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Egypt’s Grand Mufti Says Homosexuals are ‘Sinners’ But Harming Them is ‘Unacceptable’

August 1, 2016

Homosexuals are not “second-class citizens” and hurting them is unacceptable, despite the fact that homosexuality is a religious sin, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam said. In an interview with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Allam denounced the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 49 dead, saying it is wrong for people to “take the law into their own hands.” “Religiously, [homosexuality] is not an acceptable practice … But we live in a system governed by the rule of law and we have to respect that,” he said. “Even though homosexuality is a sin, this doesn’t give anyone else the right to injure or harm someone else.” He went on to say that the Pope of the Coptic Church in Egypt has also condemned homosexuality as a religious sin to highlight that “Islam is not alone” in condemning the practice. Allam’s comments came in the context of a discussion on moderate Islam, which the Grand Mufti said requires “openness” in order to counteract extremist thoughts and terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State. “The pure and original understanding of faith, which is universal, can meet all the needs…


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