Peter Tatchell & gay rights group OutRage! today issued a warning that Islamic fundamentalists pose a significant threat to gay people and venues. Urges venues to increase security in the wake of 7/7 bombings.
From: 'OutRage!News Service'
Terrorist danger to gay venues
"Increase security," urges OutRage!
Gays get death threats from Islamists
London - 18 July 2005
"Gay venues could be bombed by Islamic terrorists. All gay bars and
clubs should introduce bag and body searches. Muslim fundamentalists
have a violent hatred of lesbians and gay men. They believe we should
be killed. Our community could be their next target. This is no time
for complacency."
The grim warning comes from Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights
group OutRage! in the wake of the 7 July terror attack on London.
Three of OutRage!'s leading members have received repeated death
threats from Islamic fundamentalists in recent weeks and months.
Peter Tatchell, OutRage! campaign coordinator Brett Lock, and gay
Muslim and OutRage! spokesperson on Muslim affairs, Aaron Saeed, have
been warned they will be murdered.
Tatchell, Lock and Saeed 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 began soon after OutRage! stepped up its campaign in
defence of gay Muslims, including gay Muslims fleeing attempted
"honour killings" in Algeria, Iran, Palestine and in the UK.
The threats have been reported to the police. Officers have identified
the phone number but have been unable to trace the owner, as it is a
pay-as-you-go mobile phone.
The same Islamic fundamentalists have also threatened "attacks" on the
whole gay community: "Just you wait, you'll see", they warned Peter
Tatchell in a chilling late night phone call. The caller said: "We are
going to punish you all…The punishment for sodomy is death."
"If the terrorists want to attack the gay community, they may well
attempt to detonate a bomb in a crowded gay bar, restaurant, club or
community centre," according to Brett Lock.
"We also urge extra security and special vigilance in gay areas like
Canal Street and Old Compton Street, and at up-coming, publicly
advertised gay events like Big Gay Out and Soho Pride.
"Since early April, Islamic fundamentalists have made various attempts
to track the movements of Peter Tatchell, variously posing as
journalists, police officers and representatives of the Muslim Council
of Britain.
"Because of previous murder plots, enhanced security checks and
restricted access to Mr Tatchell have thwarted these attempts.
"The bombings on 7 July are unlikely to be the last.
"Security chiefs suspect there are other Islamic terrorist cells in
the UK. When the bombers strike next, they may not attack the public
transportation system. They will probably change targets to avoid the
enhanced surveillance on the bus and tube network. They may strike
outside of London.
"Liberal Muslims, Jews and gay people are possible targets for future
attacks. All gay venues throughout the country should install CCTV and
search everyone who enters.
"In April 1999, OutRage! issued a similar warning after the Brixton
and Brick Lane bombs, advising that gay venues could be targeted and
urging increased security. The OutRage! warning was mostly ignored.
Five days later, neo-Nazi David Copeland exploded a bomb in the
Admiral Duncan gay bar in Soho, killing three people. It would be very
foolish to ignore the possibility of Islamists bombing a gay bar or
club," said Mr Lock.
ENDS
Further information: Peter Tatchell, OutRage! 020 7403 1790
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terrorist danger to gay venues
"Increase security," urges OutRage!
Gays get death threats from Islamists
London - 18 July 2005
"Gay venues could be bombed by Islamic terrorists. All gay bars and
clubs should introduce bag and body searches. Muslim fundamentalists
have a violent hatred of lesbians and gay men. They believe we should
be killed. Our community could be their next target. This is no time
for complacency."
The grim warning comes from Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights
group OutRage! in the wake of the 7 July terror attack on London.
Three of OutRage!'s leading members have received repeated death
threats from Islamic fundamentalists in recent weeks and months.
Peter Tatchell, OutRage! campaign coordinator Brett Lock, and gay
Muslim and OutRage! spokesperson on Muslim affairs, Aaron Saeed, have
been warned they will be murdered.
Tatchell, Lock and Saeed 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 began soon after OutRage! stepped up its campaign in
defence of gay Muslims, including gay Muslims fleeing attempted
"honour killings" in Algeria, Iran, Palestine and in the UK.
