The gay pressure group Outrage has claimed that its leaders have received death threats from Islamic extremists:

‘Peter Tatchell, the leader of OutRage; Brett Lock its campaign co-ordinator; and Aaron Saeed, the organization's spokesperson on Muslim affairs, have been warned they will be murdered, Tatchell said Monday. In a statement Tatchell said that they have been told they are on a "hit list" and are going to be "beheaded" and "chopped up", in accordance with "Islamic law". ‘The threats apparently began soon after OutRage stepped up its campaign in defense of LGBT Muslims, including gay Muslims fleeing attempted "honor killings" in Algeria, Iran Palestine and in the UK. Tatchell said that since early April, Islamic fundamentalists have made various attempts to track his movements - posing as journalists, police officers and representatives of the Muslim Council of Britain.’

Tatchell is prone to making somewhat wild statements, but in the circumstances this should not be ignored. Although I have my differences with the gay rights lobby, such a threat to gay people is all too real. All of us who are targeted by this terror must now stand shoulder to shoulder in the great fight to defend our society against it.

Posted by melanie at July 24, 2005