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The Nigerian Humanist Movement is an association of non-religious people who seek a rational, constructive approach to human affairs. It offers a positive alternative to all religious and dogmatic creeds. It acts to uphold and defend the human rights of humanists and of the general public. It supports via legislation any other democractic and constitutional means to improve social conditions. It supports the widest conception of education and enlightenment for the better understanding and enjoyment of human life

AHumanists condemn the killing of teacher "over Koran"
by Leo Igwe

The Nigerian Humanist Movement condemns the recent attack and killing of a school teacher by Muslim students in Gombe state. The teacher was beaten to death for allegedly desecrating the Koran. Humanists are deeply worried by this killing, which was carried out less than a year after a similar accusation led to riots and deaths in Bauchi state. It can be recalled that in 1996 Muslim fanatics in Kano beheaded a Christian Igbo trader also for allegedly desecrating the Koran. It is sad and unfortunate that Muslim fundamentalists accord more value to the pages of a book than to human life. Since 1804 Islamic jihadists have been prosecuting a holy war against non-Muslims in Northern Nigeria. The killing of this teacher represents another horrifying chapter in the continuing Islamic jihad in the country. The Nigerian Humanist Movement calls upon the Nigerian government to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing of the school teacher, and also to investigate other cases of religiously-inspired bloodletting. We urge the Federal and state governments to live up to their responsibilities to protect the lives and rights of all citizens – whether believers or non believers - anywhere in the country, but especially of non-Muslims living and working in Islamic majority states.

Leo Igwe is Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement

No surprises
It's no surprise that Archbishop Peter J. Akinola comes from Nigeria.

Akinola is working to splinter the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church USA belongs, because some in the Communion are supportive of gay rights, same-sex unions, the ordination of gay and lesbian priests and the election of gay or lesbian bishops.

It's no surprise that the Nigerian National Assembly is poised to pass legislation that would make it illegal to be gay. Homosexual conduct among consenting adults is already a crime in Nigeria and comes with a 14 year prison term.

It's no surprise that Akinola supports the legislation.

Slyly named the "Same Sex Marriage Act," the bill, if passed, does much more than just codifying marriage inequality. It doles out five year terms if someone is found to be a member of a gay group, attends a gay meeting or protest, donates money to a gay organization or speaks out on behalf of gay rights in any way.

Hosting or visiting a gay web site? Five years.

Telling your partner you love them in a letter or e-mail? Five years.

Attending someone else's same-sex marriage or ceremony? Five years.

Watching a gay movie? Taking or having photos or a gay couple? Publishing, selling or loaning a gay book or video? Five years. Five years. Five years.

Right now, I'm facing at least 50 years in a Nigerian jail. Good thing I don't even have a passport.

The lesbians and gay men of Nigeria are facing genocide if this bill passes. Not only does this bill give credence to violence that is already perpetrated against that country's LGBT community, but it will force people underground to have unsafe sex. The prevalence of AIDS will increase and the devastation the disease is already having on the African continent will only increase dramatically.

Supposedly, as a man of God, Akinola could speak out against the bill, against the abridgement of human rights that are sure to take place, against the violence. He won't. This bill is right up his alley. He finds homosexuality to be abhorrent, a direct affront to Christian scripture, to be right in line with pedophilia and bestiality.

If you're not a member of the Anglican Church in Nigeria you're probably a Muslim. In 12 of Nigeria's 36 states-those with Muslim majorities--Islamic Sharia law has been imposed. Under that law, you can be stoned to death if you are found out to be gay or lesbian.

This is just an incendiary situation in need of a match.

Akinola, however, isn't just having an impact in his country-his homophobia can be felt quite strongly here in the United States. He's the ringleader of the Episcopal Churches and Bishops-our own former Episcopal Bishop Daniel Herzog being one of them-who want to or have already split from the Anglican Communion because of the consecration of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson of the Diocese of New Hampshire, the ordination of gays, lesbians and straight women, the welcoming atmosphere in many of our Episcopal churches and the ability of clergy to perform same-sex unions.

Akinola has become the pied-piper of wayward right-wing Episcopals. He has formed the Convocation of Anglicans in North America-it should really be called the Church of Homophobia. Billing it as a mission of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Akinola has lead over twenty churches to leave the Episcopal Church USA and to affiliate under his new organization.

In a Christmas Day 2006 article in The New York Times, reporters Lydia Polgreen and Laurie Goodstein wrote that by creating this offshoot for the discontented Americans, "he has made himself the kingpin of a remarkable alliance between theological conservatives in North America and the developing world that could tip the power to conservatives in the Anglican Communion, a 77-million member confederation of national churches that trace their roots to the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury."

By joining with Akinola, these churches are not only turning their backs on the Episcopal Church USA and quite possibly the Anglican Communion itself, but also on hundreds of years of the traditional Anglican approach of embracing diverse theological viewpoints.

Africa has had its fill of one man, one word, one rule despots. It's no surprise that Akinola is filling another pair of those shoes but with an eye to a new religious colonialism.

God help us.

by Libby Post, nationally syndicated columnist on lesbian and gay issues.