The threats have been reported to the police. Officers have identified
the phone number but have been unable to trace the owner, as it is a
pay-as-you-go mobile phone.
The same Islamic fundamentalists have also threatened "attacks" on the
whole gay community: "Just you wait, you'll see", they warned Peter
Tatchell in a chilling late night phone call. The caller said: "We are
going to punish you all…The punishment for sodomy is death."
"If the terrorists want to attack the gay community, they may well
attempt to detonate a bomb in a crowded gay bar, restaurant, club or
community centre," according to Brett Lock.
"We also urge extra security and special vigilance in gay areas like
Canal Street and Old Compton Street, and at up-coming, publicly
advertised gay events like Big Gay Out and Soho Pride.
"Since early April, Islamic fundamentalists have made various attempts
to track the movements of Peter Tatchell, variously posing as
journalists, police officers and representatives of the Muslim Council
of Britain.
"Because of previous murder plots, enhanced security checks and
restricted access to Mr Tatchell have thwarted these attempts.
"The bombings on 7 July are unlikely to be the last.
"Security chiefs suspect there are other Islamic terrorist cells in
the UK. When the bombers strike next, they may not attack the public
transportation system. They will probably change targets to avoid the
enhanced surveillance on the bus and tube network. They may strike
outside of London.
"Liberal Muslims, Jews and gay people are possible targets for future
attacks. All gay venues throughout the country should install CCTV and
search everyone who enters.
"In April 1999, OutRage! issued a similar warning after the Brixton
and Brick Lane bombs, advising that gay venues could be targeted and
urging increased security. The OutRage! warning was mostly ignored.
Five days later, neo-Nazi David Copeland exploded a bomb in the
Admiral Duncan gay bar in Soho, killing three people. It would be very
foolish to ignore the possibility of Islamists bombing a gay bar or
club," said Mr Lock.
ENDS
Further information: Peter Tatchell, OutRage! 020 7403 1790
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments
Hide the following 15 comments
tatchell should be ashamed of himself
18.07.2005 13:52
as such, future attacks are likely to remain focussed on disrupting the running of this country. tatchell is at no more risk than anyone else who lives in london. however, tatchell has a long history of attacking religious minorities, so there is no surprise that he is keen to assist in the latest government-launched witchhunt.
if we want to avoid the tragic events of 7/7 happening again then the solution is very straightforward - change our foreign policy, starting with bringing the troops home. we also need to stand by our muslim brothers and sisters, resisting any attempts by the government, the media, the bnp or tatchell and his entourage to divide our communities and stigmatise an entire religion.
andy in brighton
Rubbish
18.07.2005 14:16
What a load of crap. I didn't think there would still be people trying to push this line. These men were seeking an Islamic Britain, they made no mention of the war in Iraq in their communique
Alan
Well done
18.07.2005 14:41
London man
hold a minute!
18.07.2005 15:20
- its just that the Government doesn't want people putting the two things together!!
The War is coming home.
j.blogs
london man
18.07.2005 15:37
Are you a mainstream muslim, or did Peter tell you what the mainstream view is?
Its about time that Peter stopped thinking that the whole Holy Crusade boiled down to a single issue. If he genuinely stands for human rights then its about time he made some positive interventions instead of singling out homosexuality as the beginning, end and middle of the story.
Its not even as if the Holy Crusaders have a lot of respect for the issue, considering the whole debacle over gay marriage in the US.
ftp
Against Islamophobia, Homophobia, Tatchell and Bin Laden!
18.07.2005 19:02
First they came for the Muslims, but I did not speak out because I was not a Muslim. Then they came for the Gays, but...
Muslims, Lesbians and Gays, and all other oppressed minority groups are going to somehow have to find forms of mutual understanding and unity if we are to survive in this society.
We once did this. Remember? It was called 'the left'. The leaderships of different oppressed sections of society once spoke a common language, whether they were Black or Asian, Lesbian and Gay, Irish Catholic Republicans - a language of liberation.
Now with the retreat of that historic counter-hegemonic bloc called 'the left', seperatists have divided the movement. On the one hand Queer fundamentalists like outrage and Tatchell, and on the other certain Islamicist cults both preach the same story of mutual incompatability.
