Ethiopia’s largest church has condemned the LGBTQ community’s existence.

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which is one of the world’s oldest religious denominations, the LGBTQ community is synonymous with the West and not with Ethiopia or Africa. The church in a statement said the right to various gender identities, what it describes as gender conversion therapy and allowing same-sex relationships leads to complex religious, social and cultural problems.

“The Permanent Synod calls for the faith, culture and ethics that has been preserved with many sacrifices to continue to have its place of honor and by ensuring that sin and evilness is not exposed to this disgusting act,” reads the statement.

“Homosexuality is not at all equal to a normal natural phenomenon that can be expressed by gender rights and it is the spiritual mission of our church to oppose it knowing that this violates the religious, social and psychological assets of our country, the federal government should strongly oppose this,” it adds. “Actions that increase homosexuality, transgender, bisexual sex and so on are all issues and practices that are not accepted in our country by religion, law, social values and ethical guidelines. So, the Permanent Synod calls for them to be clearly stated that we will not accept them in any official relations.”

The church in its statement “strongly warns those who promote homosexuality, spread and do hidden activities to refrain from their actions.” 

Activists condemned the statement.

“Maybe someday, homophobic individuals will understand that one’s sexual orientation can’t be prayed away,” said Mahdi Liima, founder of the Tigray Art Collective, an organization that works in the Tigray region and throughout Ethiopia. “Queer Ethiopians are present in all religions. Surprisingly, I have met many who are active members of their faith and embrace them as beautiful humans.”

Bahiru Shewaye, co-founder of House of Guramayle, said religious leaders have been focused on spreading public paranoia about queerness as a threatening factor for the nation.

“We call on all Ethiopians to really study the pattern here and wake up. The current fearmongering that is being galvanized by religious institutions and their affiliated death apparatus against Zega (an Amharic word that refers to LGBTQ people) or the queer community in Ethiopia is nothing but the usual destruction tactic,” said Shewaye.

The Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia last month issued a scathing statement particularly against the Samoa Agreement, 20-year partnership agreement between some EU and African Union countries that seeks to strength socio-economic and political ties. Ethiopia is among the nations that have signed it.

According to the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, the federal government should withdraw from the agreement because of terms and conditions that seek to uphold LGBTQ rights. 

Religious leaders in recent months have called upon the federal government to ensure it does not consider LGBTQ rights on the basis they are not African and counter with the country’s religious beliefs. LGBTQ Ethiopians have faced increased online attacks and at times even arbitrary arrests.

Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in Ethiopia and are punishable by up to a year in prison. This sentence can reach more than 10 years.