海角大神

Malawi's President Joyce Banda has announced her intention to repeal a number of laws that have made Malawi into a pariah state, from its ban on homosexuality to broad police powers of search and arrest, to a law that allows cabinet ministers to shut down newspapers.听

Announced in Parliament on Friday, the planned repeals come at a time when Malawi 鈥撀燼n impoverished state of 14 million, half of whom live on less than a dollar a day 鈥撀爄s seeking to reestablish links with Western donor nations that were severed during the tempestuous final years of the late Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika.听

The repeal of the ban on homosexuality and on same-sex marriages may appeal to foreign donors, but it would be a deeply unpopular move for many Malawians, who regard homosexuality to be a sin and, as Malawi's colonial-laws call it, "an unnatural act."

In 2010, President Mutharika鈥檚 administration came under heavy fire聽from the international community after a local court sentenced a gay聽couple to spend 14 years in prison for practicing homosexuality.听United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, flew in to the capital of Lilongwe to address an impromptu聽meeting of Parliament before a private meeting with Mutharika to express concern about the severity of the court's decision.

The gay couple, Tionge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, were later聽released following a presidential pardon but the law remains in force.

President Banda鈥檚 announcement has sparked a debate over whether Malawi should accept everything that the聽donors tell them to do, even if it is against the cultural and religious background of聽the society.

Evangelical perspective

Among the strongest views come from Malawi's powerful evangelical community. Billy Mayaya of the Church and Society, a social and development wing聽of the Church of the Central Africa Presbyterian [CCAP] of Nkhoma聽Synod in Lilongwe, says that President Banda should consult with citizens before making such a drastic change in Malawian law.

鈥淭here is need for proper consultation before the law if referred back聽to the Malawi Law Society and then Parliament, says Mr. Mayaya. "Malawians need to be聽consulted. Over the years, the church has also made its stand on this聽sticky issue very clear. I feel Malawians have the right to discuss聽what constitutes different sexual orientations before a law is put in聽place.鈥�

The Nkhoma Synod, in a pastoral letter, wrote that the Bible condemns homosexuality.

鈥淚t is biblically and culturally an evil that dehumanizes people and聽provokes God鈥檚 wrath," the Synod's pastoral letter reads. "We advise our members to categorically refrain聽from such a practice and advocate its termination from our society. We聽stand in solidarity with the majority of Malawians who equally condemn聽the practice of homosexuality.鈥澛�

The opposition party, People鈥檚 Transformation [Petra] party says that聽decriminalizing homosexuality would be a "grave mistake." "We therefore urge Members of Parliament, faith leaders,聽海角大神s, and Muslims to resist any intention directly or indirectly聽to legalize same sex marriages,鈥� says Petra聽president Kamuzu聽Chibambo, in Blantyre, Malawi鈥檚 second largest city.

Malawi's erstwhile donors, meanwhile, welcomed the announcement by Banda.

Speaking last Thursday during Norway鈥檚 Constitutional Day in聽Lilongwe, Norway's ambassador to Malawi, Asbjorn Eidhammer, said that all governments聽bear the responsibility to protect people who are different from the聽majority, both from prosecution and from persecution.

鈥淣orway urges all governments to take steps to eliminate stigma and聽discrimination faced by people at risk,鈥� Ambassador Eidhammer said.

Human rights perspective

Human rights activist Undule Mwakasungura also welcomed Banda's promised repeals.听

鈥淎s it is now, the laws are infringing on minority groups such as gays聽because of their sexual orientation," said Mr. Mwakasungura, executive director of the聽Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation. "Gays are human beings just like聽any other person. Why should they suffer because of their sexual聽orientation? As custodians of human rights we welcome this move to聽repeal the law.鈥澛�

But to sell the repeal of the anti-gay law to ordinary Malawians, President Banda will have her work cut out for her.

David Mulyasanga, a Blantyre based worker and self-described 海角大神, says he would find offensive any law that legalizes homosexuality.

鈥淚t is something that most Malawians will have problems to accept," says Mr. Mulyasanga. "People ask questions each time they see two young men or young ladies聽living together for more than two years. The general notion is that a聽man should marry a woman at some point in life not a man marrying a聽fellow man or a woman tying a knot with a fellow woman.鈥澛�

In the northern city of Mzuzu, Mtende Chirwa says Malawians should not simply accept the policies favored by foreign donors.

鈥淲here are we heading as a nation?" he says. "We are a God-fearing nation and聽anything contrary to that is un-Malawian. We should have the courage聽to tell the donors that some of these human rights are not part of our聽culture and society.鈥�

But one university student in the southern city of Zomba 鈥撀爓ho did not want to be named 鈥撀爏ays that Malawi has to be realistic about its own dependence on foreign funds, and must recognize that democracy requires elements of compromise.

鈥淢alawians will have to聽live with this," the student says. "We are a poor country and therefore donors will聽continue to dictate to us what to do.听Economically we cannot stand on our own.鈥