"We are here because we are concerned about marriage and about family," the cheering crowd was told

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, February 9 (IslamOnline.net) - Malaysians urged the United Nations not to issue a resolution recognizing the rights of gays and Lesbians, including that to marriage, saying Muslim countries should derail any vote on sexual human rights in the world organization.

Protests against gay marriage were also held in Boston, with American demonstrators building support for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

“The new resolution that would force Malaysia and Muslim countries to accept and legalize gays and lesbians is an offence to Islam and to Muslims,” Amina Salim, a lecturer in a local University in Penang told IslamOnline.net Monday, February 9.

The Human Rights Commission is scheduled to meet March 15 to April 25 in Geneva, Switzerland, to debate on the issue after a U.N. vote on homosexual rights was derailed by disapproving Muslim countries last year.

If approved, the resolution would classify abuse on the basis of sexual orientation as human rights violation.

The idea that the resolution would have to be followed by member states triggered uproar in the predominantly-Muslim country, which does not recognize sexual relations between males.

"The municipal or domestic laws of a nation should not be dictated by the U.N.'s mechanism of laws, unless the former wants to comply," Dr Rais Yatim, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said in statements by Bernama.

The historic resolution on "human rights and sexual orientation" was originally tabled by Brazil at the U.N. commission on human rights, in Geneva, with the support of 19 other countries including Britain.

It calls on all U.N. member states to promote and protect the human rights "of all persons regardless of their sexual orientation".

But the sentiments are anathema to many U.N. states; almost half outlaw gay sexual relations and more than 70 countries keep a total ban on homosexuality - in some cases it is punished by death, the Guardian had reported.

At the 2003 session, Pakistan distributed a memo to commission members on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference which stated the "resolution directly contradicts the tenets of Islam and other religions," and its approval would be "a direct insult to the 1.2 billion Muslims around the world".

Ill-Advised

Malaysia considers the U.N. has been ill-advised over the new resolution, saying that it, if approved, could be interpreted as U.N. intervening in a nation's sovereignty.

"We will have to see first how the contents of the resolution are written," Yatim, a law expert, told IOL.

Many in the streets of Kuala Lumpur believe that Muslim countries will ‘kill’ the resolution, and that many Christian nations too would not approve of such a resolution.

“That is an attempt to put pressure on Malaysia to open its borders to all sorts of illicit activities,” Ismael Abdad, a shop owner, told IOL.

“We must pray that the U.N. fails in its attempt to impose the acceptance of such things as gays and lesbians in our Muslim society,” said Ida Diana, a student at the University Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

“There are many such people in Malaysia, that is true, but to go to the extent of a resolution and force a country to adopt a certain law regarding these people is horrible," Diana said.

“There are many things happening around the world and the U.N. is helpless about them. Yet they want to be the big shot in lesbianism?” asked Ida said.

Nevertheless, the resolution have support – although scant – in Malaysia.

On February 3, a Malaysian member of parliament (MP) urged that transvestites' activities should be legalized and regulated to create a healthy entertainment industry.

More Opposition

Opponents in other world parts, however, have a much louder voice to stand against the legalization.

In Boston, American opponents of same-sex marriage chanted Sunday at a rally to build support for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, press reports said.

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston said the rally was not about "hatemongering," as some critics have charged.

"We are here because we are concerned about marriage and about family," he told the cheering crowd.

"Good strong marriage and family are good for our country, for society," he added.

Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court ruled 4-3 in November that same-sex couples had a right under the state constitution to the benefits of marriage, Associated Press reported.

This past week, it ruled by the same margin that only marriage — not civil union — would satisfy its initial decision, it added.

Boston lawmakers will consider a constitutional amendment this week that would define marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

In February 8, claiming it is "not a law of intolerance," Ohio Gov. Bob Taft signed one of the country's strictest same-sex marriage bans into law.

Protests had also flared across the world to ban any legalization of gay marriages.

In Paris, tens of thousands of people had taken part in a march to demonstrate their opposition to government plans to introduce a new status for unmarried couples, whether of different sexes or the same sex.

The protestors claim that the legislation opens the way to marriage for homosexuals and the right for same-sex couples to adopt children.

The protest also enjoyed the backing of Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders, all of whom fear that the institution of marriage is being undermined.

Gay groups claim, however, that Last year's resolution had the support of Canada, New Zealand and several European Union countries.

This year, key countries, the homosexual-rights groups urged to lobby for the resolution, include South Africa, India, Costa Rica and the United States.