Outrage slams mayor’s defence of extremist

Gay activists have again condemned London mayor Ken Livingstone after he defended extremist Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Livingstone made the comments in the Morning Star after he was criticised in the press for inviting him to a conference in City Hall earlier this month. In the article, the mayor claims that al-Qaradawi does not advocate killing gays. In fact he has spoken out against vigilante action against gays and lesbians saying “Muslims have no right to punish homosexuals or mistreat them as individuals”.

But he has backed official execution saying “any punishment was a matter for the state, and Muslims were subject to those laws”. Some are concerned that left-wing politicians are so desperate to woo Muslim fundamentalists that gay rights will be pushed down the agenda.

Brett Lock of direct action group Outrage said: “Ken Livingstone has done great work for the gay community but by rolling out the red carpet for al-Qaradawi he is siding with an oppressor of gay Muslims in Britain and throughout the Islamic world. “In the name of fighting Islamophobia, the mayor is colluding with homophobia. He seems to be downgrading the rights of lesbians and gay men in order to appease Muslim fundamentalists.”

Faz Mahmood, chair of gay Muslim group Imaan, previously called al-Fatiha, contacted Livingstone as soon as they heard al-Qaradawi was being invited to Britain. Mahmood said: “We see him on some issues as being moderate but on some issues as being extreme. As far as sexuality is concerned his views are extreme because he believes that the punishment for a man or woman who is homosexual is death.” Mahmood believes that Livingstone should make more effort with genuinely moderate Muslims to show them support. But Imaan is hoping to persuade al-Qaradawi to come to a conference on homosexuality which they are organising in the hope of changing his mind.

“There is no harm in trying,” Mahmood said.