THEGAYUK

Tag: Religion

The latest religious news affecting the LGBT community in the UK and internationally.

  • Islamic State continue their murderous onslaught towards the gay community

    A man has been executed by the Islamic State, for being gay, THEGAYUK.com has learned.

    **Report contains distressing images**

    Photos have emerged on social media showing Islamic State fighters throwing a man to his death off a tall building in Deir ez-Zor in Syria. Deir ez-Zor is a large city in the east of Syria. ISIS has, historically used this method of killing gay men or men accused of being gay almost exclusively.

    https://twitter.com/Terror_Monitor/status/893881077520932865

    The pictures are dated from the 5th August and show a single man being thrown off a building which is at least five storeys high. death is not always certain for a victim of any fall under seven storeys. Usually, stoning from gathered spectators ensures that the accused dies.

    In these pictures, the accused was wearing all black and has his hands and feet bound.

    Typically, although homosexuality is illegal in the Syrian Arab Republic, it does not attract the death penalty. Men found guilty of homosexual acts are given jailed terms of up to three years. However, in ISIS-held territories, the Islamic law of Sharia is used as their legal system and it holds harsh punishments for those found to be homosexuality or engaging in homosexual acts.

    Homosexuality is against Sharia law and its penalty is death.

    What is forbidden under Sharia law?

    Sharia Law is the legal system used in Islam. Derived from the Koran and fatwas – which are rulings from Islamic scholars, the law acts as a code by which all Muslims should live. Literally, Sharia means “the clear, well-trodden path to water”.

    Islam’s legal system, derived from the Koran
    Informs every aspect of Muslims’ lives
    Islamic jurists issue formal guidance through fatwas, or religious edicts
    Sharia law includes provisions for capital and corporal punishment but modern scholars say getting to that stage can be difficult
    Marriage is treated as a contract in Islam
    From The BBC

  • Peter Tatchell: There is nothing insulting about saying Allah, Jesus, Moses or Buddha is gay

    Human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell has hit out at those who suggest that the”Allah is gay” placards held up a Pride In London were insulting to some Muslims.

     

    Long-time human and gay rights advocate, Peter Tatchell has written an open letter to the organisers of Pride In London after a complaint was lodged by leaders at the East London Mosque.

    The leaders allege that some of the placards held up by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) at the pride were “inciting hatred against Muslims”. On that basis, the leaders made a formal complaint to Pride In London. Organisers for the pride made an initial statement saying that they, “will not tolerate Islamophobia”.

    Mr Tatchell, who was one of the first organisers of the UK’s first pride in 1972, said,

    “The CEMB placards condemned “Homophobes, Islamists, racists.”

    “They supported LGBT Muslims and LGBT people fleeing persecution by Islamic states. One said: “End Islamic hatred and violence to gays.” Others highlighted UK mosques, such as East London and Green Lanes, that have hosted hate preachers who have endorsed or justified the killing of LGBT people.

    Nothing insulting about saying “Allah is gay”

    He continued, Some placards said

    “Some placards said “Allah is gay.” The factual basis of such a claim is questionable. However, since there is nothing wrong or shameful about being gay – and only gay sex acts (not gay people) are condemned in the Qur’an and Hadiths – there is nothing insulting about saying Allah, God, Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Shiva or any other religious figure is gay.

    A person would only say it was insulting if they were anti-LGBT.

    Tatchell went on to commend the actions of CEMB saying,

    “The CEMB’s placards against Islamic homophobia were entirely justified and commendable. We have to oppose Islamic homophobia in the same way that LGBT groups have long opposed Christian and Judaist homophobia.

    “None of the CEMB placards were against Muslim people. They did not incite hate against Muslims. They criticised homophobic religious ideas.”

     

    Calls to allow Ex Muslims to continue marching in future Pride In London events

    Peter also urged Pride In London to reject the complaints from the East London Mosque, saying,

    “I urge you to reject the complaints against the CEMB by the East London mosque and others. Instead, I urge you to ask them to explain why they refuse to have a dialogue with the LGBT community, refuse to publicly challenge homophobia within the Muslim community and why they refuse to publicly acknowledge and support LGBT Muslims”.

