Jakim goes on gay-bashing spree this Valentine’s

The religious body says no one is born gay so encouraging their sexual orientation is a violation of ethics.

KUALA LUMPUR: While most people professed feelings of love on Valentine’s Day, Jakim chose instead to pummel homosexuals with a pamphlet condemning their lifestyle and highlighting their many unappealing traits.

The flyer entitled “10 myths about homosexuality” highlighted a series of so-called facts about homosexuals that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) reinforced with a Quranic verse on committing illicit sex and evil, the Malay Mail Online said.

Among the “myths” were Jakim’s belief that no one was born a homosexual, thereby making those who prevented their change back to heterosexuality as committing an “ethical violation”.

They also said homosexuals were more likely than heterosexuals to contract sexually transmitted diseases, suffer mental illness and indulge in substance abuse.

The pamphlet, which is being circulated online, also said, “Homosexuals are less likely to enter into a committed relationship, less likely to be sexually faithful to a partner, even if they have one, and are less likely to remain committed for a lifetime, compared to heterosexuals”.

Higher rates of domestic violence compared to heterosexual married couples was also highlighted among the 10 myths.

Going against the commonly held belief that homosexuals were discriminated against in society, Jakim said this was not true as homosexuals were better educated than heterosexuals.

The contents of Jakim’s pamphlet is very similar to that issued by the Family Research Council (FRC), an American conservative Christian lobby group that is against gay rights, abortion, divorce, embryonic stem-cell research and pornography.