The Overlord of the Waala Traditional Area, Naa Seidu Fuseini Pelpuo has placed a ban on the activities of persons in the LGBTQ+ community with immediate effect.
The Overlord said the ban which will be enforced in the Waala Traditional Area is to help rid the area of the unnatural and perverse acts of persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+).
He said the actions of such person go against both traditional and religious systems. “The dominant religion in the traditional area is Islam. The Holy Quran is replete with narratives of how people who transgressed this way were punished. The rightly guided adherents of the Christian faith equally forbid them. The traditionalists who are puritans in their own right, view the practices as unnatural. Their gods do not permit them and hence they are a taboo. Our traditions and culture do not just frown upon them, but also strictly forbid them,” he said.
The Overlord, in a speech read on his behalf by Naa Ibrahim Kadri stressed that “the LBGTQ+ practices are an aberration and a violation of the collective rights of our people”.
He said punishments for persons found engaging in such acts would be firm and swift. According to Naa Fuseini Pelpuo, the decision to impose the ban was arrived at after the rising number of reported practices of such persons in the Waala Traditional Area.
To ensure that the ban in enforced, an anti LGBTQ+ taskforce is being formed to investigate and bring forward, persons who still engage in such activities.
The Overlord of the area also implored on religious leaders to commit to preaching against the activities of the LGBTQ+ at their various places of worship.
“All preachers should include their condemnation in their sermons. Prayers for Allah’s protection should be offered in the mosques and churches. General open-air prayers should be organized by the various religious groups and sects. A mammoth demonstration should be organized in protest against them. Parents and guardians should educate their children and wards on the evil of these practices. In addition to the above, the Traditional Council is putting together an anti-LBGTQ+ Task Force with membership drawn from all sections in the Wa Municipality.” he explained.
The Overlord courted public support to ensure that LGBTQ+ activities are put to an end.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
