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October 26, 2006

UK: Anti-Gay Cleric Was In Muslim Sex Doll Dispute

The news that Arshad Mishabi, a Muslim cleric at the Manchester Central Mosque, was recorded as saying to a local psycotherapist, Dr John Casson, that it was acceptable to kill homosexuals, is not particularly new news. It has been carried by the mainstream media and the international gay press for some days now. Information that a Muslim cleric is a homophobic bigot is so unsurprising that I did not consider it "important" news.

The news of the original conversation between mosque imam and psychotherapist can be found on Indy Media, UK Gay, the BBC, Gay.com, Yahoo News and several other sources. The Manchester Evening News reports that the imam will be clarifying his views this week.

Dr Casson reported that: "He (Mishabi) told me that in a true Islamic state, such punishments were part of Islam if the person had had a trial, at which four witnesses testified that they had seen the actual homosexual acts. I asked him what would be the British Muslim view and he repeated that in an Islamic state these punishments were justified. They might result in the deaths of thousands, but if this deterred millions from having sex and spreading disease, then it was worthwhile to protect the wider community."

The comments came after Casson had read of the case of Mahmoud Asgari (16) and Ayaz Marhoni (18) who were executed in Mashhad, Iran in July 2005. They were imprisoned for 14 months and given 228 lashes before they were hanged. An estimated 4,000 homosexuals have been executed in Iran since the revolution of 1979. In virtually none of these cases have, as Mishabi claims, "four witnesses testified that they had seen the actual homosexual acts". The cases against accused homosexuals in Iran are, like cases of adultery, pushed through as Islamic law even though four witnesses are never called who can validate that they saw the offending acts being committed.

Mishabi's comments have caused offense to the sizeable gay community in Manchester. An article by campaigner Peter Tatchell, originally published in the Guardian "Comment is Free" section stated:

According to an NOP poll for Channel Four's Dispatches special, What Muslims Want, which was broadcast in August, two-thirds of Muslims in Britain oppose free speech if it offends their religious beliefs. They want to make it a crime to cause them offence. People who insult Islam should, they say, be arrested and prosecuted. In other words, they want privileged legal protection against any criticism of their beliefs that they find offensive.

Their aim is to secure a legally-binding veto over what other people, including other Muslims, are allowed to say about them and their faith. Put simply: in the name of being spared offence, they want to censor other people's opinions. Moreover, they are not demanding protection from offence for everyone - only for Islam and other religions. In effect, they are seeking unique protection for believers and their beliefs.

And to illustrate this well-made point, Ayaz Mishabi has been at the forefront of imposing his own "offended sensibilities" onto the world at large. We wrote in February that the Manchester Central Mosque was working itself into a lather about a male sex doll produced by the Ann Summers chain, which can be viewed in its vinyl finery HERE.

The doll was called Mustafa Shag and was advertised as the "ideal escort for your hen-night adventures." A letter was sent from the Manchester Central Mosque, which stated: "You have no idea how much hurt, anguish and disgust this obnoxious phrase has caused to Muslim men, women and children. We are asking you to please relent on compassionate grounds."

No information was given on where children had seen the doll, and the emotive whining from the mosque caused Jacqueline Gold, CEO of the Ann Summers company, to write: "We don't want to offend, but this feels like political correctness gone mad. If anyone has a better name for a blow-up doll, please let us know."

The Manchester Mosque was upset because of the doll's name. 'Mustafa" was a title given to the so-called prophet Mohammed, whose own sexuality is a matter of outrage to any decent person - when he was aged 53, he had sexual relations with a nine year old child.

Ayaz Mishabi was behind the ridiculous complaining about the naming of the Muslim sex doll, and eventually the company succumbed to the emotional blackmail and withdrew the product. In March, Jacqueline Gold stated: "Considering the current climate we have decided to change the name. The new name will be revealed at the end of April. The use of the name Mustafa was simply a play on words. We did not mean any offence by it. It was not particularly aimed at Asian or Arabian women but all women."

She noted that: "When there was some publicity about the doll in London we were inundated by e-mails and calls from women wanting to buy it."

Mishabi responded: "Al-Mustafa means the Chosen One in Arabic. We were first aware of the doll when one of our members happened to have noticed it at one the stores in the Trafford Centre. This has caused many Muslim men and women hurt and disgust at such an obnoxious phrase."

"At first a spokesperson for the chain has said that this was political correctness gone mad. What a thing to say when they know they have hurt religious sensibilities."

Mishabi succeeded in making others aware of how his religion's sensibilities were not to be offended. It is a shame that his religion, which eulogizes a paedophile as the "messenger of God" seems to show no tolerance of anything that does not conform its own twisted ideology. No-one has a duty to like homosexuals. But similarly, no-one has a right to call for their deaths.

It was recently revealed by the Gay Police Association that 25% of all violent assaults on gay people in Britain are carried out by Muslims, who officially comprise only 3% of the population.

Hypocrites like Mishabi who revere a child-molester yet think that their religion is beyond reproach should think first before they speak. Careless comments can only encourage unnecessary violence.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 26, 2006 3:10 PM

Comments

Posted by: StillFedUp at October 26, 2006 4:12 PM

Posted by: Celsius at October 26, 2006 5:54 PM

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