Madonna condemns Malawi over jailing of gay couple
AFP
BLANTYRE- Pop superstar Madonna said Saturday she was "shocked" at the sentencing of a Malawian gay couple for 14 years for sodomy, after they held the African country's first same-sex wedding.
Madonna, who has adopted two children from the poor nation and runs several charity projects here, said the imprisonment of Steven Monjeza, 26, and his 20-year-old partner Tiwonge Chimbalanga was a violation of basic human rights.
Madonna speaks to her adopted daughter Mercy James during the brick laying ceremony at the 'Raising Malawi Academy for Girls' in Chinkhota, in April 2010.
"As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, colour, religion, or sexual orientation," said Madonna, who is building a 15-million-dollar academy for girls in Malawi.
"This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved."
She urged "progressive men and women of Malawi -- and around the world -- to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all."
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