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June 16, 2006

UK: Ken Livingstone's Muslim Buddy Makes Another Hate Speech

The Qatari-based Egyptian-born Muslim theologian, Sheikh Yusef al Qaradawi (pictured), is banned from the United States. But this did not stop the odious and hypocritical Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, from praising him as a scholar and humanist on a par with Pope John XXIII, the author of Vatican II.

Livingstone, as we reported last September praised him thus: "Sheik Qaradawi is I think very similar to the position of Pope John XXIII. An absolutely sane Islamist." The mayor also said to a House of Commons home affairs select committee: "Of all the Muslim leaders in the world today, Sheikh Qaradawi is the most powerfully progressive force for change and for engaging Islam with western values."

In July 2004, Livingstone campaigned to allow the Sheikh to visit London, where he preached at the Central London Mosque in Regents Park.

Livingstone also said last year that Qaradawi's views were held by most Muslims. Livingstone received much criticism for his support of the "Sheikh", from Jewish and gay groups. Even though, as head of the now-disbanded Greater London Council (GLC) in the 1980s, Red Ken forced Londoners to accept gay rights and "gay-friendly" policies, his support for the scholar was seen as betrayal by gays, as Qaradawi has long argued for the murder of homosexuals.

Qaradawi has also offended Jewish groups by saying that he supports the killing of Israeli civilians by suicide bombings. Among other things, the daft Sheikh has also railed against Pokemon characters, not because they are so obviously irritating, but because he claims that they promote Darwinism (?).

Though banned from entry to the States, he was a trustee behind the controversial Boston Islamic Society, which is currently involved in construction of the Roxbury Mosque, which when complete will be the largest Muslim building in the northeastern US, with a 125 foot minaret and a 75-foot high dome.

Qaradawi is also the "spiritual adviser" for the news and propaganda website Islam Online, which also advises Muslims on how to take precautions against attacks by Jinns, sorcerers and witchcraft.

Now Qaradawi has invoked more controversy by his latest bout of homophobic rantings, according to Ynet News and Pink News. The speech he made was aired originally on Al Jazeera TV on 5 June, and a full transcript from MEMRI TV can be found HERE.

Qaradawi begins by saying that at the last election, Kerry was supported by "homosexuals and nudists." I am sure Kerry was supported by gays, but nudists? The Sheikh, when asked about how gays and lesbians should be punished, answers: "The same punishment as any sexual pervert - the same as the fornicator".

Fornication ("Zina" in sharia) has various punishments, which Qaradawi lists, such as being thrown froma high place, or burned. He has previously said he prefers to throw homosexuals off cliffs, but here he stated: "The important thing is to treat this act as a crime."

He did admit that: "Lesbianism is not as bad as homosexuality, in practical terms."

He believes that a person who has homosexual tendencies, even if he or she does not act upon them, should still be punished, because "It is a sexual perversion. A perversion cannot possibly be innate."

The interviewer is as homophobic as Qaradawi when he discusses the appearance of homosexuals in Arab films and also in public, showing up at parties "in a loathsome manner."

Qaradawi tries to stop the interviewer getting out of hand, by saying "This is the calamity of societies. When sin and abomination are concealed, they don't cause much harm....But the calamity becomes widespread, when it stops being a secret and becomes public...We are not hostile towards these people. On the contrary, we pity them. But we do not want to give them an opportunity, like the Westerners, who consider this a normal phenomenon, and it has become widespread, I'm sad to say."

Having read the text of the transcript, it is no worse in some ways than some of the condemnations made by Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians.

He is a hateful individual, particularly regarding his previous claims that homosexuals should be thrown from cliffs, and that Israeli civilians are legitimate targets for suicide bombers, but his views on homosexuals are backed up by his religious texts.

I am more concerned by the attitudes of Al Jazeera TV, and I am wondering why former reporting stalwarts of the BBC, such as David Frost and Rageh Omar, have defected to this station. Or is it the lure of Mammon?

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at June 16, 2006 6:27 PM

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Posted by: Rumi_UK at June 28, 2006 1:17 AM

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