THE BUZZ MUSLIM BRIDE?
YET ANOTHER SENSELESS MURDER
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ocal media in Uganda recently reported that Sheikh Mohammed Mutumba, an imam at Kyampisi Masjid Noor mosque in Kayunga District, Uganda, has been suspended from his clerical work after unknowingly wedding a fellow man in an Islamic ceremony and marriage contract (nikah). Apparently, Sheikh Mutumba unknowingly married a man with the feminine name “Swabullah Nabukeera” and spent two weeks with his new “wife” unaware of the latter’s true gender. The truth came out after police arrested “Nabukeera” on charges of theft. A neighbour alleged that Mutumba’s newly wed “wife” jumped over a wall and stole clothes and a television set. During a body search by a female police officer before being taken to the cells, it was discovered that the suspect was actually a man. He revealed to police that his real name is Richard Tumushabe. “We have charged him with impersonation, theft and obtaining goods by false pretence,” the CID boss said. Amisi Kibunga, a leader at the Kyampisi mosque, said he saw Sheikh Mutumba’s “wife” on two occasions at Juma prayers but did not realize that he was a man. The regional Islamic magistrate (or qadi/kadhi), Sheikh Abdul Noor Kakande, under whose jurisdiction Sheikh Mutumba served, told local media that Sheikh Mutumba, 27, was under investigation over the “unfortunate” incident and had been suspended .... Sheikh Mutumba, “is too devastated by the incident and needs counselling,” a source said. Same-sex marriages are condemned by Ugandan laws. Mag 6
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n January this year the LGBTQ+ community found themselves mourning the death of another transgender person. The victim this time was transgender-activist Nare Mphela. As a high school learner in Limpopo Province she faced multiple forms of discrimination from her school principal due to her gender identity. She accused the principal of encouraging other students to harass and humiliate her over her gender identity. In 2017, the Equality Court ruled in Nare’s favour, finding the principal and Limpopo Department of Education to have breached the Equality Act. This was an historic victory for queer South Africans nationwide! Friends and fellow advocates described her as being a selfless, determined and outspoken advocate for transgender rights. Most people believe her murder to be a hate crime, and the SAP are still investigating. Transgender people are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and many face a future of ridicule, violence and as in Nare’s case violent murder. Nare is the latest in a string of violent crimes against the transgender community and we all should take a stand, particularly during Pride month in Cape Town, against gender violence.
OUR PROGRESSIVE CONSTITUTION FAILING GAY ASYLUM SEEKERS
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imes Live recently reported that despite South Africa’s progressive constitution, in reality for LGBTQIA+ refugees it is as bad here as the rest of the continent. Ishmael and his partner Omar, who have come from Somalia to seek refuge live in fear, sharing a tiny room with a friend of theirs. “I came to this country full of hope, but now…” he trailed off. They came to South Africa to seek asylum after being persecuted in Somalia because of their sexual orientation. When Ishmael’s father discovered that he was gay, he wanted to kill him. In his father’s eyes, Ishmael brought dishonour to the family and the only way to restore it would be to kill him. He was forced to flee, but the spectre of his father’s desire to kill him hangs over him – from his small home town south of Mogadishu, he made his way to Kenya and down to South Africa to seek safety. But, his father managed to track him down and enlisted mobs of Somali immigrants to attack him. Ishmael estimates that other Somalis have beaten him up more than 20 times since he left Somalia, with each beating increasingly violent and sadistic. In one of the most vicious attacks Ishmael has experienced, a mob of Somali immigrants in Cape Town attacked him and stomped on his testicles. He needed surgery to repair the damage. Are there any high-powered human rights lawyers out there who can assist these desperate people?