  • KATIE HOPKINS | ‘Pride needs to do more to protest Islamic homophobia’

    Katie Hopkins has called on Pride events to protest Islamic homophobia.

    Taking to Twitter today, the controversial commentator Katie Hopkins said that Prides needed to do more to “protest Islamic homophobia”.

    The statement comes a day after she questioned her 802,000 followers on whether a pride event had ever been banned in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. The question was asked after a follower of hers alleged that a pride parade had been banned by the local authority.

    In 2011 the Census revealed that over 30 percent of the borough’s population was Muslim.

    In 2016, a poll conducted by ICM for the Channel 4 programme, What British Muslims Really Think, found that over half of Muslims in the UK thought that homosexuality should illegal. Twenty-three percent also said that they wanted the introduction of Sharia law in the UK.

    Islamophobia and Homophobia

    Earlier this month the East London mosque complained to Pride in London over banners displayed in its Parade by members of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain which it called “offensive”.

    Organisers of the pride said that it would “not tolerate Islamophobia”.

    Homosexuality is currently banned in over 70 countries and 10 have the death penalty for homosexual acts. Homosexuality is illegal in most Muslim-majority countries.

  • The Bishop of Liverpool just became the Patron of Pride 2017

    Liverpool Pride today announces a new Patron for the 2017 festival which takes place over two packed days this month.

    The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev Paul Bayes, says he is delighted to back the region’s established annual celebration of all things LGBT+, and is looking forward to taking part in this year’s festivities.

    Liverpool Pride 2017 takes place on Saturday 29 July and Sunday 30 July, with the spectacular entertainment returning to the stunning St George’s Quarter for a third year.

    The festival, in its eighth consecutive year, has an exciting star-studded line-up to make the 2017 free event a colourful celebration of all things LGBT+.

    Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets for the colourful annual Liverpool Pride March on Saturday 29 July as it wends its way around the city centre. Bishop Paul will be among those invited to speak at the Muster outside St George’s Hall ahead of the march setting off on its route.

    Atomic Kitten are headlining the main Barclays Festival Stage on 29 July, while there is also a packed programme planned for the annual We Are Family day on Sunday 30 July.

    And there is a busy line-up of Pride Community events including exhibitions, workshops, music, literature, theatre and Pride at the Pictures.

    Meanwhile, a host of Liverpool landmarks will be lit in rainbow colours as part of the Come Out of the Shadows initiative – helping make Liverpool the most visibly LGBT+ city in the UK.

    Bishop Paul said,

    “Ever since the tragic death of Michael Causer, Liverpool Pride has stood for the struggle for justice as well as the celebration of LGBTI+ life in our city and region. I am privileged to identify with Pride’s contribution to tackling prejudice and promoting awareness of the richness of our LGBTI+ community. As a Christian, I really believe that Jesus wants a community where all are included and free from fear.

    “Now we all know that the Christian church in general, and the Church of England as part of that, can get itself into a twist over inclusion and equality issues. I myself have been advocating in the church for LGBTI+ inclusion, and all Christians have to agree that homophobia and hate crime are evil and are to be resisted.

    “At the recent meeting of our General Synod the Church of England made some clear and positive statements resisting so-called conversion therapy and exploring services of welcome for trans people who want their true identity to be recognised before God.

    “When I came to Liverpool three years ago and met LGBTI+ Christians across Merseyside, and in particular our Open Table LGBTI+ Christian community, I saw again the real joy we can know as a church when we are open and welcoming to all.”

    Liverpool Pride’s Lucy Day added,

    “We are all delighted that the Bishop is to be a patron of Liverpool Pride, and we welcome him to the Liverpool Pride family. We’re very much looking forward to him joining us at Pride weekend this month.

    “Pride respects people of all religious beliefs.”

    The theme of this year’s Pride is International Love, complementing the city’s wider 50 Summers of Love festival, which celebrates 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

     

  • COMMENT | Can you be Muslim and gay?

    There is a certain taboo within Islam that does not ever get discussed in a positive way.

