California Human Relations Commission to give humanitarian award to anti-gay Muslim

Is that redundant? via IPT’s post on Big Peace: Islamist To Be Given Award By California Human Relations Commission.

He has wished for “the implementation of Sharia [Islamic law] in all areas” of society, said Muslims can never accept homosexuality and predicted God’s wrath on America for its support of Israel.

Now, Muzammil Siddiqi is about to be honored by Orange County, Cal.’s Human Relations Commission. Siddiqi “has steadfastly worked with other faith leaders to build understanding of the great commonality that exists between all religions, despite the political clashes that can drive wedges between them,” an announcement from the board says. Siddiqi is among “amazing individuals and groups who have made extraordinary human relations contributions to Orange County!”

As the Investigative Project on Terrorism’s profile of Siddiqi shows, his views have not always been so tolerant of others.

A year after 9/11, Siddiqi indicated the identities of those responsible remained unresolved. ” It is – the point is that we said – whosoever did it, we condemn it. We did not say it is Muslims who did it,” he told a convention of the Islamic Society of North America in September 2002. “We did not say this and that. But the point is that whosoever did it, it was wrong. And this is a basic point … We cannot say in surety whoever did it or not. But the point is that if the name of Islam is taken, we have to clarify the name of Islam.”

Homosexuals need “to repent, turn to God and take Islam seriously,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2001. “Being gay and Muslim is a contradiction in terms. Islam is totally against homosexuality. It’s clear in the Koran and in the sayings of the prophet Mohammed.”

In an online question and answer session two years later, Siddiqi called homosexuality “evil” and warned that tolerating it begs God’s wrath. “There are agencies and lobby groups that are working hard to propagate it and to make it as an acceptable and legitimate lifestyle,” he wrote. “For this reason it is important that we should speak against it. We should warn our youth and children about the evil of this lifestyle. We should make it very clear that it is Haram and absolutely forbidden. It kindles the wrath and anger of Allah.”

…

It is unknown whether Orange County officials were aware of Siddiqi’s history when they selected him for recognition. It’s also possible that Siddiqi’s views have moderated in recent years, though there is no public record of him recanting.

In a letter to Orange County supervisors, retired law enforcement agent Gary Fouse suggested that Siddiqi “come forward before May 5 and publicly address these charges. If there is a credible explanation for these allegations, or if they are not true, let him make it clear. Then I would not oppose the award. If he cannot explain or refute these concerns, then I see no justification for this honor.”

See our 2008 profile of Siddiqi here. See a full transcript of Siddiqi’s 2000 speech here.

Read it all via IPT: Islamist To Be Given Award By California HRC.