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Gay Marriage Report Fabricated
Kashmir Khan Afridi
Publishing Date: Friday, October 7 2005
Terming as baseless and fabricated the reports published in media about "gay marriage" in remote Tirah valley of Khyber tribal agency, the two persons accused of entering into the most controversial agreement, said it is the propaganda of their tribal rivals. A jirga of the elders of Afridi tribe and religious figures held in Tarkho Kas area of remote Tirah valley Thursday chaired by Haji Namdar Khan. Noted chieftains from Mehraban Kalay, Langrosa, Spin Drang, Tarkho Kas and Tirah Maidan attended the tribal council, tribal sources said.
"Both Markeen Afridi and the Afghan national Liaqat Ali appeared before the jirga and stated on oath that they did not entered into the most talked about "gay marriage". They told the jirga that the propaganda had been circulated by their tribal rivals only to defame them," the sources further informed. Both were summoned to jirga as per tribal traditions and customs. They were asked to clarify their position on oath.
Markeen, hailing from a dominant Afridi tribe, uses to transport goods to the inaccessible Tirah valley on mule and donkeys. Liaqat also does the same business. Both are married persons and have kids, according to tribal sources. Meanwhile, Shah Hussain, Markeen's father spoke to reporters in Bara on telephone from Tirah and defended his son. "My son is a mature person. He runs the business of mules and donkeys and uses to transport goods to the inaccessible mountainous region," he said.
"Our enemies have spread the rumour only and only to defame us. The people of this area cannot think of samesex marriage. There is no concept of this practice here," he explained. Commenting on media reports he said, 'At least they should confirm this before publishing it. The news has not only hurt me and my family but the whole tribe."
Hussain said the fabricated news of gay marriage was so skilfully propagated as that of the hoax call of earthquake, which had spread across the whole province. "It was as baseless as that of "tsunami"," remarked the tribal man. A local Urdu daily reported on Wednesday that a 42year old Afghan national Liaqat Ali contracted marriage with Markeen Afridi, 16. The report was also endorsed by BBC. It reported that the "marriage" was held in a proper ceremony in which loud music was played and guests were served with lavish feast. Friends and relatives of the groom fired in the air to celebrate the marriage.
It quoted a local Millat Khan as saying: "I attended the wedding ceremony unaware of the fact that it was a gay marriage. I thought it was a malefemale marital ceremony not of two men." Sources further said the jirga thoroughly discussed the media reports. After detailed deliberation the jirga could not trace the tribesman Millat Khan, who was quoted by the BBC and termed if a fictitious character. "If any person naming Millat Khan exists he should appear before the jirga and produce evidence of the marriage happened there," the jirga pronounced.
The jirga also rejected the reports whereby it was stated that drums were beaten in the ceremony and people were served lavish feast. "People can hardly arrange traditional music programs in the valley. It is more than impossible to see musical band in a marriage ceremony," the sources quoted a member of the jirga as saying.
Original Report by BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4313210.stm
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