Mr. Laye: “Even in ancestral Africa, homosexuality did exist … there is no evidence whatsoever that gays as a group were persecuted in pre-colonial Africa”.
Halake says: “Absolutely, Kalil. We have always been a civilised and tolerant people – until the imperialists interfered! The “tolerance” of homosexuals in Africa that you refer to was also mentioned in the judgement I quoted at the Royal Courts of Justice here in London. As teenagers around the Swahili Coast (Mombasa), we were aware that some local Arabs practised homosexuality … the Gay Pop-Icon Freddie Mercury of the band Queen was born in Arab dominated Zanzibar. In 2009 there was a “Gay Community” around Senegal’s tourist area of M’Bour – and even on the Smiling Coast (though these later were very discreet). This just goes to underline your point about the “tolerance” of homosexuality in Africa.
Mr. Laye: “…homosexuality was tolerated – though not openly promoted”.
Halake says: “Again we agree – and I think we are both saying that in Africa we would be happy with that status quo and forget the whole issue. But, and it is a BIG but (not butt!), the intervention of Obama and Cameron demanding legalisation and “open promotion” of homosexuality has, in the case of Uganda and Nigeria, led to criminalisation and witch-hunting of homosexuals. Just as with the destruction of the centuries-old Christian communities in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Libya and Iran, the West must bear full responsibility for their “democratic” intervention which is going to end with those old Christian communities’ extinction. The West poured oil on Ukraine’s smouldering fire and now that Russia has invaded, Ukraine is alone – because there is absolutely nothing the West can do there against Russian military might. I hear America has promised to help Nigeria fight their Boko Haram terrorists. That is again pouring oil on a smouldering fire. The powerful Nigerian military should be able to deal with the problem itself – with the help of ECOWAS if necessary. Bring in the Americans and … it will be Badluck Jonathan. As for Uganda’s gays, there is absolutely nothing Obama and Cameron can do to help them now – having set the witch-hunting in motion with their intervention.
Mr. Laye said: “The real question that faces us as Africans is not the BANNING OR LEGALIZATION of homosexuality … this is a non-issue, just as we in Africa have never felt the need to legislate for or against heterosexuality. ”
Halake says: Absolutely! No beef here either Kalil – we fully agree! My original piece stated throughout that “homosexuality was a non-issue across much of Africa until the West tried to impose its gay values across Africa”. I copied the “Gay Right or No Aid” story from www.modernghana.com back in 2011 and pasted it on the Obama Cameron Beer Photo. So I do not disagree with you Mr. Laye: banning or legalizing of homosexuality in Africa is a waste of our valuable time. As many of us may remember so well, when Obama tried to provoke President Macky Sall on the issue in Dakar last year, Macky Sall side-stepped the provocation from his rude guest beautifully. Macky told Obama in diplomatic language that it was not an issue: “Africa is not ready for it” – subject closed.
Mr. Laye: “I should however confess that I do admire Mr. Halake, if only for his sophistry and cunning-ness in turning a lie into a truth and vice versa”.
Halake says: “Thank you Mr. Laye for putting a smile on my face!” (my daughter sitting opposite is asking what dad is smiling at!). Like I pointed out, I admire my son’s and my daughter’s gay homosexual headteachers – because they are excellent professionals doing a good job. I went to University in Scotland and loved the music of the Scottish “Soul Singer” Rod Stewart. Rod’s Gay ballad “Georgie Boy” is a moving song. Like me, Rod was never gay because, like me again, he loved the ladies! Now, I don’t see much “cunning” and “sophistry” there: I’m just shooting straight from the heart!
Mr. Laye: “Make no mistake folks, Mr. Halake is expected to back any contention that homosexuality is alien to African culture on the pseudo basis that we in Africa [in our vast majority] are Christians and Muslims”.
Halake says: “Come, come, Bro! Now you are making a partisan political pitch to your partisan audience! While we agree about the “toleration” of “non-promoted” and discreet homosexuality across Africa and indeed the Islamic and Arab world, it is a fact that the interpretation given to Biblical and Koranic teachings across Africa and the Middle East is one which absolutely rejects homosexuality. Those who live by the Koran and the Bible will make that absolute rejection of homosexuality – even in UK as that judge I quoted said. It may appear contradictory but that is the reality of the prevailing religious teachings across Africa now (Gambia is a Muslim country but we also have Julbrew Brewery!). I don’t see the basis upon which Mr. Layer classes that reality as a “pseudo-basis” – just as we would not class the Julbrew-drinking but serious Ramadan-fasting Gambians as “pseudo-Muslims”. Jollofnews ran a poll on whether or not to legalize homosexuality and thousands of Gambians took part. Only about 5% voted to legalize homosexuality. That is the reality across virtually every country in Africa. I don’t see the basis upon which Mr. Laye describes that prevailing reality as “pseudo”.
Mr. Laye: “All the same, Mr. Halake can be trusted to always offer his backing to one of Africa’s most murderous, most criminal tyrant, in the person of Yaya Jammeh, as he [Mr. Halake] had invariably and consistently done so, intellectually at least, over the past twenty years”.
