The Muslim Association of Malawi has called for homosexuality to be made a capital crime in the face of efforts to decriminalize homosexuality in the Southeast African nation.

Malawian President Joyce Banda pledged to decriminalize homosexuality on taking office in May of 2012 but later backtracked – saying it was up to the people of her country to decide the issue.

Malawi’s Government said in November of 2012 that it would not enforce its law criminalizing gay sex with up to 14 years in jail so that debate could occur but it appears the country’s Muslim minority is now pushing back against efforts to strike the offense from the criminal code.

Malawi is a majority Christian country but Muslims make up roughly a quarter of the population.

In an unprecedented move UNAIDS announced in January that it would join with Malawian human rights activists in challenging the country’s colonial era law banning gay sex and the matter is to be heard in Malawi’s High Court on 17 March.

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