Home Secretary should revoke his visa
London, UK – 6 October 2016
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has urged the Home Secretary to “revoke the visa” of an Islamist extremist preacher who he says “endorses the execution of LGBT people.”
“In a free society, Hamza Sodagar has a right to believe that homosexuality is sinful but not to preach about ways to kill lesbians and gay men. Many people with far less extreme views, who have never advocated violence, have been banned from entering the UK. Calling for death to LGBT people crosses a red line. The Home Office was wrong to grant him a visa and should now revoke it. The cleric should be ordered out of the country,” said human rights campaigner, Peter
US-born radical Shaykh Hamza Sodagar – who has dubbed non-Muslims “kuffars” and released a video detailing “one of five ways” to kill homosexuals – is speaking at the Islamic Republic of Iran School in London. His lectures started on October 4 and run until October 12.
According to a speaker biography, Mr. Sodagar regards himself as a “role model” for “young Muslims all around the world.”
A recent video of the preacher features Mr. Sodagar stating: “If there’s homosexual men, the punishment is one of five things. One – the easiest one maybe – chop their head off, that’s the easiest. Second – burn them to death. Third – throw ’em off a cliff. Fourth – tear down a wall on them so they die under that. Fifth – a combination of the above.”
Watch the video of him saying this.
“The event is being organised by the Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission, which also hosted Mr. Sodagar in 2014. It is a pro-Iranian regime organisation. Iran has the death penalty for homosexuality,” said Mr Tatchell.