not surprised to find Ethiopia at 137. Zimbabwe and Afghanistan give more press freedom than our sorry neighbors. Kenya is hovering at number 71 – maybe because of that media bill. The first African country is Namibia at number 19. It is very shocking that there are over 40 more countries under Ethiopia. One wonders what could be happening to journalists in these countries.

It’s a global truth that when a government is paranoid about being overthrown that is the time it deserves to be overthrown the most. There is a reason the Ethiopian government is detaining journalist at the rate it is. And that is because they are not providing the rightful democratic rights and privileges they ought to give their citizenry. So instead of accepting criticism, they would rather violently silence any form of dissent.

Today I join the global call for the freedom of Eskinder Nega and all the other journalists whose only crime was telling the truth.

MY 2014


This year I am determined to achieve my resolutions. I have never been serious with this resolution thing. Ok, I have been very serious when am writing them but then three months, six months, nine months down the line I get lazy. The resolutions become that distant thought in my subconscious. Like me thinking right now ‘it’s not Friday yet.’


So this year, I am going to write a very short list. One I can achieve fast. Nowadays I don’t start thinking from scratch, I start from google. I found a few ideas online that I will incorporate in my reinvented resolution system. I want to do general stuff and be specific about them (I don’t understand that either). So here is part of my short list.

I WANT TO BE NICER

That is the general part. The specific part is this; I will do favors to at least 12 strangers this year. They must be people I won’t expect anything in return. They must be in need of my help and they must be gender balanced.. hehee

It’s easy to say you are nice because you help your family, you bail out your friend when they get too drunk and pee on a police patrol car, you go to church and submit your tithe and offering and you buy old hustlers in your home village several budgets. But you get something in return for all these; you keep your family, friends will bail you out later on, you get fed spiritually and the old hustlers wet your face with ‘budgeted’ saliva in the name of blessings.

Jesus said whoever invites a complete stranger has invited him. So am going to help Jesus 10 times this year. This is where you say AMEN

I WILL DO SOMETHING REALLY CRAZY

I haven’t figured this one out yet. From today, I will google all the crazy things one can do, pick a number of them and write about them on this blog. Then I will do the one with the most views or comments sometime in June. That way if I die doing it, I will have some people to blame in the afterlife.

COMPLETELY QUIT SMOKING

This was part of my resolution for last year. So far am doing better than this monkey.


I stopped regular smoking. Now I only smoke when am partying. I am going to stop that too this year. Either I stop the smoking or I stop the partying (making my serious face).

In Other Related News:

Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.