Livingstone thanks anti-gay group for support
OutRage News Service | 04.03.2005 12:07 | Gender | London
StraightWay Foundation backs Mayor - The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is at the centre of a new controversy after revelations that he sent a message of gratitude to an organisation set up to campaign against gay Muslims, in which he says “your support is very much appreciated”.
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is at the centre of a new controversy after revelations that he sent a message of gratitude to an organisation set up to campaign against gay Muslims, in which he says “your support is very much appreciated”.
The Mayor’s “thank you” was in response to The StraightWay Foundation’s support for his embrace of homophobic cleric Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
The StraightWay Foundation, which has links to the Christian fundamentalist “ex-gay” organisation, The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, has published on their website a letter from the Mayor thanking them for their “kind comments” and “support”.
The StraightWay Foundation is a reactionary, homophobic Muslim organisation. It advocates “healing” gay people and converting them to heterosexuality.
It also republishes articles from the Islamic Party of Britain, which advocates the death penalty for public displays of homosexuality,
The StraightWay Foundation wrote to Mr Livingstone expressing agreement with Dr Qaradawi’s condemnation of homosexuality, and thanking the Mayor for inviting the cleric to City Hall.
They also sent the Mayor a document entitled: “Statement on Homosexualist Campaign against Muslim Scholar”. This statement declares StaightWay’s belief that “homosexual relationships go against the natural order and harm both the individuals involved and society at large”. It describes homosexuality as “an affliction”.
“It is astonishing that the Mayor has expressed thanks to an organisation that holds such repugnant homophobic views,” said Brett Lock of the gay human rights group OutRage!.
StraightWay also denounces out and proud gay Muslim groups, such as Al-Fatiha, suggesting they are “twisting Islam to suit their desires”.
On the issue of the death penalty for homosexuality, the StraightWay statement forwarded to the Mayor concedes that scholars differ over the appropriate punishment for homosexuality, but that many state “the death penalty should be applied.” The group have also republished on their website a fatwa by Dr Qaradawi where he explains why the death penalty is justified, together with several similar fatwas from other scholars.
“How can the Mayor offer his appreciation to a group that publicises fatwas urging the execution of queers?” added Mr Lock.
Another article on the StraightWay website states: “not all minorities are oppressed, and some deserve to be dealt with severely.”
“The Mayor apparently has no qualms accepting support from an aggressively homophobic organisation like StraightWay,” said Mr Lock.
“If the BNP had written to the Mayor expressing its support for the congestion charge, I doubt he would have sent back a polite and grateful reply,” he added.
Greater London Assembly members reacted angrily to the StraightWay document. Assembly chair, Brian Coleman, dismissed it as “bigoted rubbish”, while Green Party member Darren Johnson described it as “offensive” and “anti-gay propaganda”.
Mr Johnson added that it was “tragic that organisations are set up with the aim of persuading people to deny their true sexuality”.
Another London Assembly member, Jenny Jones, wrote back to StraightWay stating that she was “extremely alarmed” that Dr Qaradawi “justified the execution of homosexuals and saw fit to denounce homosexuality as evil live on British television”.
In contrast, Ken Livingstone replied to StraightWay effusively: “Dear Mujahid. Thank you for your email and your kind comments. Your support is very much appreciated. Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.”
“Ken has no excuse for giving his sincere thanks and appreciation to these twisted bigots. They are hell-bent on destroying the lives of gay Muslims. Their straight therapy programme causes huge damage to vulnerable individuals who fall into their clutches,” said Mr Lock.
“All the world’s leading psychological experts agree that attempting to ‘cure’ homosexuality doesn’t work and is emotionally, psychologically and sexually damaging,” he added.
