Across the world in all democracies the debate is the implementation of laws, though hardly formulation of laws is questioned. Few decades back homosexuals were considered a curse in Western society, such that it was illegal to proclaim yourself a homosexual in military. Only recently the US government has lifted a ban on homosexuals in the US military. A value cannot be good and bad at the same time. Just like robbery attributes to be a crime, no matter how many days pass and to what extent technological advancement occurs, robbery will still remain a crime.
Thus homosexuality is either right or wrong. If the majority is criteria for legislation than is the majority always right or is it influenced by desires, thoughts and surroundings? Similarly, President Sarkozy congratulated Muslims in Libya while he bans them to pray publicly in his country. This shows that the prime morality in democratic system is interest.
Meanwhile, you find holocaust law for Jews, but Patriot Law for detaining Muslims. Why you ban human cloning and kill humanity when you adhere to freedoms? If secularism respects religious minorities, then why ban them praying publicly?
These contradictions appear because secular system lacks the basis for deciding between right and wrong. Secondly, humans are same, wherever they live; they have same instincts, same biological and physical demands. A Pakistani needs food and water for survival and an American too. Therefore, values aren’t geographical but universal and same for all humans. It’s wrong to change these constants through parliamentarians for a bunch of people.
SAYYED BILAL IMAM
Karachi