Scottish “Government” bribes Malawi
Fiona Hyslop. If looks could kill. Withdrawing aid from one of the world's poorest countries could.
Last week I wrote to Malawi’s High Commissioner in London in support of his country’s position on homosexuality. Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the homosexual men who staged an ‘engagement’ ceremony a few months ago, remain in custody awaiting a full trial next week.
It looks like the veiled threats from the West of withdrawing aid have begun, at least in the shape of the SNP.
Fiona Hyslop, the external affairs minister, told organisations in Malawi that only those which agree to an equal rights agenda will benefit from the £3m aid package provided by Holyrood every year.
Churches, youth groups and Aids projects that promote a negative message about homosexuality, which is illegal in Malawi, say they will lose out.
How ironic that David Livingstone, and many other missionaries, brought the Gospel to Nyasaland from Scotland and now the Scottish “Government” is basically telling them that if they want their aid they have to renounce their beliefs.
Blantyre was founded in 1876 through the missionary work of the Church of Scotland. Named after the birthplace of Dr Livingstone in Lanarkshire, it is now Malawi’s largest city and has more people than Glasgow.
What a great legacy that is being undermined by the SNP in its bid to look like world leaders in political correctness.
The Rev Maurice Munthali, secretary general for the church’s Livingstonia Synod, said: “If they [the Scottish government] do this, we will lose support in the education sector where they support the Livingstonia University, our secondary schools across the country, our Aids programmes, the Youth Guild and the training of our reverends in Zomba and Ekwendeni Theological colleges.
“We will also lose human resource in the form of doctors and teachers that they send to us through the Church of Scotland. But we will not be subjected to evil because we are poor . . . Scotland should know that we are ready to remain poor over the issue of homosexuals because it is a sin and we stand by what the Bible says.”
If only our governments (Westminster and Edinburgh) had such principles. For a start, we would no longer be a member of the EU: the anti-Christian organisation we are supposed to believe we cannot survive economically without.
Gillian Bowditch writes, also in The Times,
The plight of Steve Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga — the two men involved — deserves sympathy, but holding a nation’s aid budget hostage to a single case is not the way to achieve it. Were a foreign government to use a financial incentive to get us to subvert our legal system, we would call it bribery.
The elites who are re-engineering Western “culture” are doing such a good job that their minions are carrying the beacon of hopelessness to developing countries who dare to want to live how they choose.
In Malawi, President Bingu wa Mutharika has spent £9m on a private jet and £3m on air-conditioned Mercedes. Rather than using aid as a tool for social and cultural engineering, Hyslop should ensure that every penny is spent wisely and every organisation that receives it is transparent and accountable.
This should be our main concern when delivering aid.
As I commented under the Times article: I hope the SNP will reconsider their decision because there is no way on earth I could vote for a party that deprives the poorest people in the world on the basis that they have the same values we had ten or twenty years ago.
I will be taking this up with the appropriate people. Sometimes, blogging is not enough.
The right legacy. St Michael and All Angels Church was constructed from 1888 to 1891 at the Blantyre Mission.
All aid to all foreign countries should be stopped immediately, but not for these reasons. The UK is Bankrupt.
A respectable country like Scotland can do better in promoting human rights in Malawi or all over the world. Freezing aid is not the best solution and not even an option. What the Scottish Govt should know is that Malawi’s judiciary is independent and will not bow down to pressure.
Mr Kumwenda,
Thank you for your comments. It is heartening to know that people in your country are keeping the Faith better than they are doing here.
I am sorry for the intolerance of our Scottish politicians.
Is it just me, or has sin contorted Fiona’s face.
There must be some explanation for it, surely?
Hi Stewart. Can you email me with your business website please. I’ve lost the link and this weather is taking the stuffing out of my saltire.
Ooops also meant to comment on your post. I agree with you. We have no right to interfere with the laws of another country and I’m disappointed the SNP are removing promised aid. If they weren’t prepared to accept Malawian law then they should never have offered help in the first place. Actually I’m angry at this action by the SNP, I didn’t think they would go down this politically correct route which does nobody any good.
Hi SR,
The sewn saltires are here. Bad weather is good for business! I will also email you a discount code.
Yes, and thanks – you being an SNP person. The poison of PC seems to have affected every political party. When someone in the street asks me for a pound for a cup of tea, I don’t question him on his beliefs first. I just give him the money because he needs it.
I have contacted one of my regional SNP MSPs as a first step.
Can I just amend one wee thing Stewart, I’m not an SNP person. I support them because they’re the only party which offers independence but I don’t agree with all their policies. For example the EU. Don’t get me started.
An important difference, Subrosa. Thank you. I used to be for independence, but I feel that the EU has become such a monster that it is better to fight it as the UK, for now. And 85% of my sales are to the rest of the UK! Scotland could be so great as an independent country. What wonderful resources we have been blessed with. If only the right people were in place to fulfil our potential. But instead, we have the Fiona Hyslops, whose love of PC leads to ruin, like the policies of the other main parties.
Don’t get me started!
Subrosa,
Almost all English are more than happy to give ‘independence’ to Scotland, it just seems that the Scottish are unwilling to take it.
The SNP do not offer independence, they offer a breaking of the relationship with England in exchange for the ball and chain that is the EU.
How much better would it be for Scotland to be directly ruled by the EU, as opposed to being run indirectly by the EU, through England?
Why prefer dictatorship from France, than friendship from England?
English Viking – the reason is that most Scots hate the English, either consciously or subconsciously, because of the many many beat downs the Scots received at the hands of the English over the last few hundred years. They have always seen France as allies and English as the enemy even when England has offered them friendship on so many occasions. Racism is so ingrained in Scottish culture they’ll cut off their own noses to spite their faces. It is amazing this union has lasted so long, but Scotland is now on a virtually unstoppable journey to “independence” as Hollyrood slowly but surely sucks power away from Westminster and hands it to Brussels.
JD
Who is this Stewart Cowan? He sounds like a right closet.