Cleric condemns it as anti-human

Sheikh Muhammad Khalid, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislators' Quarters Jumat Mosque, has condemned the embrace of same sex marriage by some countries, describing the practice as anti-human.

Khalid, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, said those agitating for same-sex marriage and the countries that had adopted it as a way of life, were against humanity and the Almighty Allah.

"I will never support same sex marriage, because of my religion and I am sure that no religion in the world will support it.

" It is against our culture as Nigerians, and against normal human life before the Almighty Allah.’’

Khalid said that no religion in the world should encourage homosexuality or lesbianism.

He commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the anti-gay marriage bill into law.

NAN recalls that Jonathan signed off the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2013 in January 2014.

The law prescribes 14-year prison sentence for people who are convicted of entering into a same-sex marriage or civil union.

In addition, it is an offence to administer, witness or help at a same-sex marriage ceremony.

The law also forbids people from running gay clubs, societies, processions or meetings in Nigeria. The punishment for such acts is 10 years in prison.

According to the Imam, the Almighty Allah who created man and woman, did it mainly for procreation, where a man would marry a woman and not the other way round.

"It is clearly written in the Holy Quran that marriage is between a man and a woman, not a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman.

"Whoever feels that he or she can go against Allah’s instructions, will end up disappointed".

Khalid said that lesbianism and homosexuality were foreign to Nigerian culture, and blamed the western nations for trying to import such practice into the country.

He expressed dismay over the whole issue surrounding same-sex marriage, saying that the practice could spread certain diseases previously unknown to human existence.

The Chief Imam urged those who had already adopted it as a way of life, to repent and abstain completely, for the betterment of their life and the world at large.