For Tatchell, oppressed groups like the Palestians first have to be berated for their homophobia, before any solidarity can be offered for their plight. This strident strategy makes any chance of unity virtually nil. It assumes all Muslims will be homohobic. It offers no chance that Muslims, or Palestinians through experiencing open solidarity from Lesbian and Gay activists might become less homophobic.
Now, on to Tatchell's response to 7/7. Here he is basically echoing Blair and Bush, saying the bombs are an attack on 'our way of life', they are primarily motivated by hatred of 'our liberties' etc.
It can not possibly have anything to do with decades of western genocidal policy towards the Middle East, oh no! This last factor must be denied at all costs by those inside the establishment political bubble, including Tatchell.
But even Bin Ladin himself said of the new New York attacks, that if the attack was primarily aimed at 'western decadence' then "why did we not bomb Sweden?".
Now while those in certain militant-puritanical politico-religious sects are undoubtedly very homophobic, the peoples of the Middle East have long had traditions of tolerance for same sex relationships. And people suffering the oppression of western imperialism in Palestine or Iraq deserve the unconditional solidarity of all other oppressed peoples, including us, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.
It would be a mistake for us in the Lesbian and Gay movements be seen to line ourselves up with the imperialist butchers like Bush and Blair.
Let it be known that most Lesbians and Gays were against the invasion of Iraq. That many of us support the Palestinians.
Our movement arose alongside the resistance to imperialism in Vietnam and peoples resistance to racism everywhere.
At the very bith of our movement in the liberation riots of 1969 we took the name GLF - Gay Liberation Front. This was consciously following the footsteps of the Vietnamses NLF - The National Liberation Front, which was so heroically fighting the Americans, and inspired uprisings of oppressed peoples all over the world from Black Power to Womens Liberation.
We will not cringe behind the imperialist armour of the west, seeking special protection from the anger of the oppressed world in the safe arms of their butchers.
Tatchell - Pim Fortune in the Netherlands went from leftist Gay rights proponent to Xenophobic nationalist and let Gay rights become used as a weapon of racist oppression by the establishment!
WE WILL NOT BE SO DIVIDED!
Queer Insurgent Athiest!
Peter Tatchell, the new David Eycke
18.07.2005 19:37
Purple shell suit wearer
.
18.07.2005 22:27
.
but also, of course
19.07.2005 00:23
Queer Insurgent Atheist - Barrykade
How?
19.07.2005 06:52
Qwerty
My Cause, My View
19.07.2005 09:33
It is sad to see how people will use the events of 7/7/7 to push their own agenda.
OutRage! have done a lot of good work towards raising awareness of homophobia - in this country and abroad. I agreed with them when they were pointing out the treatment of homosexuals in Palestine ; because the british Palestine activist comunity is so narrow minded around their single, idealised, issue.
But it seems that OutRage has now fallen in the same pit. They can only view the world through the eyes of Their Issue, relate all events to their issue, and use all events to promote their issue.
The division of "the left" does not come from people critising each other (isn't that healthy?), it comes from single-issue sectarianism ; of wich both the Palestine movements and OutRage! are prime examples.
ghj
And how?
19.07.2005 10:57
Qwerty
Thatchell is right
19.07.2005 12:12
georgie
I'm more oppressed than you are......
19.07.2005 13:45
" Homophobia is in my opinion a more important problem than Islamophobia. You can choose to be religious but you can't choose your sexual orientation. Thatchell is right to point out homophobia wherever it exists and it is a fact that Islamic radicals have a problem with gays"
Is that right georgie?
Do you think that Kamal Raza Butt's killers asked him about his belief system before they killed him?
Should Sikh's be in fear of "revenge attacks" for what happened in London?
If you can live without religion, thats great - but to argue that everyone can is arrogant and ignores wider societal, cultural and family pressures - and is no different to the homophobic argument that people can choose not to be gay.
It's about time that everyone can walk down the street without being attacked because of prejudice........
ftp
It's not an argument
20.07.2005 21:31
georgie