The Socialist Party (SV) in Norway have awarded a local Muslim politician, Mahdi Hassan, a member of the Equality Committee for the Hedmark union their “Trollkjerring Prize” for being a “role model and inspiration, energetic and active!”.
[Google Translation] “The jury has emphasized that Hassan through his work has shown a knack for grasping various issues and challenges in a positive and constructive way… The jury believes that the Mahdi with his behavior has been a strong and solid contributor when it comes to erase prejudices many Norwegians have in relation to people from other cultures.”
The trouble is a storm is brewing over remarks Mr Hassan made about lesbians and gays.
According to a Norwegian newspaper, Hassan is in favour of banning homosexuality:
[Google Translate] Forbilde year’s 2009, Mahdi Hassan Mouhoumed from Tynset, wants a ban on homosexuality.
This is very little exemplary, “said head of the National Association for lesbians and gays Norway, Karen Pinholt.
The statement “Homosexuality is forbidden in the Koran, and I believe in my religion”, was uttered by the Mahdi in an interview with Arbeidets law last summer.
He confirmed to the court that he had not changed position.
What’s more, the Socialist Party has defended him. A spokesperson told Arbeidets Rett newspaper: “There is freedom of speech in Norway and in the Tynset Socialist Left Party we consider it unproblematic that Mahdi is opposed in principle to homosexuality. It is in accordance with his religion.”
According to the Norwegian LGBT group, the leader in Tynset SV, Stein Petter Løkken insistedthat Hassan’s “efforts for children and young people on Tynset overshadows his attitude to homosexuality.”
Karen Pinholt, a spokesperson for gay group “Landsforeningen for lesbiske, homofile, bifile og transpersoner” (LLH) said that the ‘inclusiveness’ Hassan was rewarded for obviously doesn’t include inclusion for LGBT people.
Hassan, while in favour of outlawing it, is apparently against the death penalty of homosexuality but says it is up to other countries to decide what they do.
So, once again we see a Socialist party refusing to regard support for the equality and dignity of gay people as a shibboleth. If an open and unrepentant homophobe can win a “Role Model” award from a leading European Socialist Party, I think it is fair to deduce that – increasingly – The Left, as it now too courts the religious Right, is abandoning gay people in every way but lip-service.
We’re just a pesky inconvenience, really. Aren’t we?
