Same-Sex Marriages Begin in Britain

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain recognized same-sex marriages at midnight on 29 March 2014, a historic change that many couples did not wait until dawn to celebrate.

The first same-sex marriage ceremonies took place as early as 12:01 a.m. on 29 March 2014. (Photo courtesy of Irish Times)

Around the 1980s, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government passed a law that banned schools and local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality or depicting it as “a pretended family relationship.”

In 2003, Britain repealed that law without the large street protests against same-sex marriage that appeared in France. By 2005, British law provided a civil partnership that provided same-sex couples all legal protections and rights afforded heterosexual married partners, except for the label of marriage.

And in July 2013, Parliament legalized same-sex marriage by a wide margin, with the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron, who stated that no two people should be denied the right to marriage based on their sexuality. Polls demonstrated that two-thirds of Britons—especially young adult Britons—supported same-sex unions. However, BBC research suggested that a quarter of the women and half of the men surveyed would turn down an invitation to a same-sex wedding.

At midnight on 29 March 2014, Britain’s new same-sex marriage law came into effect. Couples began celebrating Britain’s first same-sex marriages within minutes. One marriage, that of Londoners Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sinclair Treadway, included approximately one hundred guests at a town hall in Camden, and concluded at 12:10 a.m. Camden Mayor Jonathan Simpson officiated the ceremony. Adl-Tabatabai and Treadway emerged to loud applause, as well as Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You, Babe.”

“It’s amazing and surreal,” Adl-Tabatabai said. “It did feel like a historic moment.”

“For the first time, the couples getting married won’t just include men and women – but men and men, and women and women,” Cameron said in a statement. “When people’s love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change.”

“What has amazed me is how much of Britain, how quickly, has moved toward backing us on this,” said columnist and former Conservative lawmaker Matthew Parris.

Britain exempted religious groups from conducting same-sex weddings, unless a group chose to opt in. While Quakers and Liberal Judaism have opted to conduct same-sex weddings, the Church of England, the country’s biggest faith, does not conduct same-sex weddings.

“These weddings will send a powerful signal to every young person growing up to be lesbian, gay or bisexual – you can be who you are and love who you love, regardless of your sexual orientation,” said Ruth Hunt, acting Chief Executive for leading gay rights charity Stonewall.

Scottish law will begin recognizing same-sex marriages in October 2014.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera – UK Holds First Gay Marriage Ceremonies – March 29, 2014

BBC News – Swansea and Caerphilly Couples among First in UK to Have Same-Sex Weddings – March 29, 2014

Independent – Gay marriage: ‘When People’s Love Is Divided by Law, It Is the Law That Needs to Change,’ Says David Cameron as First Same-Sex Couples Tie Knot – March 29, 2014

Irish Times – First Gay Couples Marry in UK at Stroke of Midnight – March 29, 2014

TIMES – First Couples Wed as Gay Marriage Becomes Legal in UK – March 29, 2014

Pakistani Christian Receives Death Penalty for Blasphemy

By Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

LAHORE, Pakistan – A Pakistani Christian man has been sentenced to death for blasphemy, in a case which sparked fierce rioting in the eastern city of Lahore last March.

Christian families had already fled when the rioters struck. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

Sawan Masih, a government sanitation worker, was given the death penalty after the court listened to testimony about how he had allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohamed. The 35-year-old Mr. Masih, who has two children, has pleaded not guilty and will appeal to a higher court.

Mr. Masih was part of an altercation between him and two other men in Lahore’s Joseph colony, home to many Christian families, when he was accused of blasphemy.

Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan, where 97% of the population is Muslim.

The police arrested the government worker as word of what had happened spread, a mob descended on Joseph Colony and set fire to scores of homes and two churches. “Sever the head of the blasphemer,” the crowd is said to have chanted.

Several recent cases have prompted international concern about the application of blasphemy laws. However, because of a de facto moratorium on the death penalty, it is unlikely that Mr. Masih will face the gallows any time soon.

Since the 1990’s, scores of Christians have been convicted for desecrating the Koran or blaspheming against the Prophet Mohammed. Campaigners say very often the accusation of blasphemy is used to settle personal grievances and squabbles. Once an accusation is made, it is almost impossible for the authorities to ignore it.

While most of those convicted have been sentenced to death by lower courts, many sentences have been overturned due to lack of evidence. Sawan Masih now has 30 days to appeal.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Sawan Masih: Pakistani Christian gets death penalty for blasphemy – 28 March 2014

The Independent – Pakistani man sentenced to death for blasphemy over ‘Prophet Mohamed insult’ – 28 March 2014

The Telegraph – Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan – 28 March 2014

The Huffington Post – Pakistani Christian Sawan Masih Sentenced To Death For Blasphemy Against Prophet Muhammad – 28 March 2014

 

Kerry meets with Abbas to discuss Middle East Peace Talks

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in order to salvage foundering peace talks that were dealt a new blow when Arab leaders said they would never recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Kerry and Abbas during the peace discussions (photo courtesy of Reuters)

On Wednesday, Abbas spoke to reporters and said he still was waiting to receive a formal framework proposal from Kerry. He said there have been no talks on extending negotiations beyond the April deadline, adding that the coming month would be “a very important period.”

Kerry and Abbas spoke for more than four hours over a working dinner in the Jordanian capital of Amman that U.S. officials said were “constructive.” No other details of the meeting were released.

Kerry flew from Rome to Amman to see Abbas as negotiations approached a critical April 30 deadline for a settlement. The Palestinians have threatened to walk away before then unless Israel releases a group of prisoners, as it agreed to, by Saturday.

Kerry planned further talks with Abbas and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming days.

Wednesday’s announcement by the Arab League, blaming Israel for a lack of progress in the Middle East peace process, put up another roadblock. The communique, issued at the end of a two-day summit, also rejected “the continuation of settlements, Judaisation of Jerusalem, and attacks in its Muslim and Christian shrines.”

In Amman, Kerry met first on Wednesday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II before the dinner with Abbas. Kerry planned his return to Rome on Thursday to join President Barack Obama at meetings with Pope Francis and Italian officials.

The League’s announcement that it would not recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people rejected a key demand of Netanyahu. The Palestinians say such recognition would undermine the rights of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s Arab minority.

Kerry will then join Obama in Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Jazeera-Kerry meets Abbas as peace process founders-27 March 2014

Reuters-Kerry interrupts Rome visit to salvage Mideast peace talks-27 March 2014

U.S. News-Secretary of State Kerry meets Palestinian leader Abbas in bid to salvage peace process-27 March 2014

Washington Post-Kerry meets Abbas as peace process founders-27 March 2014