Last Wednesday, Brunei introduced death by stoning as a punishment for having sex as a gay person based on Islamic Shariah law. This law applies to both Muslims and Non-Muslims of the country
Read More about it: Death by stone if you are gay and have sex: Brunei Law
The British military is under immense pressure to revoke the honors given to the Sultan of Brunei, after he implemented death by stoning as a punishment for gay men having sex and whipping any lesbian women having sex.
The Sultan, Brunei's head of state, was made an honorary Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Air Force and an Admiral in the Royal Navy by Queen Elizabeth II.
On Friday, Stephen Evans, CEO of the National Secular Society, demanded the titles be removed so the UK would not be complicit in "medieval barbarism."
Evans told The Observer: "Brunei's deplorable new laws are a breach of basic human rights and contrary to the values that should define British institutions."
"Stripping the sultan of the honors they have bestowed upon him would send out the important message that they do not wish to be in any way associated with this sort of medieval barbarism."
The decision to award the Sultan with the honors was not made by the Queen herself, Buckingham Palace told Business Insider.
The spokeswoman said: "Her Majesty acted on the advice of government in relation to these honorary appointments."
Aberdeen University in Scotland said it was considering rescinding the honorary degree it gave the Sultan in 1995. Kings College London, which also gave him an honorary doctorate in 2011, made a similar suggestion.
Nearly 60,000 people have signed a petition demanding that Oxford University revokes an honorary degree given to Bolkiah in 1993. The university first refused to retract it, but is now reconsidering that move.
A global boycott of Brunei-owned enterprise is underway, with Deutsche Bank, Virgin Australia, and the London Underground all taking action.
Read More about it: Death by stone if you are gay and have sex: Brunei Law
The British military is under immense pressure to revoke the honors given to the Sultan of Brunei, after he implemented death by stoning as a punishment for gay men having sex and whipping any lesbian women having sex.
The Sultan, Brunei's head of state, was made an honorary Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Air Force and an Admiral in the Royal Navy by Queen Elizabeth II.
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| Stephen Evans, CEO, National Secular Society |
Evans told The Observer: "Brunei's deplorable new laws are a breach of basic human rights and contrary to the values that should define British institutions."
"Stripping the sultan of the honors they have bestowed upon him would send out the important message that they do not wish to be in any way associated with this sort of medieval barbarism."
The decision to award the Sultan with the honors was not made by the Queen herself, Buckingham Palace told Business Insider.
The spokeswoman said: "Her Majesty acted on the advice of government in relation to these honorary appointments."
Aberdeen University in Scotland said it was considering rescinding the honorary degree it gave the Sultan in 1995. Kings College London, which also gave him an honorary doctorate in 2011, made a similar suggestion.
Nearly 60,000 people have signed a petition demanding that Oxford University revokes an honorary degree given to Bolkiah in 1993. The university first refused to retract it, but is now reconsidering that move.
A global boycott of Brunei-owned enterprise is underway, with Deutsche Bank, Virgin Australia, and the London Underground all taking action.
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