    You only need to look at recent news in Chechnya to see how gay people are mistreated and abused. Over the past few years there have been increases in attacks on gay people in predominantly Muslim countries, and often people are violently and fatally attacked for their sexuality. Islam paints a picture that it will not accept gay people, and this has been the doctrine of thought for many many years. It is, therefore, a struggle for young gay Muslims, such as myself, to come to terms with our sexuality and faith. I realise the two aspects of my life do not go hand in hand. In fact, the majority of the major religions have no accepting views on homosexuality. From a biological standpoint, I understand this. If everyone was gay then life as we know it would cease to exist. Try as hard as you may two guys cannot reproduce with one another. This lead me to read more about my religion and understand the scriptures that are written in the Quran regarding homosexuality. My hope from this research was to find a way to reconcile the two aspects of my life that were conflicting.

    The Quran relays a story about the people of Sodom and Gomorra. Those that are familiar with Christianity and Judaism will also know of this story. It tells of a place where men were having sex with other men and shunning their wives. God sent the prophet Lot, to these people to show them the error of their ways and persuade them to give up the life of sin. He commented on how lewdness between two men should be punished. The story goes on to state that these people were wiped out as they refused to give up their sinning ways.

    The hadith (which is the sayings and practices of our Prophet Muhammad) states that he cursed effeminate men (Sahih Al-Bukhari, book 72, hadith 774), and that he states that if anyone was committing sodomy (i.e anal sex) that both the giver and receiver should be stoned to death (Al-Trimidhi, book 1, hadith 152). I realise this gives the impression that Islam is a violent and torturous religion, but this is not the case. You have to remember that these teachings and scriptures are thousands of years old and this was a different time. There are also passages that state anal sex is forbidden even if done with a female partner. As a Sunni Muslim, however, I believe in the two major hadiths Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Whilst they do not say you have to kill homosexuals, they are grey on the subject as to whether the punishable act is gay sex or shunning women.

    So the religion is somewhat clear on its status with gay people and homosexuality. Therefore as a Muslim, I cannot be both gay and religious? Well yes and no. Religion is something that people hold dear and people use as guides for their lives. Religion teaches us to be good people and respect others. One can argue that being a good person does not mean you have to be religious and I agree. For me personally, my religion has always been with me, and I understood that before I understood that I was gay. So you may ask how I reconciled it with myself. I went through a particularly religious period of my life. I was praying 5 times a day and not giving into lustful thoughts. However, after a while, I questioned what I was doing. One of the ‘solutions’ to being gay that most scholars say is to not think about it and act on your feelings. Pray more and beg Allah to put you on the right path. Purify your heart and your soul will be cleansed too. Things like this, which sound wishy washy but do work for some people. I tried this, and it didn’t work. I still felt gay feelings, which is natural to me as I was born this way. Heterosexual people reading that ask yourself when you chose to be straight, then ask me when I chose to be gay. If you can’t remember or feel you didn’t have to choose, then neither did I.

    Ergo we were both born the way we were. I can still recall meeting a very religious man when I was 12, who is in the bloodline of the prophet Muhammad and after looking at me for a minute stated that I was ‘different’ to my brothers. Maybe he saw that I was gay? Who knows. But I am different and I am ok with that. So prayer was not helping. I did give it up as my thought was even if I do pray and do everything right, I will still be condemned in Islam for being gay.

    My next factor was my personal happiness. A lot of gay Muslims feel pressure from their families to be married. This is especially prevalent in the Asian communities. I feel the pressure all the time. I could tell my family and be disowned (probably – I have heard of very rare cases when parents have accepted it) or get married to a woman and live a lie. This is the same decision a lot of young gay Muslim men (and women) face. I personally couldn’t do that. It would mean sacrificing my happiness and ruining another person’s life. She would deserve a relationship where she is wanted and have intimacy. Recently I was talking to a guy going through the same thing, and he is due to be married. He was saying how he wanted me to be his bit on the side, and I flat out refused. I am not going to hook up with a married person, regardless if the marriage is a sham or not. He was trying to convince me to do the same as it would hurt my parents if I came out. That is true, but it would hurt more if they found out and I lied, had a wedding and got divorced. I value my happiness, and after giving for so long I wanted to be ‘selfish’ for once and think of myself first. Naturally, I have thought about how it would affect my parents, but my understanding is that parents should always want their kids to be happy, so they may come around.

