UK Faiths Unite in Gay Law Protest
CAIRO — Prominent British Muslims and Jews have united with Christians in protesting new regulations that would force believers to "support" homosexuality against their religions, Britain's Daily Mail reported on Thursday, January 4.
"It is against our religious rights and against our human rights and against our conscience and religious beliefs to have this new unjust law forced on all of us British Muslims," said Dr. Majid Katme, spokesman of the Islamic Medical Association.
He urged fellow Muslims to join a rally scheduled in Westminster next Wednesday to protest the Sexual Orientation Regulations, due to come into force in April.
"Join our Christian friends in their campaign against the new proposed law on sexual orientation," Katme wrote in a letter circulated to several hundred supporters and 40 imams.
The regulations are expected to have an impact on every aspect of life for religious believers.
Hoteliers will be compelled to rent rooms to gay couples while printers will be unable to refuse to print homosexual magazines or advertisements.
Christian campaigners fear churches which refuse to let out parish halls or conference centers to gay groups would face legal action, as could schools which fail to teach that homosexuality is equal to marriage.
The Church of England is concerned that priests could be sued if they refuse to bless same-sex civil partnerships under the new regulations.
The controversial regulations would be debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday.
The regulations were to be made law in October 2006, but were put off due to strong lobbying from the churches.
The final version, which the government has produced supposedly to meet the demands of the European Union, has yet to be published.
Support Homos
And for the first time the Board of Deputies of British Jews voiced concern over the legislation.
"It must be possible for people to live their lives in the manner in which they choose as long as it does not impinge upon the rights of others," said Nadia Lipsey, the board's spokesperson.
"We hope that to this effect the regulations will be framed in such a way that allows for both the effective combating of discrimination in the provision of goods and services whilst respecting freedom of conscience and conviction."
Katme, a prominent figure in campaigns against abortion and the decline of traditional family life, warned in his letter that the new bill could seriously curtail the freedom of Muslims to live according to their religion.
He said the new rules require "Muslims and Christian believers legally to accept and appoint homosexuals or anyone with any sexual deviation in our Muslim institutions and centers, mosques, schools, clubs, companies, hotels, business, shops etc."
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 1.8 million.
Islam considers homosexuality to be clearly sinful.
Islam teaches that believers should neither do the obscene acts, nor in any way indulge in their propagation.
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