Malaysia’s first openly gay pastor says to wed
KUALA LUMPUR: Getting married on the upcoming anniversary of Malaysia’s independence day on August 31 holds special meaning for the country’s first openly gay pastor, who says he is seeking greater tolerance in this Muslim-majority country.
Ouyang Wen Feng co-founded a gay-friendly Christian church in the Southeast Asian nation’s capital in 2007 that has been condemned by conservative religious groups. Homosexuality is punishable in Malaysia by caning and up to 20 years jail.
The 41-year-old Ouyang says he will tie the knot with his American partner, Broadway producer Phineas Newborn III, 47, in a ceremony in New York, which last month became the sixth US state to legalise gay marriages.
”We plan to register the marriage on Malaysia’s National Day on August 31, which means a lot to me,” said Ouyang.
In Malaysia, neither civil nor Islamic laws, which run parallel to each other, recognise same sex unions and the subject remains deeply taboo.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is battling a criminal charge of sodomising a former male aide in a case which he says is a political plot to discredit his reputation among the country’s Muslim majority.
Christians make up about 9 per cent of the country’s 28 million population.
Malaysia’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Jamil Khir Baharom, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, recently described Ouyang’s plans to wed as an example of ”extreme freedom.”
Ouyang was the subject of a string of criticism via emails and comments in the media following the establishment of his church four years ago. But Malaysians in general have not been hostile towards him, he said.
”I am not promoting homosexuality or gay culture but honesty, love, justice,” said Ouyang.
Growing up in a conservative Christian family, Ouyang said he had wanted to be a pastor since he was 12 due to the influence of local church groups.
He worked as a journalist before going to the United States for further studies, and hopes to complete a PhD in Theological Studies from Boston University this year.
Ouyang said he ”came out” in 2006 and published a book about coming to terms with his sexuality.
”A lot of people make the wrong assumptions and stereotype homosexuals, which is why I came out publicly and why I think other gay people should come out as well,” said Ouyang.
He now lives mainly in New York where he teaches sociology and gender studies at two colleges and also serves as the staff pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church, but he returns often to preach at the church he co-founded, which is open to all regardless of sexual orientation.
Ouyang said while he believed many Christians were ”okay” with homosexuality, most church leaders held an opposing view.
”They will say you can’t do this, but my question to them is, do what? I don’t have to do anything to be gay,” he added. (Reuters)
Mum takes son to police for one pound theft
London: A woman in Britain handed over her 14-year-old son to the police after watching him on CCTV stealing a chewing gum packet worth one pound (over $1.5).
The boy, from Sale town of Manchester, was dragged to the Stretford police station by his mother to confess his crime, Daily Express reported.
The teenager admitted stealing the gum from Sainsbury’s in Manchester city centre.
Prosecutor Jo Ingle told Manchester magistrates: “Several images were taken of people running out of the shop. His mum saw them and took him to Stretford police station.”
Dominic Walker, defending, said: “His mother and father were, quite frankly, disgusted.
“He’s not in trouble at school, he realises what he’s done and realises the effect it has had.”
Stating he had limited sentencing powers because the boy was under 15, District Judge Khalid Qureshi said: “I can’t send him to prison because parliament says I can’t.”
The boy pleaded guilty and was awarded a nine-month referral order besides being told to pay 85 pounds. (IANS)
Man held for filming neighbour taking shower
Beijing: A man has been arrested in Shanghai for secretly filming a woman neighbour taking a shower and then blackmailing her, officials said.
Wang Chao faces charges of extortion for trying to get his neighbour to pay 5,000 yuan (around $780), prosecutors told the Shanghai Daily.
Wang, who lived in a rented house with common bathrooms, heard of a nude photograph blackmail on the news and decided to try something similar, they said.
He sneaked into a bathroom and hid his mobile phone, pointing the camera at the shower. He returned after some time and found his phone had recorded a woman showering.
He copied the video on to a disk, wrote a note demanding 5,000 yuan for the footage and sent them to the woman. The woman called the police and Wang was arrested. (IANS)
Chinese man axes wife’s lover to death
Beijing: A Chinese man axed his wife’s lover to death and then hid the body in an electrical substation.
Zhang Jie, 39, from Shanghai’s downtown Hongkou district, appeared in court Tuesday. He was charged with murder.
Zhang, who has been married for 11 years, lost his temper after finding out that his wife was having an extramarital affair with her colleague, Tao, said prosecutors.
People’s Daily reported Jan 27, Zhang repeatedly attacked Tao with an axe.
Zhang told the court that he was so angry that he had no idea how many times he hit the 58-year-old Tao.
“I just wanted to teach him a lesson, I didn’t mean to kill him,” said Zhang.
Zhang then dragged Tao to a nearby substation room and fled. (IANS)
British soldier stole guitar during riots
London: A 20-year-old British soldier, who was in Afghanistan in 2010, has been charged with stealing a guitar during the London riots.
Paratrooper Liam Bretherton was arrested after witnesses told police a man was trying to sell a stolen guitar at a music shop in Leigh town near Manchester, The Sun reported.
The musical instrument was reportedly taken from a music store in the Manchester city centre.
Bretherton was presented before magistrates Friday. He has denied burglary charges. (IANS)
Belgium city biggest cocaine user in Europe
Brussels: The Belgian city of Antwerp is Europe’s biggest user of cocaine, leaving behind London and Amsterdam, a study said.
The research studied waste water of 21 European cities for traces of cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, heroin and methadone. It found that Antwerp’s sewage water contained the highest cocaine level, says Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper.
Antwerp residents also showed a high level of amphetamine and ecstasy use, the report said. (IANS)