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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 6 February 2023
Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws

By NICOLE WINFIELD glican Communion, which
Associated Press includes churches in Africa
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE and the Middle East where
(AP) — Pope Francis, the such anti-gay laws are
head of the Anglican most common and often
Communion and top Pres- enjoy support by conserva-
byterian minister together tive bishops.
denounced the criminal- The broader Lambeth
ization of homosexuality on Conference has come out
Sunday and said gay peo- twice opposing criminaliza-
ple should be welcomed tion, “But it has not really
by their churches. changed many people’s
The three Christian leaders minds,” Welby said.
spoke out on LGBTQ rights The Rt. Rev. Iain Green-
during an unprecedented shields, the Presbyterian
joint airborne news confer- moderator of the Church
ence returning home from of Scotland who also par-
South Sudan, where they ticipated in the pilgrimage
took part in a three-day and news conference, of-
ecumenical pilgrimage fered an observation.
to try to nudge the young “There is nowhere in my
country’s peace process reading of the four Gospels
forward. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, right, Pope Francis,left, and the Moderator of the where I see Jesus turning
They were asked about General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields meet the journalists during an anyone away,” he said.
Francis’ recent comments airborne press conference aboard the airplane directed to Rome, at the end of his pastoral visit to “There is nowhere in the
to The Associated Press, in Congo and South Sudan, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. four Gospels where I see
which he declared that Associated Press anything other than Jesus
laws that criminalize gay 24 comments to the AP accompanies them,” he said. expressing love to whom-
people were “unjust” and and repeated that such added. The Archbishop of Recently, the Church of ever he meets.
that “being homosexual is laws are “unjust.” He also Canterbury, Justin Welby, England decided to allow “And as Christians, that is
not a crime.” repeated previous com- recalled that LGBTQ rights blessings for same-sex civil the only expression that we
South Sudan is one of 67 ments that parents should were very much on the cur- marriages but said same- can possibly give to any
countries that criminal- never throw their gay chil- rent agenda of the Church sex couples could not human being, in any cir-
izes homosexuality, 11 of dren out of the house. of England, and said he marry in its churches. The cumstance.”
them with the death pen- “To condemn someone like would quote the pope’s Vatican forbids both gay The Church of Scotland al-
alty. LGBTQ advocates say this is a sin,” he said. “Crimi- own words when the issue marriage and blessings for lows same-sex marriages.
even where such laws are nalizing people with homo- is discussed at the church’s same-sex unions. Catholic teaching holds
not applied, they contrib- sexual tendencies is an in- upcoming General Synod. Welby told reporters that that gay people must be
ute to a climate of harass- justice.” “I wish I had spoken as elo- the issue of criminalization treated with dignity and
ment, discrimination and “People with homosexual quently and clearly as the had been taken up at two respect, but that homo-
violence. tendencies are children of pope. I entirely agree with previous Lambeth Confer- sexual acts are “intrinsically
Francis referred his Jan. God. God Loves them. God every word he said,” Welby ences of the broader An- disordered.”q

Iraqis protest gender violence after

YouTube star killed

self in to the police. Reports nity and kills her,” protester domestic violence that has
say the father strangled Israa al-Salman told The been lingering in Iraqi Par-
Ali at night while she was Associated Press, who also liament since 2019.
asleep. wanted Ali’s father execut- “Tiba was killed by her fa-
The so-called “honor killing” ed. ther under tribal justifica-
was met with condemna- Article 41 of the country’s tions that are unaccept-
tion from women’s rights penal code allows hus- able,” she told the AP.
groups and residents, who bands to “discipline” their Amnesty International Dep-
sounded the alarm on vio- wives, which includes beat- uty Director for the Middle
lence against women in ings. East and North Africa Aya
Demonstrators hold placards and a poster with a picture of Iraq and the need to re- Meanwhile, Article 409 re- Majzoub said in a press
Tiba Ali, a YouTube star who was recently killed by her father, in form legislation to impose duces murder sentences statement said that vio-
Diwaniya, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.
Associated Press harsher punishments on for men who kill or perma- lence against women and
perpetrators. nently impair their wives or girls in Iraq will continue un-
By ALI ABDUL-HASSAN and strangled by her father, The protesters held banners female relatives because til “Iraqi authorities adopt
SALAR SALIM adding fuel to calls for legal condemning the killing and of adultery to up to three robust legislation to protect
Associated Press reforms protecting women. demanding legislative re- years in prison. women and girls from gen-
DIWANIYAH, Iraq (AP) — Interior Ministry spokesman forms. “There is no honor in Rosa al-Hamid, an activist der-based violence.”
Dozens of Iraqi protesters Saad Maan on Friday an- the crime of killing women,” with civil society group the Diwaniyah’s city police
gathered Sunday to decry nounced that Tiba Ali was one placard read. Organization for Women’s department and hospital
the so-called “honor killing” killed Jan. 31 in the central “Anyone who wants to get Freedom in Iraq urged the administration declined to
of a 22-year-old YouTube city of Diwaniyah by her fa- rid of a woman accuses authorities to pass a long- comment to the AP about
star who was allegedly ther, who then turned him- her of disgracing her dig- stalled draft law against Ali’s death. q