The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has expressed his approval and enthusiasm for the passage of the contentious anti-LGBTQ+ bill by parliament.
This bill, passed on February 28, mandates a prison term of up to three years for individuals found identifying as LGBTQ+, with a maximum five-year incarceration for those involved in advocacy or funding for LGBTQ+ causes.
Despite facing scrutiny and opposition from various institutions, Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu perceives the passage of this bill as a positive move.
In an interview, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the Spokesperson for the Chief Imam, said the Muslim community received the news with elation, viewing the bill as a safeguard for cherished family values.
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“I can say without any equivocation that the Chief Imam was relatively joyful about the passing of this bill because he has fully been briefed about what we are going through with respect to the evolvement of this LGBTQ+ phenomenon in our country and the attempt to really universalise it and make it something normal and something acceptable.
“And as somebody who is the leader of Muslims in this country, he could not actually give any support to such matter to be allowed,” he said.
However, the bill has sparked dissent from civil society groups such as Amnesty International Ghana and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), who assert that it infringes upon fundamental human rights.