Further Information:
The document StraightWay sent to the Mayor can be downloaded from:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/SWF_Statement_17-11-04.pdf
The StraightWay letter to the Mayor, and his reply, can be found on their website here:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/gla.htm
Artcile “The Organised Homosexual Movement - Its Methods and its Goals” by the Islamic Party of Britain, republished on the StraightWay website:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/responses/baron_organised.htm
The Islamic Party of Britain – Death Penalty policy
http://www.mustaqim.co.uk/ipb-archive/question/ans41.htm
ENDS
The Mayor’s “thank you” was in response to The StraightWay Foundation’s support for his embrace of homophobic cleric Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
The StraightWay Foundation, which has links to the Christian fundamentalist “ex-gay” organisation, The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, has published on their website a letter from the Mayor thanking them for their “kind comments” and “support”.
The StraightWay Foundation is a reactionary, homophobic Muslim organisation. It advocates “healing” gay people and converting them to heterosexuality.
It also republishes articles from the Islamic Party of Britain, which advocates the death penalty for public displays of homosexuality,
The StraightWay Foundation wrote to Mr Livingstone expressing agreement with Dr Qaradawi’s condemnation of homosexuality, and thanking the Mayor for inviting the cleric to City Hall.
They also sent the Mayor a document entitled: “Statement on Homosexualist Campaign against Muslim Scholar”. This statement declares StaightWay’s belief that “homosexual relationships go against the natural order and harm both the individuals involved and society at large”. It describes homosexuality as “an affliction”.
“It is astonishing that the Mayor has expressed thanks to an organisation that holds such repugnant homophobic views,” said Brett Lock of the gay human rights group OutRage!.
StraightWay also denounces out and proud gay Muslim groups, such as Al-Fatiha, suggesting they are “twisting Islam to suit their desires”.
On the issue of the death penalty for homosexuality, the StraightWay statement forwarded to the Mayor concedes that scholars differ over the appropriate punishment for homosexuality, but that many state “the death penalty should be applied.” The group have also republished on their website a fatwa by Dr Qaradawi where he explains why the death penalty is justified, together with several similar fatwas from other scholars.
“How can the Mayor offer his appreciation to a group that publicises fatwas urging the execution of queers?” added Mr Lock.
Another article on the StraightWay website states: “not all minorities are oppressed, and some deserve to be dealt with severely.”
“The Mayor apparently has no qualms accepting support from an aggressively homophobic organisation like StraightWay,” said Mr Lock.
“If the BNP had written to the Mayor expressing its support for the congestion charge, I doubt he would have sent back a polite and grateful reply,” he added.
Greater London Assembly members reacted angrily to the StraightWay document. Assembly chair, Brian Coleman, dismissed it as “bigoted rubbish”, while Green Party member Darren Johnson described it as “offensive” and “anti-gay propaganda”.
Mr Johnson added that it was “tragic that organisations are set up with the aim of persuading people to deny their true sexuality”.
Another London Assembly member, Jenny Jones, wrote back to StraightWay stating that she was “extremely alarmed” that Dr Qaradawi “justified the execution of homosexuals and saw fit to denounce homosexuality as evil live on British television”.
In contrast, Ken Livingstone replied to StraightWay effusively: “Dear Mujahid. Thank you for your email and your kind comments. Your support is very much appreciated. Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.”
“Ken has no excuse for giving his sincere thanks and appreciation to these twisted bigots. They are hell-bent on destroying the lives of gay Muslims. Their straight therapy programme causes huge damage to vulnerable individuals who fall into their clutches,” said Mr Lock.
“All the world’s leading psychological experts agree that attempting to ‘cure’ homosexuality doesn’t work and is emotionally, psychologically and sexually damaging,” he added.
Further Information:
The document StraightWay sent to the Mayor can be downloaded from:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/SWF_Statement_17-11-04.pdf The StraightWay letter to the Mayor, and his reply, can be found on their website here:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/gla.htm Artcile “The Organised Homosexual Movement - Its Methods and its Goals” by the Islamic Party of Britain, republished on the StraightWay website:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/responses/baron_organised.htm The Islamic Party of Britain – Death Penalty policy
http://www.mustaqim.co.uk/ipb-archive/question/ans41.htm ENDS
OutRage News Service
e-mail:
media@outrage.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.outrage.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
StraightWay response
11.04.2005 00:44
in amongst its litany of inaccuracies and slander. Here are some
points by way of response:
1. We are not "an organisation set up to campaign against gay
Muslims" - but we are against any attempts to rewrite the Qur'an or
deny explicit prohibitions therein regarding homosexual acts. Among
our membership are same-sex attracted Muslims, who know that Islam
regards them just as highly as anyone else who is sincere in worship
and obedience to God.