    So I stood with two choices, be religious and be alone, or be happy and maintain a level of religion I am comfortable with. I chose the second option. This means that I will eventually have a gay relationship, but I also hold the five pillars of Islam to heart. I will fast in Ramadan, I will give charity to the poor and needy, I will believe that there is only one God (Allah), I have performed Hajj (the pilgrimage) and I will pray when I want to. Notice none of these pillars, which are the foundation of the religion, state that I have to marry, and that I cannot be gay and do any of them. But I am a realist and realise the religion will not accept me for my sexuality. I just hope that they will accept me for my good nature and kind actions.

    “I am Muslim. I am gay.

    These are two aspects of a more complex me

    I will still continue to be the best Muslim I can,

    and if being gay leads me to eternal damnation then so be it.”.

    I understand that this post is very contradictory, but in my mind, I have separated the two. I am Muslim. I am gay. These are two aspects of a more complex me. I will still continue to be the best Muslim I can, and if being gay leads me to eternal damnation then so be it. I would much rather live a happy life than lying to everyone. Which to me feels like a bigger sin and it has deceit, possible adultery and soul crushing disappointment. I will continue to hope that my good deeds will be greater than my ‘sin’, but I have accepted that they may not be. It won’t stop me from being a good person however; that will never change.

    This is just my way of dealing with it. I am sure others are confused and may have other thoughts. I would be happy to hear from anyone regarding the issues. Also if I have misinterpreted or misquoted the Quran please forgive me. These were my understanding of the scripture.

  • Gay couples can now get married in Scottish churches

    The first major Christian church, the Scottish Episcopal Church, has voted to allow gay marriage in its venues.

    The Scottish Episcopal Church has become the first Christian church in the UK to allow same-sex marriage in its Churches, Clergy will not, however, be forced to officiate at those marriages if it goes against their conscience.

    The move means that gay Christians from any Anglican Church will be able to marry in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

    The amendment to canon law on marriage, which removed the stipulation that marriage is only between a man and a woman, was carried by the Synod in Edinburgh.

    Seventy-four percent of the General Synod voted for the motion.

    Clergy who wish to officiate at same-sex marriages will have to “opt-in” under the rule change.

    The Episcopal Church’s Bishop of Edinburgh, The Right Reverend Dr John Armes, said,

    “I am very pleased for the couples who can now have their relationships recognised by the church and blessed by God.

    “I’m also pleased for what this means about our church and the way we have been able to do this. But obviously any change like this creates pain and hurt in some as well, so as a bishop of the church I feel for them.”

     

     

  • ISIS claims responsibility for Manchester Bombing

    ISIS have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that has rocked Manchester concert venue.ISIS claims responsibility for manchester bombing

    According to reports, ISIS have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing which ripped through Manchester Arena’s foyer, killing 22 people and injured 59 others. The male which some media outlets have dubbed a “lone wolf” bomber was confirmed, by police, to have died on site.

    The terrorist group released statements through their media outlet which praised the atrocity. It claimed that more than 100 “crusaders” were wounded or killed at the concert which it said was “shameless”.

    The English version said,

    “With Allah’s grace and support, a soldier of the Khilafah [caliphate] managed to place explosive devices in the midst of the gatherings of the crusaders in the British city of Manchester”.

    Speaking at a press conference, the Chief Constable of Manchester’s police force, Ian Hopkins called the bombing the “most horrific” incident that Manchester has faced.

    He said,

    “Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives.  Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones.

    Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Two men lashed 83 TIMES in Indonesia for being found together in bed

    Two men have been lashed 83 times each in the Indonesian province of Aceh after they were caught naked in bed together.

    Two men were lashed in public, upon a stage, in front a mosque in the Indonesian province of Aceh. They were discovered, naked in bed together by a group of vigilantes who broke into their private room.

    The pair, aged 20 and 23 were found together in March and arrested. They have not been identified and were lashed whilst wearing a hood during their punishment.

    A large crowd gathered to watch the brutal punished and reportedly cheered at each lash. According to the BBC, one of the men cried out “”Let this be a lesson to you,” whilst another shouted,  “Do it harder”.

