The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has voiced his enthusiasm regarding the recent approval of the contentious anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

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After almost three years of discussion, Parliament passed the bill on February 28.

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In an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile on March 2, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the spokesperson for the Chief Imam, expressed the Muslim community's joy, stating that the bill would help uphold family values.

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 “I can say without any equivocation that the Chief Imam was relatively joyful about the passing of this bill because he has fully been briefed about what we are going through with respect to the evolvement of this LGBTQ+ phenomenon in our country and the attempt to really universalise it and make it something normal and something acceptable.

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"And as somebody who is the leader of Muslims in this country, he could not actually give any support to such matter to be allowed.

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“For us, it is a moral issue, it is something that also goes to the very heart of the protection of the family which in the Muslim understanding of things is the property of God. It is the smallest unit of society into which every single human being is born,” he said.

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He clarified that anything that undermines the family system will not receive their support.

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“Any practice that seeks to undermine the survival of the family must truly be condemned. For us, it is reprehensible, abominable, and objectionable. So Chief Imam is so happy,” he added.

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He commended legislators for their steadfastness despite the numerous objections and challenges the bill faced. When asked about concerns regarding the bill violating basic human rights, the spokesperson emphasized that laws are enacted to benefit people and society.

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Therefore, any law that threatens the purity of society should not be seen as merely an academic exercise.

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"It is not an academic issue, it is not a human rights issue but it is about survival. Any law that is harmful to society, society must think together within our wisdom and that is what identifies us and distinguishes us from other nations," he added.

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