'The spread of diseases'

Statements like those made by the leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, ‘Sir’ Iqbal Sacrani, are the most telling argument about the level of the people knighted in this country.

As he spoke to BBC Radio 4 on January 3rd, Sir Iqbal Sacrani illustrated the long-standing MCB views that deem homosexuality as ‘harmful’, ‘unacceptable’ and linked with the ‘spread of diseases’, the same kind of 14th century crap that you’d expect to read on BNP leaflets.

But then you stop for a second and think: since the atrocities of 7/7, thousand of people in this country have been bending over backwards to point out that the majority of Muslims are in favour of tolerance, harmony and integration. It really makes you wonder when the leader of a self-professed moderate mainstream Muslim organization preaches intolerance like that.

Simply the other day, one of my colleagues, a Muslim guy you’d regard as being ‘fairly liberal’ candidly remarked that he will never allow his kids (third generation) to date, let alone marry, white people. Had a Christian said that we’d be writing about the Ku-Klux Klan being back in town.

I simply quote the respected civil right activist Peter Tatchell: “Tolerance is a two-way street. How can the MCB expect to secure respect for Muslims when it shows such obvious disrespect to other people because of their sexual orientation?”