"Why did a few anti-gay stickers in East London provoke an outcry by gay groups, while far worse homophobia passed without protest?" asks Peter Tatchell on New Statesman online. "While bigoted opinions should always be challenged, in most instances only explicit incitements to violence and damaging libels (such as false allegations of tax fraud or child abuse) should be criminalised.
"Moreover, why did the Hasnath stickers provoke howls of rage from the LGBT community, when far worse homophobia in the same area of East London stirred hardly a murmur of protest? I don't recall any campaigns by LGBT groups or anti-fascist organisations in response to the wave of horrific queer-bashing attacks in the East End. Surely this actual physical violence - which left at least one gay man permanently disabled - is much more deserving of protests than a few stickers? Where is the LGBT outcry over homophobic assaults?
"Nor can I remember any protests when the East London Mosque/London Muslim Centre hosted a series of virulently homophobic speakers, including Uthman Lateef and Abdul Karim Hattim. The latter gave lecturers in which he invited young Muslims to 'Spot the Fag'...
"Equally, there were no protests when Abdul Muhid openly incited the murder of gay people in East London and when the Crown Prosecution Service refused to bring him to trial. In my opinion, encouraging murder is many times more serious and dangerous than calling for a Gay Free Zone. Again, no protests by LGBT groups..."
Peter Tatchell concludes;
"Many LGBT campaigners are now terrified of similar false, malicious allegations of racism or Islamophobia..."
But is anyone surprised by that when it has been proven that gay racists and gay Islamophobes have been exploiting this situation?
• The Islamophobia/Homophobia debate continued to rage on over the weekend with more claims - 'Homophobia In Tower Hamlets: How A Small Group Of Bigots Are Trying To Stitch Up The East London Mosque' (Islamophobia Watch) - and counter-claims; 'East London Mosque under pressure over hate preachers' (Andrew Gilligan, Telegraph online)...
• There is an open letter "[Calling] on East London Mosque to Stop Providing Platform for Anti-Gay Hate"
"The East London Mosque claims to have no responsibility over those who speak there. The East London Mosque also claims to be opposed to the 'gay-free zone' campaign and homophobia. We demand that the East London Mosque live up to its stated word, take ownership of its platform and stop allowing its premises to be used to promote gay-hate campaigns...
"We celebrate East London's diverse multicultural communities and affirm the need to tackle all intolerance. Both Muslims and LGBT people - especially LGBT Muslims - know the pain of prejudice, discrimination and hate crime. We stand together with our neighbours, united against all hate. Anti-Muslim bigotry and homophobia have no place in our communities."
Salman Farsi, Communications Officer from the East London Mosque, has responded via The Guardian:
"Any speaker who is believed to have said something homophobic will not be allowed to use our premises, whether that is us organising an event or someone else. As for the condemnation of homophobia, our director has gone on the record on this."
Update: Interesting comment on PT's article on Islamophobia Watch.
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