What are the Implications of Western Criticism of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act?

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 on May 29, 2023, criminalizing same-sex relations with penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

The legislation, which faced international condemnation, was passed in Parliament on March 21, 2023. In late April, Museveni called for a “reconsideration” of the law, clarifying that “being homosexual is not a crime, but engaging in homosexual acts is the crime.”

The law has sparked widespread debate in Western circles, including NGOs, European governments, and even the White House.

 

Deterrent Law

The Ugandan legislation states that a person presumed or suspected to be homosexual, who has not engaged in a sexual act with a person of the same sex, has not committed a crime, but the offense occurs when the sexual act is committed.

The punishment can extend to 20 years in prison for individuals or groups advocating for homosexuality.

The law introduces the death penalty for individuals convicted of rape or engaging in sexual acts with minors or persons with disabilities.

Ugandan Parliament Speaker Anita Among welcomed Museveni’s decision to sign the law, stating that it would protect the sanctity of the family.

She further expressed in a statement: “We have stood strong to defend the culture, values, and aspirations of our people.”

Immediately, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the law in a statement, alleging that it presents a serious violation of human rights, and hinted at cutting off aid and investments to the country located in East Africa.

Biden called for the immediate repeal of these harsh measures, stating that he has instructed the U.S. National Security Council to assess the law’s implications on all aspects of the U.S. commitment to Uganda, including relief services for HIV/AIDS and other forms of aid and investments.

He also emphasized that the U.S. administration will consider imposing sanctions on Uganda and preventing individuals involved in human rights violations or corruption in the African nation from entering U.S. territory.

In response, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, criticized the approval of the law, which contradicts human rights, warning that if Uganda does not retreat it, relations with international partners will be at risk.

Borrell expressed his disappointment via Twitter, stating that the Ugandan president’s approval of this law is regrettable.

The European official emphasized that it is the responsibility of the Ugandan government to protect all its citizens and ensure respect for their fundamental rights, and if they fail to do so, relations with international partners will be jeopardized.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its astonishment at the implementation of this “harsh and discriminatory” law.

The commission claimed that this law contravenes the constitution and international treaties and paves the way for systematic violations of the rights of sexual minorities.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed deep concern about the enactment of the law, stating in a statement that this law increases the risk of escalating violence and persecution already faced by sexual minorities in Uganda.

President Museveni responded to the sanctions threatened by Western countries, saying that no one will make us backtrack on implementing this law.

 

A Western Gang

In explaining these Western threats, including those from the United Nations, the thinker Abouzaid al-Mokrie el-Idrissi said: “The only interpretation for what has happened is that the atheist homosexual gang, promoting homosexuality and atheism, has managed to infiltrate and penetrate the United Nations.

He added to Al-Estiklal that “U.N. committees related to human rights are now in the hands of Zionists, homosexuals, and atheists. They are preoccupied with maximizing, criminalizing, and prohibiting any speech about the Holocaust, any criticism of Jews and Zionists, or any mention of deviancy, atheism, and abortion.

“This has infiltrated the European mind. I was a representative of Morocco in the name of the first chamber in Parliament for over two years in the European Council, which is the expanded European Parliament comprising 47 countries, including Morocco.”

He continued: “We were in a spacious hall that can hold approximately 600 parliamentarians and more than 300 visitors and guests, officials from different European countries, including those from traditionally conservative Eastern Europe, passionately expressed their views on what they perceive as deviancy. They discussed topics such as women’s right to make choices regarding their bodies, specifically focusing on abortion regulations. Some speakers even vehemently criticized countries that opt for restrictions, regulations, or conditional measures, not the outright prohibition.”

He added that homosexuals no longer demand only their rights and the legitimacy of their actions, but they want protection and the imposition of severe penalties on anyone who criticizes them, even subtly.

They want money and influence, and that’s why you find a minister or parliamentarian boasting about being homosexual. On the other hand, they want to suppress 100 parliamentarians who are not homosexuals.

El-Idrissi warned that “today we are threatened in our very nature, and our children are threatened in their sexual identity. No one in Europe wants his son and daughter to change their sex orientation, for example.”

He continued: “If this child goes to school and says it innocently, the police will come to punish the father and mother, and the child will be taken away to unknown entities.

“Also in America, we find that Vice President Kamala Harris is preoccupied only with defending homosexuality, abortion, and atheism.”

El-Idrissi concluded by saying that “we are in a major transformation undertaken by the United Nations, using the power and sanctions provided under Chapters 6 and 7 of the Organizational Law of the Security Council, which allows the use of military force to impose homosexuality on the world.”

 

Threats and Resistance

The biggest threat to Uganda came from the United States, which announced restrictions on entry visas for Ugandan officials following the enactment of the mentioned law.

The Guardian quoted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying that he looks forward to enhancing accountability for Ugandan officials who violated the rights of what he described as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Blinken stated that the White House is “deeply concerned” about the Anti-Homosexuality Act signed by the President of Uganda.

He indicated that his department would restrict visas, investments, and the movement of American companies in Uganda.

In the face of these threats, members of Parliament pledged to resist external pressure regarding the legislation, which they described as an attempt to protect Ugandan culture and national values from Western decadence, according to African News.

The lawmaker in support of the law, Asuman Basalirwa, stated that Western reactions were expected, and the Speaker of Parliament had already been informed of the cancellation of her visa to the United States.

In response to the Western reaction to Uganda’s decision, el-Idrissi said that this response reveals the blatant contradiction experienced by those who threatened Uganda, which made its decision according to its legal and constitutional system.

He added that the striking and ironic paradox is that Uganda, precisely three decades ago, witnessed massacres and atrocities committed against Muslims without any Western reaction.

At that time, Western organizations and media turned a blind eye to the killings, rapes, burnings, and displacements that caused the Muslim population to decrease from 35% to 15% of the total population.