Iman Sheik Hussein Halawa, father of the freed Muslim Brotherhood protestor Ibrahim Halawa has stirred some controversy with his recent remarks regarding homosexuality.
Sheik Halawa, Ireland’s most senior Islamic cleric, described homosexuality as “sinful” and reiterated that this is simply the teaching of Islam.
Unlike other religious institutions such as the Catholic Church, mainstream Islamic teaching on homosexuality has not changed in recent times. It is still a criminal offence in most Muslim majority countries and even punishable by death in some.
The left in Ireland, which repeatedly extolls its support for LGBTQ rights, and campaigned so vociferously for Ibrahim Halawa’s has been deafeningly silent in relation to Sheik Halawa’s hateful words regarding homosexuality.
Sheik Halawa is also a senior member in Ireland of the “European council for Fatwa and Research”.
The organization is headed by Doha based cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradwai, who also happens to be a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood and advocate of the death penalty for homosexuality and has been accused of supporting terrorism.