Hostility Against Women; Re: Stone Adulterous Women to Death

I read this news but didn’t take it serious. It occurred to me as one of those jestering attitudes of the Ghanaian parliament. It was until listening to Citi Fm Breakfast show this morning [17. 11. 2014] that I heard Mr. Abudu Baani Nelson, Member of Parliament of Daboya/Makarigu constituency in the Northern Region, justifying the stoning of adulterous women and also claiming that many men in his area support his position. Once again, it is only within an African country like Ghana that such utterances would be taken lightly without jurisdictive actions.

Mr. Abudu Baani, who I must draw attention to the fact that bears the first name of one of the most globally respected icons of human rights and dignity Nelson Mandela; and again who is a Muslim, whom I presuppose without any doubt that he reads his Quran, in which Jesus occupies a significant place as a great prophet, anointed one and given special revelation to declare (REF.: Quran 2: 87; 4: 171; 5:46; 19: 30 Yusif Ali), is so righteous to contradict the prudent dictum of Christ that “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her [an adulterous woman]” (REF.: John 8:7) to declare that “Stone adulterous women to death.”

Mr. Abudu Baani suggested in parliament that “Day in day out in Afghanistan, if you go behind your husband they hang you. So if they add that, we will get very genuine women in families.” His statement has been branded by concern citizens and feminist activists as naïve, irresponsible, offensive, pre-Jurassic, Semitic and barbaric.

It’s very unfortunate that we have such radical statement coming from a civil servant of this country and more seriously, a legislator. Such statements must not be taken lightly without subjecting this man to strict scrutiny. His position and Islamic background can incite ignorant hostility against women from weak-minded persons in this country. This is the reason why I am subjecting Mr. Abudu Baani to scrutiny.

Is Afghanistan better than Ghana?

What makes Mr. Abudu Baani to think that the depository country of Al-Qaeda, where the Taliban government engineered with Osama Bin Laden to rip down the twin towers of New York on the September 11, 2001 attack, is morally right than Ghana? That’s too naïve a reference. We are Ghanaians and we do Ghana things.

Irrational proposition

His proposition is invalid to jurisprudence. Why shouldn’t the man who slept with another’s wife be stoned as well? It takes two people to commit adultery. Marriage is a contractual union hence the state allows divorce. You don’t own a woman like a pet. Each citizen of Ghana is protected by the civil laws and an act of adultery is not a crime in the constitution. If it is to be, who would be left to stone who?

Islamic laws not civil laws

Sharia law include beheading, stoning, and many other extreme punishments. There is no way sharia would be disassociated from Islam. Mr. Abudu Baani is paranoid with his Islamic background. The state is not a religion and hence religious beliefs are private affairs. However, any contravention to the jurisdiction of the Ghanaian civil laws would be considered as a crime subject to punishment. So he shouldn’t even dare to practice his sharia laws in the North.

Threat of Islamic extremity

Terrorism was seen as a clash between Islamic extremists and the West. Not really so today. After the attack on the Kenyan Westgate mall and the insurgence of Boko Haram in Nigeria, terrorism has become an African problem as well. For this reason, any person who exhibits extreme religious moral code must be seen as a potential agent of terrorism. Mr. Abudu Baani, who is Muslim with such extreme religious brain-washed ideas must be monitored by the Ghana Bureau of National Investigation. I don’t consider the MP as the Muslims I know. We shouldn’t take things light anymore in this country. Prevention is better than cure.

Legislative crisis

The MP, though an individual who is entitled to his own opinion, also represents the larger health of the Ghana parliament. Our parliament is weak and full of many ridiculous MPs. If such men like Mr. Abudu Baani are to make laws for this country, then the legislature is in deep crisis. No wonder we import chairs from China, make unnecessary arguments in parliament and ride in bossy cars. The unfortunate utterances of Mr. Abudu Baani sum up the mentality of some MPs in the legislature.

Hostile persecution on women

Nobody endorses adultery. However adultery isn’t a feminine problem. It’s anthropological problem. Limiting such dishonest conduct to the feminine gender is a hostile persecution on women. The Northern region of Ghana is a zone notable of many gender bigotry. Girls and old women suffer diverse social discrimination ranging from genital mutilation, accusation of witchcraft, child labor, child marriage, etc. Mr. Abudu Baani as a government representative within this region must uphold the ideals of the Ghanaian constitution by promoting equality, equity and respect for human rights and dignity. Failure in such fundamental matters is a failure on the part of the Member of Parliament.

For Mr. Abudu Baani to justify himself on radio yesterday on Citi Fm, suggests that he has not been called to book; neither by the Speaker of Parliament nor the Supreme Court. There is one thing left for him, he must issue an official apology and read it in parliament. Even an apology does not make him smart enough to make laws for this nation having exhibited such naiveness.

If we remain completely coward, as the word is derived from cow, by taking certain issues lightly in this country, one day we shall wake up to find ourselves handcuffed by rebels and terrorists. We mustn't be too comfortable with our undisciplined democracy, we must learn to strengthen our institutions as Mr. Obama cautioned us.

Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

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