2. We do not have "links to the Christian fundamentalist 'ex-gay'
organisation, The National Association for Research and Therapy of
Homosexuality", but we have linked to them on our website and they
have linked to us. That's all.
3. We do not advocate "converting" anyone to "heterosexuality". In
fact, what we say is that a Muslim should seek to enjoy marriage
(with the opposite sex) if that is possible, seeking psychological,
spiritual and practical solutions. Otherwise, he or she should not
resort to anything that is forbidden by our Creator.
4. Yes, we " republishe[d] articles from the Islamic Party of
Britain", and have placed numerous articles on our website from a
multitude of sources. However, our homepage clearly states: "Not all
articles on this site represent the views of the StraightWay
Foundation. Only those written by members do so, whereas others are
provided only due to their containing some useful information or
advice. We do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy found in
such articles." We say "inaccuracy" because our only concern is to
convey honestly what Islam says about such issues - not to please
people of any opinion.
5. It is not true that our document "describes homosexuality as 'an
affliction'". Referring to page 5 will show that that was how we
described same-sex attractions. For any Muslim, these must be an
affliction, since they present him or her with huge dilemmas. The
only options are to abandon the religion, to change it to suit one's
sexual desires, or to realise that faith and obedience to God is the
most important thing in life. This third way is what we advocate.
6. Our so-called "repugnant homophobic views" are what the Islamic
sources teach, no more, no less. This won't please the homosexualist
brigade, but that's not why the Prophets were sent. They often had
to tell their people what they didn't want to hear. Take the Prophet
Lot, for example.
7. Brett Lock asks, "How can the Mayor offer his appreciation to a
group that publicises fatwas urging the execution of queers?" We
consider it merely a matter of courtesy to respond to a lengthy
letter and document expressing thanks for the Mayor's stance. When
we received his response (which was the last to arrive, from those
we received from GLA members), we were disappointed that it had the
tone of a "standard response", which now a mayoral spokesperson has
confirmed it to have been.
8. It's rather rich for OutRage! to use a term like "aggressively
homophobic organisation", when their militancy is beyond limits of
decency. We, on the other hand, merely share the teachings of Islam
as we understand them. New members are joining our support groups
every day, seeking to understand better how they, as same-sex
attracted Muslims, can live healthy, happy and halal lives (i.e.
permitted by God).
9. This one is unbelievable. Lock says: "Their straight therapy
programme causes huge damage to vulnerable individuals who fall into
their clutches." On what information does he base this accusation?
We do not run any "straight therapy programme". We simply advise
Muslims who come to us on how to gain control over their feelings
and actions, while increasing their inner contentment and closeness
to God. We do believe that it is worth figuring out the causes of a
person's same-sex attractions to find whether there are any obvious
ways in which he or she can overcome these unwanted feelings. In
many cases, this simply involves reconciling flawed relationships.
We do not, and have never, advocated any drastic "therapies" that
damage a person, let alone administered such ourselves.
Finally, it is worth pointing out that no matter how hard we try to
have dialogue with homosexualists among Muslims or non-Muslims, it
only becomes clearer that they are not interested in considering any
opinion that contradicts the Western "wisdom" that only solidified
in the last few decades. Nevertheless, we will keep dealing with
these narrow-minded, self-serving cowards with patience, as our
religion urges us to do. We ask God to count us among His sincere
servants, such as those whom the people of Sodom tried to drive out,
crying: "They are people who want to be pure!" [Qur'an 7:82]
We thank OutRage! for including links to our letter and 5-page
document. All we want is for people to reflect and understand.
The StraightWay Foundation
6rd March, 2005
Najm
Sick Group of Retards
10.08.2005 14:37
georgie