Zambian leader draws false lesson from French protest

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

Edgar Lungu, Zambian acting president and minister of home affairs

Zambia’s acting president says his country should be true to itself, without paying attention to Western countries — but that apparently doesn’t apply if what he sees in the developed world can be used to reinforce his pre-existing prejudices.

Specifically, the Zambia Daily Mail reported, Acting President Edgar Lungu says his government’s opposition to same-sex marriages has been “vindicated” by a May 26 protest in Paris by an estimated 300,000 opponents of gay marriage. Some violence broke out at the end of the protest, which Lungu characterized as “a timely lesson.” The Daily Mail reported:

“If the French who are known to be highly civilised can rebel against same-sex marriages, Mr Lungu said, who are we to accept this alien concept even in the face of us being a Christian nation?”

Predictably, Lungu did not mention January’s demonstration in Paris by an estimated 125,000 supporters of marriage equality or the fact that surveys show that a majority of French citizens support same-sex marriage.

In France, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage has passed the lower house of Parliament and is expected to win senate approval in June.

Lungu, who is the Zambian minister of home affairs, has also criticized Amnesty International for recommending actions that he doesn’t agree with. The Daily Mail reported:

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Mr Lungu recently condemned Amnesty International for calling for the release of two men arrested in Kapiri Mposhi for allegedly being in a sexual relationship against Zambian laws.

He told Amnesty International not to impose laws on Zambia because the country is sovereign and has its own laws and will not be influenced by external pressure at the expense of existing laws.

For more information, read the full article in the Zambia Daily Mail: “French gay demonstrations lesson.”