Islamic cleric defends gay execution comments, says Orlando gunman was an 'animal'
A controversial Islamic scholar who was filmed preaching that homosexuals should be executed has defended his comments before leaving Australia, saying they were said in an academic context and that he sends his sympathies to the families of the Orlando massacre victims.
In an interview with ABC, Dr Farrokh Sekaleshfar, a British-born Shi’a Muslim preacher, clarified the comments related to a scenario in a country which abided by the law of Islam.
"When does this question of death theoretically arise? It arises in particular scenario and it's such a small probability that I've never even heard of such a scenario arising, where in such a country, with such a mandate, where the rule of law is Islam, there where homosexual couples … commit anal copulation in public — no-one does that," he told Lateline.
Dr Sekaleshfar denied his comments could be seen to justify Orlando gunman Omar Mateen's killing spree, adding that ISIS sympathisers are 'criminals'.
"No speech, especially when you're not inciting any hatred and it was given three years ago, that would never lead to such a massacre," the sheikh said.
"That animal, they are connecting me to him [Omar Mateen]. Not at all. He was an ISIS sympathiser, a follower of Baghdadi, these people are criminals."
Dr Sekaleshfar left Sydney on Tuesday evening following reports the federal government were going to look at his visa.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters that he had ordered an urgent review of the Sekaleshfar's visa, saying that Australia has a "zero tolerance for people who come to Australia to preach hatred".
It comes as video surfaced of the Islamic scholar giving a sermon to Muslims in Orlando telling them to "execute" homosexuals months before the deadly massacre took place.
The controversial Sheikh had been visiting Sydney and gave six lectures in a week at the Imam Husain Islamic Centre located in Earlwood.
He arrived Australia on June 7 and was expected speak for the entire month on the topic of "Stories of the Quran and testaments of the Mystics".
Videos showing Sekaleshfar's opinions on homosexuals were captured during an hour-long presentation by the Students for Academic Awareness group that took place at the University of Michigan in 2013.
In the videos, Sekaleshfar gave a sermon addressing the topic of “phenomenon of homosexuality" claiming that their punishment should be “death" and Muslims should "get rid of them” out of “compassion.”
Portions of this university sermon were recorded by WFTV and have since been re-uploaded to YouTube by Islamophobic group, The United West.
“Death is the sentence. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about this. Death is the sentence,” Sekaleshfar says in the video.
“We have to have that compassion for people. With homosexuals, it’s the same. Out of compassion, let’s get rid of them now.”
Throughout the sermon, Sekaleshfar states that homosexuals can be forgiven and says that “executions” should only take place in countries where Islamic law exists.
Sekaleshfar reportedly gave a similar speech at the Husseini Islamic Centre near Orlando located about 32 kilometres south of where the massacre took place months prior to the massacre.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten says he doesn't know how Sekaleshfar was given a visa.
"This person, in my opinion is not welcome in Australia," Shorten said.
The Sheikh told 7 News reporter Bryan Seymour that he supported the death penalty for convicted homosexuals because they "stain the souls of those witness them."
Sekaleshfar also said that homosexuals "deny women their natural role in life," which is to have relations with men and claims the best thing to do is to "put them to death".
The Sheikh claims the hatred for gay people is driven by a love for mankind.
