Livingstone apologises to Tatchell (sort of)

[xmasdale]

Livingstone apologises to Tatchell (sort of)

Tacit admission that "Islamophobe" claim was unfounded

Mayor jittery that gay vote will desert him?


London – 31 March 2008

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has admitted that he "probably shouldn't"
have denounced gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell as an
"Islamophobe."

His admission came during an interview by Johann Hari, which was
published in The Independent newspaper on 29 March.

See Livingstone's interview here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/im-a-polymorphous-perver t-boris-and-his-mayoral-rivals-make-their-case-for-the-gay-vote-802355 .html

In 2004 and 2005, Mr Tatchell was publicly savaged by the Mayor as an
"Islamophobe" and as having "a long history of Islamophobia" after he
mildly criticised Mr Livingstone for embracing and defending the
Muslim fundamentalist cleric, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Mr Livingstone invited al-Qaradawi to City Hall in 2004 and saluted
him as "an honoured guest".

"Al-Qaradawi is anti-Semitic, homophobic and sexist," said Mr Tatchell.

"He supports terrorism, including terror attacks on innocent
civilians. He advocates the physical beating of disobedient wives,
female genital mutilation, forcing women to wear the hijab and he
blames rape victims who dress immodestly (ie women who are not fully
covered from head to toe).

"He also advocates the execution of lesbian and gay people by Muslim
states, and the killing of Muslims who give up their faith or convert
to another religion," said Mr Tatchell.

See more information about al-Qaradawi's inhumanity here:
http://www.galha.org/briefing/qaradawi.html

After Tatchell and others exposed al-Qaradawi's anti-human rights
agenda, Ken Livingstone denounced Tatchell as anti-Muslim and
Livingstone's far left supporters waged a vicious, year-long hate
campaign of lies and disinformation to discredit Tatchell.

"This half-hearted, grudging admission of error is better than
nothing," said Mr Tatchell.

"It comes a month before the London Mayoral elections, at a time when
many gay voters are deserting Ken Livingstone over his collusion with
al-Qaradawi and other anti-gay and anti-women Muslim fundamentalists.

"Ken has done many good things for Londoners and for the gay
community, but his defence of al-Qaradawi has caused him immense
damage. Instead of allying with liberal, progressive Muslims, he has
often feted reactionary Islamists," said Mr Tatchell.

Further information: Peter Tatchell 020 7403 1790

--
Peter Tatchell is the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford East
http://www.greenoxford.com/peter and www.petertatchell.net