Gay rights and Muslim rights

[N.O.R.F]

Gay rights and Muslim rights

 

The Muslim Council of Britain's support for the new Equality Act has brought some negative reactions.

 

been a week now since the new sexual orientation regulations came into effect in mainland UK as part of the Equality Act 2006. The Equality Act brought the goal of a fairer society closer by proscribing - for the first time - discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the grounds of religious belief or sexuality.

 

Brian Whitaker noted on Cif last week that the Muslim Council of Britain has "formally declared its support for the new Equality Act", but what has been the response of other UK Muslims?

 

It is still early days, but I wanted to share with you a couple of responses I have received from two British Muslims who were clearly unhappy.

 

The first is from Dr Abdul Majid Katme who sent his complaint to a number of figures in the UK Muslim community, including me:

 

MCB has given in to the homosexual lobby ... A Muslim printer will be taken to court now if he refuses to print a leaflet on homosexuality ... A Muslim owner of a hotel/bed and breakfast will be taken to court now if he refuses to offer a room to two homosexuals to sleep the night together.

 

 

The second response is from a British convert to Islam, Daoud Rosser-Owen, who had also received Dr Katme's email:

 

I agree with everything that you wrote in protest at the caving in of the MCB to the homosexualists' lobby, and I feel that the Christian organisations will certainly feel let down.

 

 

Now, let's just take a look again at the quality of the arguments that have been presented above in opposition to the regulations. The arguments are in fact quite similar to those made by a senior figure from the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship in a letter to the Times a few days ago who called for an exemption to be included in the regulations:

 

The exemption sought by Christians is simply to prevent them being forced to act against their conscience by having to actively facilitate or promote the practice of homosexuality.

 

Such an exemption need not unduly affect the rights of homosexuals. An example would be a Christian who owned a small printing business. If a restaurant owner, who was a homosexual, wanted him to print some menus, he would not wish or be able to refuse on the ground of the restaurant owner's homosexuality. However, if he were asked to print leaflets which promoted the practice of homosexuality he would be able to refuse. The printer is not forced to act against his conscience and beliefs; the client remains free to go to any other printer who does not hold such beliefs.

 

 

You only need to give this scenario a moment's thought to recognise the quite bizarre situations that could ensue if we happened to follow that line of thought.

 

For example, let's go back to our two emailers. How would they respond if, say, a Christian printer used the sought-after exemption to refuse to print a pamphlet about Islam because he did not share the beliefs expressed in it? Or if a Christian hotel owner turned a Muslim couple away because the sight of a lady wearing the hijab was offensive to him? In order to be consistent they would have to accept the right of Christians to discriminate in the services they claim to offer to the public. The Equality Act enables Muslims to challenge these actions on grounds of religious discrimination.

 

Why should gay people be denied similar protection in law?

 

The act does not in any way compel believers to change their views about the practice of homosexuality as being against the teachings of their religion. As the MCB noted in its statement:

 

We affirm our belief that the practice and promotion of homosexuality is forbidden according to the teachings of Islam.

 

 

However, the Equality Act rightly insists that if someone wants to provide goods and services to the public, then they should do so without discrimination on grounds of ethnic background, faith or sexual orientation.

 

CiF

 

Going to be an interesting few years for defense lawyers

[Ms DD]

Comparing Islam to being gay is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

[Johnny B]

^^ And who is stupd enough to support a Muslim "GAY" at the presence of Norf and DD ?

[N.O.R.F]

30 Apr 2007

 

MCB statement on SOR’s

 

Commenting on the extension today of the Sexual Orientation Regulations to cover mainland Britain, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari said:

 

"We affirm our belief that the practice and promotion of homosexuality is forbidden according to the teachings of Islam. However the Sexual Orientation Regulations are not about religious belief but about prohibiting discrimination in the provision of goods and services on grounds of sexual orientation. The MCB stands opposed to discrimination in all its forms."

[ENDS]

 

 

 

For further information please contact the MCB:

The Muslim Council of Britain,

PO Box 57330,

London,

E1 2WJ

Tel: 0845 26 26 786

Fax: 0207 247 7079

media@mcb.org.uk

[N.O.R.F]

Surprise surprise. JB is awake!

[Johnny B]

We affirm our belief that the practice and promotion of homosexuality is forbidden according to the teachings of Islam.

It is in the gray zone and there is a thin line between not promoting and

discriminating, in religious terms the latter almost always equals the first.

Only time will tell if we'll be successful in securing the rights of Muslim Gays,as We've yet to see a 'publicly' Gay Imam.

[N.O.R.F]

It is in the gray zone and there is a thin line between not promoting and

discriminating, in religious terms the latter almost always equals the first.

and your point is?

 

Muslims should not speak out against it in case its taken as discriminating against homos? News flash, we no care!

 

Are you trying to curtail my 'freedom of speach' ya JB? Freedom of speach i'm sure you have used to 'discriminate' against Islam through your non-promotion of it

 

What rights of Muslim gays (yuck) are you talking of JB? They already have their rights in the UK. The same rights as non-Muslim gays (yuckfaxsha)?

 

Your treading on thin ice with your last comment.

 

ps please lets not go around in circles as per usual.

[Yaabka-Yaabkiis]

Yaa Ilaahi

[Faheema.]

Promoting… Discriminating… Accepting. A lot words are being thrown in the air here and whomever it falls onto will construe it their own way. Whichever way you look at it…one thing is clear, homosexuality is prohibited in Islam.

[N.O.R.F]

All i really wanted to discuss was the balance between maintaining our Islamic values and at the same time adhering to the secular laws we live under.

 

Is there scope for such discussion without the usual suspects jumping in and turning it into a pro gay frenzy?

[Faheema.]

Originally posted by Northerner:

 

Is there scope for such discussion without the usual suspects jumping in and turning it into a pro gay frenzy?

No, because you will only attract the usual suspects as the rest of us have a pretty good understanding about the issue at hand.

 

Dadka qaar when it comes to Islam, waa adoo libaax hilib u tuuray,

[Johnny B]

Hmmmm, the usual suspects?

Now i'm very concerned here,What am i suspected for?

eh,skip it , don't bother, i know we pose the wrong questions.

[Zafir]

You're the Kayzer Soze of suspects JB.

[Johnny B]

Originally posted by Zafir:

You're the

Kayzer Soze

of suspects JB.

 

 

ARKDASHHHH ....

[Zafir]

^ I no scared of you.