The following is an excerpt from The Guardian..

Inayat Bunglawala

Inayat Bunglawala is an Advisor on Policy and Research at ENGAGE, an initiative designed to encourage British Muslims to interact more effectively in politics and the media in the UK. He is also a spokesperson at the Muslim Council of Britain.

Some religious communities are not reciprocating the tolerance and respect they insist on from others when it comes to gay rights, particularly in Muslim and some Christian communities.

That seemed to be the bleak message at the heart of To Be Straight With You, which was performed at the O’Reilly Theatre in Dublin last week following a sell-out three-week run at the National Theatre in London.

I had been invited to Dublin for a public discussion on issues surrounding religious freedom and sexuality alongside the production’s director, Lloyd Newson, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Dr Katherine Zappone and Father Michael Collins.

In Muslim communities the issue of homosexuality is very rarely discussed in a candid manner and is all too often wished away as if it is an affliction that involves other groups, not them.

Not far from the surface, however, are reports of gay Muslim men being pressurised into rushed marriages by parents desperate to avoid any social stigma. The woman’s family is never told the truth about her husband’s sexuality, of course, with the result that another soul has to endure unhappiness due to the initial failure to face up to the issue.

It is a highly dishonest and unethical approach.

Visit The Guardian for the full write-up..

You May Also Like

Female jogger dies after tree fell on her at Marsiling Park; NPark last inspected park in April 2020

A 38-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her at Marsiling…

应符合国人利益、顾虑群众健康 工人党:召开大选决定宜慎重

有鉴于武汉冠状病毒(COVID-19)疫情肆虐,新加坡工人党昨日(15日)发文告,提醒政府作出召开大选的决定时宜慎重。 选区范围检讨委员会报告在本月13日出炉,坊间根据以往委会公布新选区地图、再到宣布大选的时程,揣测选举可能最早在一个月后召开。 至于新加坡总理李显龙也在14日于脸书释放信息,指何时召开大选将取决于疫情。但也表示“如需要在疫情过去前召开选举,必须采取必要防疫措施,确保各政党能有效率地竞选、民众可安全投票。” 对此,工人党表示无意参与对选举时间的揣测,但意识到当前新加坡面对的状况和过去截然不同,且人们也忧心疫情对经济带来的冲击。 故此,工人党提醒政府,在作出召开大选的决定时宜慎重(take caution and exercise judiciousness),任何决定都应符合新加坡的利益,以及顾虑到国人的公共健康和民主。 不过,工人党放话任何时候召开选举,该党都枕戈待旦,“我们为此准备了四年”。再者该党强调将采取必要防疫措施,确保竞选活动公平且安全。 陈清木:疫情当前举行选举是否合理? 除了工人党,也有其他在野党纷纷发声,表态认为疫情当前应全心抗疫,并非召开选举的时机。…

谷歌进行全球调查 狮城孩童最早拥手机平板电脑

出乎意料,新加坡除了是全球消费最高的城市,更是最早让孩童拥有智能手机或平板电脑的国家,平均年龄是8岁。 家中的孩子几岁开始拥有智能手机或是平板电脑?相信很多父母都曾经面对这个问题,尤其是年轻的父母。美国科技巨头谷歌(Google)日前根据这项问题,展开了一项调查,访问了全球的家长和教师,包括400名新加坡家长和200名教师。受访家长平均都拥有一名18岁以下的孩子。 有关调查结果发现,新加坡家长时最早的,平均在孩子8岁时,就为他们提供智能手机或平板电脑了。就全球的情况而言,平均在孩童10岁时就拥有智能手机或平板电脑。在亚洲方面,除了新加坡,日本这个高科技国家,当地孩童也是在平均10岁时才拥有可上网的手机或平板电脑。印度尼西亚的孩童则是参与调查的国家中最迟拥有智能手机或平板电脑的,他们的平均年龄是11岁。 主要关注三项问题 有关调查显示,82巴仙的新加坡父母认为,现今的孩童需要掌握数码技能和知识,才能在这个社会生存。然而,有关调查并没有透露新加坡孩童在使用智能手机或平板电脑时,家长是否有管制,以及孩童的“荧幕时间”(screen time)是否超出平均。 新加坡家长在给孩子使用智能手机或平板电脑时,主要关注的问题有三项,即孩子的隐私和安全、是否分享太多信息、以及孩子是否又接触到不恰当的网络内容。 对此,媒体通识理事会曾上载了《数码时代育儿手册》,能够指导父母针对以上三项问题做出适当措施。 有关的三项措施包括限制荧幕使用时间、教孩子保护隐私,以及设定密码保障孩子安全上网。