Religious leaders warn govt. over homosexuality

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By Abu Zafar, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 19 Dec 2013: Leaders belonging to different religions on Thursday warned the government of India against any attempt to legalize homosexuality in the country. They welcomed the recent Supreme Court order criminalizing homosexuality. Following the apex court order on 11 Dec, some top leaders of the ruling Congress party have hinted at amendment in the section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which holds same-gender sex as a criminal offence.

Addressing a joint press conference here at the Press Club of India, leaders from Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity said, in a united voice, that if the government introduces any such thing in Parliament then they will initiate a public movement against it.

Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Omkarananda Saraswati of Prayag Peeth said people must welcome the SC judgment.

“We must welcome this judgment and must not go beyond it,” he said.

“Any attempt to decriminalize homosexuality will not be accepted by people of this country. We will come out on street and launch a movement against the government,” he warned.

“Since time immemorial, India has been a religious country and people across globe respect its religiosity,” he added.

Answering a question regarding individual freedom he said that freedom should be limited.

“There are drug addicts and rapists in the society. If they also ask for freedom then what will you do?” he asked.

He also suggested that age of marriage for both men and women should be lowered to curb such problems.

Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer (national president) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said homosexuality is an unnatural act and must remain a criminal offence.
“Homosexuality is against human nature and even it is not found in animals. All religions consider it as illegal and it must remain as illegal and criminal offence,” Umari told media persons.

He said that in 2009 Delhi High Court had ignored several aspects of homosexuality and decriminalized it but now the Supreme Court has corrected it.

Umari also said that SC should not have said in its judgment that parliament can make law to decriminalize homosexuality if it wants.

He said that more than 90 percent of Indian population is religious and parliamentarians must not make any such law which hurts the sentiments of the poeple.

“More than 90 percent of population of this country is religious. We appeal to members of parliament not to accept any such recommendation to decriminalize such offence.”

He said freedom doesn’t mean that a person does whatever he or she wants to do.

“In the name of freedom you can’t legalize every illegal activity,” he said.

“If someone roams completely nude in public places enjoying the said freedom, would it be allowed by the society?” Umari asked.

Gyani Ranjit Singh, head priest of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi, also welcomed the SC verdict.

“I and whole Sikh community welcome SC judgment on homosexuality and I appeal to everyone to welcome it,” he said.

“We should stop homosexuality with all possible means. We should also use force to stop it,” he added.

Singh, however, also suggested dialogue with those people who don’t like this judgment and want legalization of homosexuality.

Father Dominic Emmanuel, the spokesperson of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, said that Bible forbids homosexuality.

“Bible forbids sexual relations between the same gender. Even the word ‘sodomy’ comes from Bible,” he said.

“God has decided each and every function of our body parts; one shouldn’t go beyond it. Several researches suggest that it will increase HIV/AIDS, he added.

But he said in Catholic Christianity homosexuals are not treated as criminal.

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