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By : ZAINAL EPI
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human
Rights Watch has criticised Anwar Ibrahim for advocating discriminatory
practices against homosexuals, calling the opposition leader’s anti-gay
position 'shameful' and 'fundamentally wrong'.
Deputy director of Human
Rights Watch (Asia division), Phil Robertson, accused Anwar of playing politics
with civil liberties.
“Anwar is fundamentally
wrong when he maintains that it should be permissible to discriminate against
homosexuals.
“While this might be a good
vote-getting strategy in some parts of Malaysia, his claim shamefully runs
completely contrary to the central principle of non-discrimination in
international human rights law,” he said in a statement today.
The Human Rights Watch, the
world’s leading independent organisation dedicated to protecting human rights,
issued the state statement following a High Court hearing on Wednesday, in
which Anwar gave his views about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender) community.
In reply to a question from
lawyer Firoz Hussein if Malaysia should “discriminate against homosexuals,”
Anwar said: “Yes”.
“We do not give space to
homosexuals,” he said.
He said that Malaysian law
must be “crafted in a way we must believe in the sanctity of marriage between a
man and woman…we do not promote homosexuality”.
Anwar said this during the
hearing of his suit against the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia for character
defamation. Firoz is Utusan Malaysia’s counsel.
Anwar had filed the RM50
million suit in January following its front-page report that was published on
Jan 15.
"You,
sir, are a liar"
The Utusan report referred
to a BBC interview with Anwar and alleged that he had said that the laws on
homosexuality in Malaysia were considered 'archaic' and 'not relevant'.
Robertson said Anwar’s views
on gay rights were a sad reflection of Malaysian politics.
“The UN High Commissioner
issued a comprehensive report in November 2011 that clearly identified the need
to protect the rights of LGBT people and called on all UN member states to
enact comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that includes discrimination
on the grounds of sexual orientation,” he said.
Anwar’s remarks appeared to
have not only upset Humans Rights Watch but also some of his core supporters,
many of whom are young, urbanised and hungry for greater civil liberties.
One of them, Leroy Luar,
expressed his view in an opinion piece posted in Malaysiakini on Wednesday: “A
leader who makes a statement endorsing discrimination is no leader at all.”
“You, sir, who have built
your cause around speaking for the downtrodden, the side-lined, the
disadvantaged… [are gay rights] not a fight against discrimination?
“You, sir, are a liar. You,
sir, are a disappointment. You, sir, are no different than those you vilify in
your own defence. We have been betrayed,” Luar said.
While Anwar’s stance on
homosexuality will upset liberal voices in his unregistered Pakatan Rakyat, it
will likely please others in his coalition, such as PAS.
The Islamist party has
openly called for hudud to be introduced and Anwar had said he personally
supported the move and refused to rule out implementing it should he be elected
prime minister.
If PAS gets its way in a
future Anwar-led government, Malaysia would become a fully Islamic state and
homosexuals could face the death penalty. (freemalaysiatoday)
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