India faith leaders: Anti-gay law must stay

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) — Religious groups in India have warned they will oppose any move to legalize homosexuality as the federal government prepares to hold talks on a law that classifies same-sex acts as crimes.

In his remarks, Kamal Faruqui of India’s Muslim Personal Law Board outlined what he said was Islam’s position on same-sex unions.

“Islam is totally against it. Islam does not allow any unnatural act. No Muslim in the world, let alone India, can ever support it,” Faruqui said.

India’s top Sikh administration echoed similar opposition.

“Homosexuality is unnatural,” said Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, general secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which administers historical Sikh shrines, mainly in Punjab state. “We oppose any proposal to give legitimacy to such acts,” Bhaur added.