The Rev. Canon Kapya John Kaoma has written a study detailing the extent to which American leaders from the Christian right have influenced and distorted African politics to encourage draconian anti-homosexual laws in these countries. The report was released by Political Research Associates and can be found on their web-site PublicEye.org.
Father Kaoma, a native of Zambia, is Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church/Iglesia de Cristo in Hyde Park, Massachusetts and a visiting researcher at Boston University School of Theology Center for Global Christianity and Mission.
The report, called Colonizing African Values: How the U.S. Christian Right is Transforming Sexual Politics in Africa is described in PublicEye.org press release like this:
While U.S. Christian Right leaders made headlines when international pressure forced them to retract support for Uganda’s notorious Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, a new report by Political Research Associates shows that U.S. Christian Right groups continue to build organizational strength and campaign to inscribe homophobia and anti-abortion politics in the constitutions and laws of African countries in the years since.
The U.S. Christian Right’s most recent efforts are documented in the new report Colonizing African Values: How the U.S. Christian Right is Transforming Sexual Politics in Africa.
The report authored by Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, an Anglican priest originally from Zambia, investigates the Pat Robertson-founded American Center for Law and Justice, the Mormon-led Family Watch International, and the Roman Catholic Human Life International, as well as a network of Christian dominionists known as the Transformation Movement or New Apostolic Reformation. The report details ACLJ’s efforts to influence the constitution-writing process in Zimbabwe and Kenya, and the anti-LGBT and anti-reproductive justice activities of the other groups in such countries as Uganda, Malawi and Zambia.
Although anti-abortion and anti-LGBT legislation were established by British colonial governments, U.S. Christian Right groups label human rights supporters as “neocolonialists” imposing liberal sexual mores on Africa. Hiding behind African staff, these groups have established local offices and befriended key African political and religious leaders. The charismatic beliefs shared by many African Christians and American religious conservatives has also created an opening for the U.S. right-wing to exploit.
The result of on-the-ground research in four African countries, this report exposes the underlying goals of these organizations and points to who the true neocolonialists are.
Executive Summary here.
Full report here.
AlJazeera has this report. Video below,