Ndorwa West Member of Parliament David Bahati whose name is now a household item after he authored the Anti-homosexuality bill that is before Uganda’s parliament is set to join the list of Africans facing trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
According to GAYSTAR NEWS, an online publication, the ICC is considering the prospect of arresting Bahati, Pastor Martin Ssempa and Giles Muhame.
Magembe Norman, a Ugandan gay rights activist, filed a complaint calling for the arrest of the three so called ‘extremist anti-gay spokespeople’ and the ICC has responded.
The subjects of the complaint are Uganda MP David Bahati, Pastor Martin Ssempa and Rolling Stone editor Giles Muhame.
According to details of the communication, the ICC said they were ‘analysing the situation’ provided and will consider whether there is reasonable basis to believe the crimes have been committed and the gravity of the crimes.
Norman said he felt ‘very optimistic’ his complaint would succeed.
‘From the first time I got my fingers on the keyboard to type this complaint, I had no single grain of doubt, the only thing on my mind was “keep on writing”, you’ll achieve what you want and that feeling keeps on growing every day.’
Norman said he wanted to bring this to the world stage to ensure Bahati, Ssempa and Muhamel are punished for their crimes against humanity.
‘It serves as a warning to the others that persecution of LGBTs is a criminal offense and they will never get away with it,’ Norman said.
‘In many countries, killing or harassing a gay person is a source of pride and non-punishable and so I believe that actions such as mine will change that.’
Bahati, who submitted the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, has expressed his desire to protect the institution of the family in Uganda.
Giles Muhame, the former editor of tabloid Rolling Stone, published a front-page article showing 100 pictures of Uganda’s most well-known gay people.
The story listed the names, addresses, and pictures, as well as a caption reading ‘Hang them’.
When asked about Kato’s death, Muhame said: ‘I have no regrets about the story. We were just exposing people who were doing wrong.’
It was this story that put him in the red zone of gay activists who are determined to see him and co penalised for their opinion against homosexuality.
UGANDA’S ANTI-GAY BILL
October 14 2009, MP David Bahati tabled before Uganda’s parliament the now controversial Anti-homosexuality bill.
Even though the act is already illegal in the country, Bahati insisted there was need to further strengthen the law to ensure protection of the institution of the family in the country that still embraces conservatism.
The bill drew criticism from the international community especially the west with some powers threatening to cut aid to Uganda if it went ahead to pass the bill into law.
It was not surprising considering that majority of people in the west have now embraced the act of homosexuality.
Critics of the bill were concerned about the provision that calls for the death penalty and life imprisonment for ‘aggravated homosexuality’ thus the phrase ‘kill the gays’ bill.
It was this pressure that forced parliament to shelve the bill,
However, it was resurrected in 2012 with the Speaker of Parliament promising to ensure it’s passed to serve as a Christmas gift for Ugandans. This did not happen as debate on the bill was deferred.
PASTOR SSEMPA SPEAKS OUT
Pastor Martin Ssempa
‘ICC is being used to subject Africans into immorality. It’s the Guantanamo of Africans. The threats can’t change my mind.’ Ssempa warned.
He went on to say the world is experiencing a clash of civilisations with the west treating acts like homosexuality as a human right whereas it is considered an abomination in Africa.
‘We are in a clash of civilizations. In Africa sodomy is a taboo. To them it’s a human right.’ Ssempa said.
The man of God vowed not to relent in his fight against the vice no matter how ‘they’ intensify their attacks against him.
‘We will resist all these attempts to force us into immorality even if they burn our bibles.’ Ssempa swore.
Our efforts to reach Hon. Bahati and Giles Muhame who is currently the editor in chief of Chimpreports.com were futile.
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