Muslim leader, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, has been pressured to withdraw from addressing a trade union-sponsored “Unite Against Fascism” conference in London today.

Sacranie was to have been a keynote speaker. His views on homosexuality were widely condemned as echoing the anti-gay hatred of the BNP.    Left-wingers, trade unionists and gay rights campaigners protested against his "BNP-style homophobia".

The conference organisers claim Sacranie withdrew because he had another engagement. But this is disputed by Peter Tatchell of OutRage!”

“This climbdown is a victory for humanitarian values over homophobic prejudice. We want Muslim leaders like Sacranie to be part of the anti-BNP alliance, but only if they respect the human rights of gay people and other minorities,” said Peter Tatchell of the gay human rights group, OutRage!, which helped coordinate the protests against Sacranie being invited to speak..

“Sacranie’s attitude to gay people is similar to the homophobia of the BNP. He should have never been invited in the first place.

Unite Against Fascism ought to be giving a platform to liberal, progressive Muslims, not right-wing homophobes like Sacranie,” said Mr Tatchell.

Fellow OutRage activist and gay Muslim, Ramzi Islam, added:

“Sir Iqbal is leader of the anti-gay Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). As well as actively campaigning to maintain homophobic laws like Section 28, he last month publicly denounced lesbians and gay men on BBC Radio, saying they were immoral, harmful and spread disease.

“Sir Iqbal's homophobic views, and the MCB’s opposition to gay equality, echo the prejudice and discrimination of the BNP.

“Unite Against Fascism would not collude with racists or anti-Semites. It should not collude with homophobes either,” added Mr Isalam.