    The men were supposed to receive 85 lashes, but it was reduced to 83 after they spent two months in prison.

    Being gay is not illegal in Indonesia except in the province of Aceh and the city of Palembang in South Sumatra, where elements of Sharia law has been introduced since 1999. These rule could also be applied to non-Muslims in the region.

    In 1999 the Province’s Governor moved to issue limited Sharia-based regulations. Sharia law expressly forbids homosexuality. In 2014 a law was introduced which punished anybody engaging and caught having gay sex with 100 lashes, 100 months in jail or a heavy fine.

    The men were arrested at the end of March. They were taken to Wilayatul Hisbah, a Sharia police station. They both now face 100 lashes as punishment. The entire siege was filmed on a mobile phone.

    This is the first time that anyone has been punished in this way for being gay in Aceh.

     

     

     

     

  • Chechen President: Eliminate All Gay Men By Ramadan

    The President of Chechnya has vowed to eliminate the LGBT community, by the end of May.

    Following the horrific details of gay men being detained, tortured and even killed, in the region, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has said that he wants to eliminate gay men by the start of Ramadan. Up to a hundred men, suspected of being gay are being held, against their wills in what some media outlets have called “concentration camps”.

    Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic faith and begins on the 26th May. Chechnya is a Muslim-majority country.

    According to a Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta,  men, suspected of being gay, disappeared overnight in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Previously a spokesperson for the leader of the Republic denied the reports and claimed that gay people did not exist in the region.

     Speaking in Parliament, Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said,

    “Human rights groups report that these anti-gay campaigns and killings are orchestrated by the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

    “He has carried out other violent campaigns in the past, and this time he is directing his efforts at the LGBT community.

    “Sources have said that he wants the community eliminated by the start of Ramadan.”

    The minister added, “Such comments, attitudes and actions are absolutely beyond contemptible.”

    Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly made the threats on Russian media.

    Sir Alan, continued,

    “Credible reports suggesting that at least four people have been killed and many have been tortured are particularly shocking,

    ‘”Statements by the regional government in Chechnya which appear to condone and incite violence against LGBT people are utterly despicable.”

    FEARING FOR LIFE

    Last week, the journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men revealed she was in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe. Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a “jihad” had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

  • OPINION | Religion Can Have A Place In Politics

    “Tim Farron is a homophobe”. At least, that’s what has been blowing up Twitter the past few days.

    This is due, more recently, to him again dodging a question about homosexuality from Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News and whether or not Mr Farron believed it was a sin. His response was about as reassuring as your one night stand telling you it’s “probably not chlamydia”. He paused, grimaced and managed simply to say that he wouldn’t make theological pronouncements. Cathy Newman was asking him because, after asking the same question in 2015, he responded: “in Christianity, we’re all sinners”. Bravo. This doubling-down on avoiding the question led to a big debate about the importance of one’s religion when you’re running for office.

    But what’s the precedent on this? Well, Prime Ministers have always discussed their faith. Britain, by tradition, is a Christian country so it was always a political point to be scored. Tony Blair was famously religious and even admitted, during an interview with Michael Parkinson, that he prayed to God over the Iraq War. Yet, Blair is considered a Gay Icon and even won an award from Gay Times. Blair, as Prime Minister, ushered in a raft of LGBT-positive legislation such as civil partnerships, the right to adopt, the equal age of consent, the repeal of section 28, ending the LGBT Armed Forces ban as well as stringent hate crime laws and the Gender Recognition Act. Never once did the public consider his religious beliefs to be in the way of his progressive ideals.

    So let’s look at Tim Farron again. What is different between his awkward response to the gay question to that of Corbyn’s homosexuality-as-a-choice gaffe? Farron did an interview with GQ in 2015 where he asserted his viewpoint, despite his religion “I’m not a religious leader; I’m a political leader. I think that everybody is utterly equal. People should be free to love who they want and marry who they want. But I don’t go making theological pronouncements.”

    These days, we are all so quick to judge but it’s understandable. Heinous crimes have been committed throughout history against LGBT people on the basis of religion. We’ve seen in America the debate about same-sex marriage and how it’s not ‘what God intended’. Homosexuality as a sin is something that seems to be the only thing most religions agree on. Therefore, I feel like LGBT people almost have a Pavlovian reaction to religion – where we hear the word God, we assume hate will follow. But that isn’t fair. We have to accept that, sometimes, our politicians are allowed to change their minds.

