Homosexuality escalates in Zanzibar

ABDALLAH MSUYA in Zanzibar

THE Imams Association of Zanzibar is pushing for severe punishment for homosexuals in the crackdown on ‘immorality to save children from engaging in the ‘evil deeds.’

Speaking to journalists in the wake of increasing reports about young people becoming homosexual, the association’s secretary, Sheikh Muhyddin Zubeir Muhyddin, said that the behaviour was now threatening the well-being of adolescents and other young people aged between 10 and 28 years.

“We ask the government to spare no efforts in investigating people behind the promotion of homosexuality activities in Zanzibar.

Let the criminals be prosecuted and punished severely,” said Mr Muhyddin. The secretary of the association (officially known as Jumuia ya Maimamu Zanzibar- JUMAZA) said that prosecution and severe punishment for homosexuals and people who are espousing or encouraging homosexuality are important.

The JUMAZA’s press conference was in response to a call for action against homosexuals purportedly being promoted by a group of unidentified people in the islands. No statistics have been released showing the level of the problem, as the Police and Regional Commissioners vow to stop lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in the Islands, but no prosecution has so far been made in any court of law.

On October 3 this year, police officers raided a homosexual community wedding party in the Stone Town suburbs, where two same-sex weddings were organized. Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr Hassan Nassir said: “We acted on a tip-off and managed to foil the two separate weddings planned at Fuoni, and Sebleni.”

In the First raid, he said, six people were arrested and others escaped, while in second incursion at Sebleni 18 people were arrested. On September 15, this year, police officers also raided a seminar, purportedly being attended by Homosexuals, arresting 20 people including 12 women. The police officers raided a room in Mazson Hotel at Stone Town.

The officers claimed that the suspects were attending a same-sex seminar to promote the behaviour. Homosexuality has since April 2004 been illegal in Zanzibar, but although the law moved beyond targeting lesbians and gays, it now extends to criminalise all forms of same-sex unions, cohabitation and weddings.

Under the law, the offenders face prison terms of up to seven years or a fine of 700,000/= for lesbians, while male offenders face jail terms of up-to 25 years. People found creating an enabling environment for the offences face a jail sentence of five years.