LONDON, January 4, 2006  –  It is sad to see the leader of the Muslim community attacking the gay community, Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights group OutRage! said today following comments made yesterday by a Muslim leader on BBC Radio.

“We share a parallel experience of prejudice and discrimination,” Mr. Tatchell pointed out.  “Victimisation of Muslim people is wrong, and so too is the victimisation of gay people.

“Instead of sowing division and promoting homophobia, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) should be working with gay organisations to challenge the twin evils of homophobia and Islamophobia,” he suggested.

Mr Tatchell was responding to anti-gay comments made by Sir Iqubal Sacranie, the leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, on BBC Radio 4’s PM Programme, yesterday (January 3).

Sir Iqbal told the programme that homosexuality is “harmful” and “not acceptable”.  He suggested it was immoral and spread disease.

Implying that being gay is a sickness, he said homosexuality is linked to “other illnesses and diseases.”

Mr Tatchell expressed concern that the MCB had long campaigned in support of discrimination against lesbians and gay men:

“On every recent gay human rights issue, the MCB has campaigned in favour of discrimination,” Mr. Tatchell said.  “It opposed an equal age of consent, partnership rights for same-sex couples and the outlawing of homophobic discrimination in the workplace.  The MCB also backed the retention of Section 28 and a ban on gay couples fostering or adopting children.”

Resorting to inflammatory language barely distinguishable from the homophobic tirades of the BNP, news releases on the MCB website condemn same-sex relationships as “offensive”, “immoral” and “repugnant”.

“While demanding rights for Muslims, the MCB wants to deny rights to lesbian and gay people – both Muslim and non-Muslim,” Mr. Tatchell said.

“It sees no double standard or inconsistency in its selective approach to human rights,” he added.

“OutRage! has written to Sir Iqbal Sacranie several times, urging dialogue to explore our common interest in defending the human rights of both our communities.  We suggested working together to eradicate the twin hatreds of Islamophobia and homophobia. Sir Iqbal never replied to our letters.

"OutRage! recognises the shared humanity of all people everywhere.  We endorse the MCB’s concern about the abuse of Muslims in Palestine, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq and in Britain.  But our solidarity with Muslims has been repaid with only hostility and prejudice from the MCB.

“Tolerance is a two-way street,” Mr. Tatchell insisted.

“How can the MCB expect to secure respect for Muslims when it shows such obvious disrespect to other people because of their sexual orientation,” he queried?