Protesters gather outside a mosque in Malaysia in 2011 to urge the government to recognise the LGBT+ community (Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty)
Malaysia is pushing for Sharia law to be tougher against LGBT+ Muslims even as it makes a bid for a spot on the UN Human Rights Council.
On Tuesday (6 April) the Malaysian government announced plans to move forward with an amendment to the Sharia Courts Act that would allow heavier punishments to be imposed on the LGBT+ community.
The country’s strict Islamic laws already penalise any form of anal or oral sex with up to 20 years in prison and mandatory caning – but ministers want to push it further still.
Wednesday, 07 Apr 2021 06:22 PM MYT
BY SHAHRIN AIZAT NOORSHAHRIZAM
The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) also criticised Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad for trying to ‘rehabilitate’ sexual and gender minorities, pointing out that such conversion therapy is inhumane and detrimental towards one’s mental health and self-esteem. Bernama pic
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KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 A coalition of local civil societies has today slammed religious affairs minister Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad’s insistence to table a law amendment that would provide for harsher punishments against Shariah offences to target the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
Harsher punishment proposed in Act 355 amendments will lead to further discrimination against LGBTQ community, says group thestar.com.my - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestar.com.my Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Providing
informed consent means that both parties have all the relevant information and are operating at the same level of understanding. For example, if one party lies about using contraception or having a sexually transmitted disease, and the other party only consents based on this lie, this does not constitute informed consent.
Consent should be
enthusiastic, meaning it takes the form of an active ‘yes,’ rather than silence or uncertainty. This element is particularly important when evaluating evidence in cases of rape and sexual assault, since too often the standard considered is whether there are signs of physical protest or struggle. Given that there are many reasons a person may not physically or even verbally protest including shock and fear the focus must be on proof of enthusiastic and affirmative consent, rather than proof of resistance.
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