Bahati Refuses To Answer Questions About Ties To “The Family”

Jim Burroway

December 18th, 2009

Ugandan MP David Bahati, the prime sponsor of the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, appeared in an interview on BBC’s World Service yesterday. It’s worth listening to, if only to hear first-hand how the draconian bill is being sold in Uganda.

Uganda MP David Bahati, prime sponsor of the Anti-Homosexuality Act

Uganda MP David Bahati, prime sponsor of the Anti-Homosexuality Act

There are two key points here worth mention. First, beginning at about the 5:25 mark, the BBC interviewer tries to get Bahati to say whether or not he is a member of the U.S.-based secretive Christian group known as The Family:

BBC: Is it true that you’re a member of The Family, also known as the Fellowship?

Bahati: [pause] Uh, these are the facts on the ground. Do we have friends that are beyond Uganda? Yes, we have them. Did they have an input to this bill? No, they didn’t.

BBC: Okay. The reason I ask that for the listeners who aren’t familiar, this is a very well-connected, pretty hard-core Christian group based in the United States with friends in many countries. If course, the reason I asked it is if you are a member, are you getting help from America?

Bahati: No, we are not getting any support. This is a home-grown bill. It’s a bill made by Ugandans for Ugandans, and for the good of mankind in the world. And we are saying, who are we to condone what God condemns?

BBC: You didn’t answer whether you are a member of the family or not, Mr. Bahati.

Bahati: Since we moved this bill, there has been a lot of manipulation and deception, especially by the pro-gay groups to try and spin the story.

BBC: A simple no would suffice if it is not the case.

Bahati: I just wanted to put it into context because the world we live in is not as simple as you are suggesting. But what I am saying is, did I get … am I getting any support from abroad? I’m saying no. Do I have friends abroad? Yes, I have them. Are they supporting or praying for me? I hope that some people are really praying for me on this one.

A second important event occurs at the about the 3:33 mark in which the BBC interviewer, after having listened to Bahati’s justification for the bill, observes:

The language you are using, Mr. Bahati, is redolent, frankly, of Nazi Germany. You’re talking about reclaiming people who have been corrupted. You’ve got another clause about forcing people to tell the authorities about anybody they know who is gay.

Interesting that Bahati didn’t take offense at the comparison, nor did he try to draw any contrasts between himself and Nazi Germany.

[Hat tip: Andy Harley at UK Gay News]

Click here to see BTB\’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.

Timothy (TRiG)

December 18th, 2009

I can’t get audio on this computer. I’ll catch up with this later. I just want to say that I generally like the BBC’s interview style. They don’t let mealy-mouthed politicians get away with anything.

TRiG.

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