Halake says: “Another political pitch to his partisan audience by Mr. Laye, but this time it puts a smile on my face because Mr. Laye finally exposes the real beef in his burger! The issue is right across Africa and Little Gambia’s domestic politics are irrelevant to it. Nigeria’s anti-Gay legislation was followed by Uganda’s. There is a huge debate taking place in Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia and even South Africa. As there is in Senegal. Now, in these countries the people and the leaders may decide that the issue is either irrelevant or too divisive – and decide not to respond to Obama’s and Cameron’s “No Aid” provocation. Additionally, these countries carry real political clout on the continent and their economies are large enough and strong enough to make China rush in with billions of dollars. They can survive without Western Aid – and without having to “eat grass”. That said, I think the beef in Mr. Laye’s burger is rather stale – I don’t see how an objective observer can describe my position as being supportive of President Jammeh’s “Homosexuals are Vermin” position – all you need to do is enter Rod Stewart Georgie Boy in You Tube and listen to the moving song. I think it is Mr. Laye who needs to get over his Jammeh-fixation and look at issues on an objective global level.
Mr. Laye: “ … most of Africa’s leaders are none other than criminal murderers, looters of the kind not seen ever since the white and Arab slave traders set feet on our lands”.
Halake says: “That, Mr. Laye, is a completely different issue on which another debate could be had. Maybe you could write a piece on ‘Misrule & Dictatorship in Africa’ – and then we could have a debate on that (please don’t forget to include the fact that the biggest criminal looter of all, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, was installed and supported in his criminal looting for 30 years by the US of A – after Lumumba was killed in a joint effort by the CIA and the Belgians). For now, my piece, as you rightly noted, was on ‘The Gay Debate’.”
Mr. Laye: “Thus what our learned friend Mr. Halake chooses to conveniently forget is the fact that even Christianity and Islam were foreign imports into his so-called real Africa …”
Halake says: “Mr. Laye, I once said ‘Merry Christmas’ to my Gambian Aku friend and he replied: “If you know what Christmas means Mr. Halake”!. That put another smile on my face because it gave me an opportunity to give my Aku friend a lecture which went something like this:-
One of Christ’s Disciples, St Stephen I think, went to Ethiopia – and the Prophet’s daughter sought refuge in Ethiopia. Those were the first Christians and Muslims on African soil – not some white missionary! Africans walked to Saudi Arabia before the Suez Canal was dug. Mansa Musa of West Africa walked there with all his gold and collapsed the Egyptian currency on the way. Yemen is no more than 25 miles from Ethiopia – exactly as close as French Brittany is to Britain. Maybe for the returned ex-USA slaves Christianity & Islam may have been seen as “a whiteman ting” but not for Africans. Even in Alex Haley’s story the main character Kunta Kinte is a Muslim. By the way, do you know why the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) and Martin Luther’s Southern Baptists became the spiritual home of African-Americans? Because the wonderful “Freedom Loving” Yankee Rednecks would not allow their Christian brethren into their churches! John Kerry may be preaching Human Rights to Africans, but Africans have always treated each other with dignity while the great US of A had Apartheid as late as the 1960s … yes, Apartheid in USA. Let me ask you now: in March 2014. How many of the 100 US Senators are Black? One? None? You know why? Because the Senate can block any US Legislation they wish and Senator Kerry and his fellow mafiosis want to keep control of the USA from the growing number of blacks and Hispanics! “Stop Mr. Halake, that is another debate!!” OK, I agree and shut up!
Mr. Laye: “… the African populace, the overwhelming majority of which remain even to this twenty first century functional illiterates …”
Halake says: “Wow, Mr. Laye! This is a heavy statement! ‘Functionality’ and ‘illiteracy’ depends on the community one functions in. Great Griots and Musicians such as Tumani and Ali Farka Toure may also be considered ‘functionally illiterate’ by some … but to me, ‘functionally illiterate’ Africans can also be real life philosophers. I suggest you ask your ‘functionally literate’ fellow Americans where Gambia is – and see whether even 5% can tell you. As for those ‘functionally literate’ Africans with PhDs, the question has always been ‘what function they have been educated to perform’ – to develop Africa or to sell-out Africa?
Mr. Laye: “ … for a properly schooled – though ideologically misguided – Mr. Halake to commit the same error is unfathomable …”
Halake says: “Thank you for another smile on my face, Mr. Laye”.
Mr. Laye: “The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing, especially in today’s world, as a truly pristine African, European, or Asian values system. The entire “earth world” is forever interconnected. And as such, the days when some cultures would wish to remain secluded are long gone”
Halake says: I agree Mr. Laye. You will enjoy Prof Ali Mazrui’s ‘Africa: The Triple Heritage’ which explains the history of how Africa has benefited from other world civilisations. My point is that I don’t think Africa will adopt the ‘homosexuality’ civilisation being vigorously promoted by Obama and Cameron – at least for now. But who knows what the future will hold? It was the great Frantz Fanon who stated that he does ‘not come with timeless truths … the future is for future generations to mould’. It is possible, just maybe, that in the future we could have a Daily Observer headline:
PRESIDENT KALIL LAYE SIGNS GAMBIA’s GAY MARRIAGE BILL.
On that inspirational note I must drag this battered body to bed.
Goodnight.
Ends