 |
| (Photo by Vinayak Das [flickr.com]) |
The Dutch
cabinet should voice its concern about anti-gay remarks made by India's Health
Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, says Dutch democrat party D66. “Our foreign and
emancipation ministers should strongly oppose these remarks,” says D66 leader
Alexander Pechtold. “They should also work within the EU towards a joint
condemnation.”
Earlier
this week, Mr Azad branded homosexuality “a disease” and “absolutely
unnatural”. Gay organisations in India and abroad reacted furiously, calling
for Mr Azad to resign.
He later
apologised and said he had been misquoted.
Abhorrent
D66 MP Pia
Dijkstra describes Mr Azad's remarks as abhorrent: “We have to consistently
oppose such discriminatory comments,” she says. “They will only hamper the
fight against HIV and AIDS in a country where 2.5 million people are
HIV-positive."
In India,
7.3 percent of gay men are HIV-positive, compared to only 0.3 percent of
heterosexual men.
Visit
Only last
week, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal briefly visited New Delhi for talks
with his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna. They discussed security and economic
issues, and India's poor human rights record on child labour. Mr Rosenthal
invited Mr Krishna to visit the Netherlands.
Mr Azad
made his anti-gay remarks after Mr Rosenthal's visit.
Dutch
Deputy Agriculture Minister Henk Bleker is set to visit India shortly. Mr
Pechtold has called on him to raise the anti-gay issue during his trip.
 |
| Mr Azad has been criticised for his remarks |
Related Articles:
U.N. passes 'historic' gay rights resolution
About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channeled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack) - “You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.”
About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channeled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack) - “You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.