    Look at Hillary Clinton who in 2000 commented that “marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman.” Sure, she continued by saying that same-sex partnerships should enjoy the same rights but it still wasn’t out-and-out support that we saw from her during her 2008 Democratic nomination campaign and subsequent 2016 Presidential campaign. Tim Farron’s record is admittedly sketchy. He voted in favour of same-sex marriage but in 2007 voted against the Equality Act and in 2013 abstained from a third reading of the same-sex marriage bill. Also in 2007, he gave an interview to the Salvation Army’s War Cry magazine about abortion stating he felt, “abortion is wrong. Society has to climb down from the position that says there is nothing morally objectionable about abortion before a certain time. If abortion is wrong, it is wrong at any time.” However, he then said that, “the standards that define my personal morality as a Christian are not the standards of public morality”.

    This again raises an interesting question of how genuine someone’s belief in something needs to be. Tim Farron might be anti-abortion or even anti-LGBT rights but his party supports choice and supports LGBT equality. Should we trust somebody who only believes in something politically and not personally? Does it matter? Essentially, it all comes down to trust. Tim Farron’s personal beliefs right now have not dictated his political beliefs but, if he were Prime Minister, would that change? He would have to make big decisions where he would likely turn to his religion and to God, as Tony Blair did, for the right answer. Tony Blair always made it clear that he believed in equality. Tim Farron seemingly believes it’s the right thing to believe politically. There’s a difference.

    Well, it’s always going to be tough for LGBT people to believe a religious candidate is a candidate that would represent them. Yet, at the same time, it would be equally discriminatory for us to judge people solely on their religion.

    But what about religious politicians in general? Well, it’s always going to be tough for LGBT people to believe a religious candidate is a candidate that would represent them. Yet, at the same time, it would be equally discriminatory for us to judge people solely on their religion. Religion in the modern day is becoming flexible. The Pope himself has stated that ‘God is not afraid of new things’ and continues to try to modernise the Church’s views on homosexuality and divorce (despite hesitation of the Synod). We cannot put all religious people in a box but at the same time, we’re right to be vigilant. Decades of persecution on religious grounds has taught us to be hesitant when it comes to politics and religion.

    Tim Farron’s gaffe is no worse than Corbyn’s, personally, but the difference is that Corbyn has a strong track record of voting for equal rights. I strongly believe we must judge our politicians on how they vote more than what they say. I understand, it’s not nice to hear a politician to even hint that homosexuality is a sin, especially when you think about the effect it has on younger LGBT people. But the lip service politicians give for votes (where being ambiguous means they can play both sides) is different completely to how they ultimately vote in Parliament. When it comes to politics, actions always speak louder than words and it is vital that everybody research candidates and their voting stances because, ultimately, the biggest God any MP prays to is their electorate.

    If you want to see how your MP has voted on a wide range of issues, check out www.theyworkforyou.com.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Journalist who broke Chechen gay torture news is in hiding after ‘jihad’ death threats

    The journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men is in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe.

    The Russian journalist who is responsible for breaking the news that Chechen officials had rounded up, tortured and detained men suspected of being gay, has said that she is in hiding and fearing for her life after a “jihad was declared against her”.

    Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a jihad had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

    She said,

    “They reacted [to the story] in a terrifying manner… on April 3, in the biggest mosque in Grozny, 15,000 religious and various types of people came together and announced a Jihad on us… not just me personally, but all journalists at Novaya Gazeta.

    “They said the people at the newspaper who raised this question have damaged the honour of Chechen nation and should be prosecuted.”

    A spokesperson for Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, said, that the report was “lies and disinformation” and claimed that gay people did not “exist in the republic”. The report was even dismissed as a sick April Fool’s joke, by the region’s interior ministry.

    As information continued to circulate about the mass rounding up and detaining of gay men in Chechnya, being referred to as a “gay purge” Baroness Anelay released a statement calling on Russia to investigate the claims.

    The UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May has yet to speak out against the action.