As debate continues on the recent arrest of a gay couple in the capital Lilongwe, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has said there is need to engage in serious dialogue and if needs be, the country should change its laws on same sex marriages as it will be hard to accept them in the current scenario.
ECM General Secretary Father Henry Sayindi said this on Thursday in an interview with one of the privately owned radio following a stand taken by US government.
Writing on US Embassy official Facebook page, Virginia Palmer expressed shock over the arrest of two men and urged the Malawi government to reverse its decision, saying the arrest is unlawful.
“As the U.S. Ambassador to Malawi I am closely following the December 7 arrest of two Malawian citizens who were charged with sodomy in violation of section 153 of the Penal Code and subjected to a medical examination without their consent.
“I remind the government of its stated policy not to arrest, detain, charge, or pursue people engaged in consensual same-sex activity. The rights of LGBTI persons are human rights. As a matter of human rights, public health, and public order, LGBTI persons should not be discriminated against in any way,” she said.
Commenting on the matter, Sayindi the position of the Catholic Church on the matter standing law should take effect and cultural norms considered.
“In this issue, the starting point should be; what does our culture say; what do the laws of the land say and what is the church teachings say on these matters. We must be guided by our beliefs and we must be guided by our culture,” said Father Sayindi.
Yesterday the German government also issued a statement condemning the arrest and urged the government to respect the rights of those people practicing same sex in the country.
Meanwhile the government of Malawi is expected to make its statement on the matter any time soon.
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