Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is trying to recover his credibility after inviting hate-preaching Sheikh Shady Al-Suleiman to his end of Ramadan dinner last night.
The appropriately named Sheikh Shady has stated that AIDS “is a divine punishment” for homosexuals and adulterers should be stoned to death.
While Turnbull condemned the sheikh’s comments on homosexuality, these views are pervasive within Islam and it would be foolish and naive to presume that these are simply the views of one lone ‘extremist’ preacher.
In fact Shady is president of Australia’s National Imam’s Council, therefore his remarks therefore not only represents his own view, but the views of Australia’s Islamic leaders. This is confirmed by the fact that Shady has over 21,000 Facebook followers. The very reason Shady was invited to the prime minister’s dinner is because he is a recognised leader and representative of Australian Muslims.
Only a few days ago, another Muslim leader, Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar abruptly left the country after it was revealed that he had said that the compassionate thing to do to homosexuals is to put them to death.
And after many imprisonments, corporal punishments and even death sentences suffered by gay people in even “moderate” Islamic countries – LGBT advocates openly warn their communities of the risks of traveling to Islamic countries. Consider this June 2016 map from the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association showing the countries with the most unsafe and hostile sexual orientation laws (note that ALL dark red places with black warning signs are Muslim countries):
Of course, statements like Shady’s are simply in accordance with Islamic law and do not represent an ‘extreme’ view, but a mainstream one (check out the short clip below:)
It is utterly appalling and self-defeating that our political leaders continue to embrace those who hold to this violent ideology, and then express surprise and concern when their opinions are revealed.
Furthermore, it is high time that such opinions be recognised as the mainstream Islamic views that they are.
