UK: On eve of vote on Gay marriage bill, LGBT advocate writes open letter to House of Lords

NEW YORK - June 2, 2013 - PRLog -- LGBT Rights advocate Omar Kuddus makes a plea to the British House of Lords on eve of vote:

The House of Lords debates the Same Sex marriage bill Monday and votes on the bill on Tuesday 4th of June.

Open letter to :

Baron Nazir Ahmed, Lord Waheed Ali, Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi and Baroness Manzila Pola Uddin.

My lords and Ladies,

As the issue and debate comes before you and the opposition of the introduction of the bill from fellow Muslims, I implore you to also remember that some Muslims are gay, too.

Marriage is not a religious institution but a civil contract in law and this is what this proposed bill addresses and attempts to extend to a part of English and Welsh society, including those who are gay Muslims.

The Imams who wrote in their letter (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10065280/Muslim-leaders-stand-against-gay-marriage.html) in the Telegraph to express ‘serious misgivings’ in regards to the bill that ‘that marriage between a man and a woman is the cornerstone of family life and the only institution within which to raise children.’ and ‘Muslim parents will be robbed of their right to raise their children according to their beliefs, as gay relationships are taught as something normal to their primary-aged children.’

These statements are unfounded as alternative options are available to them if they chose to adhere by their personal beliefs and interpretations of the Koran as indicated by the provisions of the bill.

Gospel is reinterpreted as humankind evolves socially

Their statement that ‘Marriage is a sacred contract between a man and a woman that cannot be redefined’ is answered by and in a letter Bishop Nicholas Holtam sent to you, Lord Ali which stated that he distanced himself from the church’s attitude to same-sex marriage saying:

‘Sometimes Christians have had to rethink the priorities of the gospel in light of experience.’ ‘For example, before William Wilberforce, Christians saw slavery as Biblical and part of the God-given ordering of creation. ‘Similarly in South Africa the Dutch Reformed Church supported apartheid because it was biblical and part of the God-given order of creation. No one now supports either slavery or apartheid.

‘The biblical texts have not changed, our interpretation has.’

Thus it is time for your Lords and Ladies to follow suit, and put orthodox religious interpretations aside.

When speaking to members of House of Lords Rev. Holtam has explained how allowing gay marriage would be a very strong move for the institution of marriage, and not dilute the institution as claimed.

Baroness Warsi :  I believe that your refusal to steer the legislation through the House of Lords is well documented as is your previous election campaign literature which was described as ‘homophobic’ by Stonewall .  

This would be an ideal opportunity to show that this is unfounded and that you actually support equality and are not against the LGBT citizens you represent.

Your fellow peer Lord Gummer's recent remarks must be taken into consideration too when you make your decision:
“If you believe in fidelity and permanence it seems an odd thing not to encourage people to celebrate that,”  “Science has taught us that some people have this attraction and don’t have heterosexual attraction. This is now universally agreed and so it is the right thing to do for society to acknowledge that.”
Lord Deben has also criticised those who held libertarian views “on all other matters”, but made an exception on gay marriage by saying: “That doesn’t seem very logical to me,” “This is a libertarian issue.”

A majority of Muslim MPs voted for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, when it passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons on February 5, with only Conservative MP Rehman Chishti of the eight Muslim MPs voting against.

In its third and final reading in the House of Commons, 366 MPs voted for the bill with 161 against, a landslide majority of 205 echoing the people’s voice.

Labour’s Shadow Equalities Minister Yvette Cooper summed this bill up appropriately by asking honourable members to ‘feel they too can support this bill and be on the right side of history’ and I humbly ask you to do the same.

Yvette Cooper listed the other countries around the world that have already passed gay marriage laws, saying the bill's supporters were ‘on the right side of history’ and I hope that the House of Lords will not prove that we are not.

The future of gay marriage in England and Wales is on a knife-edge with campaigners warning it could all come down to the vote of just a few Lords.

I implore you to not be the ones responsible to tip the balance and deny this gay Muslim and others like him, our fundamental rights as equals  members of society the same laws that our fellow heterosexual counterparts enjoy exclusively now.

"Nothing to Fear"

Same sex marriage opponents have nothing to fear from the bill as it will not effect them as they shall not be marrying someone of the same sex, but to deny those who will would be discrimination and unjust.

The law Lords have personally proved to me in the past that injustice and inequalities will not be tolerated and that the law is but an evolving institution and I sincerely hope that it will again.

For marriage is but that - a contract in law, not a religious institution.

Yours in the service of justice and equality;
Omar Kuddus