Wednesday, July 7, 2010

INTEGRITY RESPONDS TO ERRONEOUS STORY FROM UGANDA


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2010

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo--recently returned from his seven-week speaking tour of the United States and Ireland—today issued a public statement on recent reports that the headless body of an Integrity Uganda member had been found in Uganda…
"I have never worked with anyone who goes by the name Pasikali in my organization. I also did not make any comments as quoted in earlier statements made by Rev. Erich Kasirye. Rev. Erich Kasirye no longer has any legitimate connection to Integrity Uganda and the e-mail address integrityuganda@yahoo.com is no longer available as a link to the leadership of Integrity Uganda."
The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle, Integrity USA's Vice President for National and International Affairs added, "This story is a wakeup call for all of us to ensure that something like it will never actually happen. The climate of fear and intimidation created by the Bahati Bill by external organizations like Exodus International and religious leadership in Uganda has increased the potential for violence against the LGBT community and their families. As we all painfully learned in Rwanda, the dehumanizing of one part of the population occurred over years of scapegoating long before the genocide occurred. Religious leaders were unfortunately part of a conspiracy of misinformation that created the crucible of hatred that gave license to destroy innocent human beings on a mass scale. We cannot allow the rhetoric of misinformation and misinterpretation of Holy Scriptures to justify hatred and fear towards our fellow human beings. The genocide begins when we hear of human slaughter and not only do nothing about but may secretly feel it is somehow deserved. By then, we are already on the slippery slope. Jesus warned us to pay attention to what is going on in our hearts and our intentions as if they are reality. Although this story was imagined, it is a wake-up call to the climate that we have all somehow created and all have a responsibility to repair."

Ogle concluded, "One thing I have learned from this unfortunate incident is there is an urgent need to provide our Ugandan brothers and sisters with adequate technology and communications systems so stories like this can be more quickly verified and appropriate action taken. I encourage everyone to assist us in these efforts by contributing to Integrity USA's Hopkins Fund."

Online donations to the Hopkins Fund can be made at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=30549. Checks can be mailed to Integrity USA, 620 Park Avenue #311, Rochester NY 14607.

Press contact:
Louise Brooks
Director of Communications, Integrity USA
tvprod@earthlink.net
626-993-4605

1 comment:

Leonard said...

Rev. Erich Kasirye, is a self-fundraising shabby scam man...he's been pulling off his anti-gay capers for years from Uganda and Orombi believes him to be repentent of previous indescretions (and flat out lies)...I think Erich, and the archbishop henry, are on the same level in most every unethical/doubletalking thieving way.