21Days 13Hours 24Minutes 08Seconds

Until Eid Starts
(subject to change)

4th December 2000

The Muslim Council of Britain today strongly criticised the British government for its use of the controversial Parliament Acts to pass the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill which lowered the age of consent for homosexual acts from 18 to 16 years. It is outraged that such rarely used procedure is invoked in respect of a moral, conscience and religious issue. .

“The 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts were not meant to be used to steamroll through controversial policies which are opposed by the vast majority of the electorate. In their misguided determination to prove that both heterosexual and homosexual orientations are equal, the government has put itself at odds with the majority of the British people,” said MCB Secretary-General Yousuf Bhailok.

The MCB noted that all the leading religious institutions in the country had been united on this issue with concerned family groups in opposing the government’s move. The government has previously suffered defeats in the House of Lords in respect of “Section 28” and “The Learning and Skills Bill” which both promoted homosexuality. Mass public opinion is against these so-called “equalising” measures, and it is an abuse and disregard of our democratic and parliamentary procedures.

The MCB commended Baroness Young for her courageous and exemplary stand on this issue.

December 4, 2000 in Press Releases
Ramadan 2024: Future First