Senior Saudi Islamic cleric says homosexuals should not be punished

A senior Saudi cleric has said that although he believes homosexuality is a sin, it should not be a punishable offence.

Salman al-Ouda, who is a member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars and director of the Arabic edition of the website Islam Today, spoke out against the use of the death penalty against LGBT people in Saudi Arabia, saying that killing is a far “graver” sin.

In interview with a Swedish newspaper, al-Ouda is reported to have said that “even though homosexuality is considered a sin in all the Semitic holy books, it does not require any punishment in this world. It is a sin that will accompany its committer in the life after death.”

He continued: “Homosexuals are not deviating from Islam. Homosexuality is a grave sin, but those who say that homosexuals deviate from Islam are the real deviators. By condemning homosexuals to death they are committing a graver sin than homosexuality itself.”

Despite his disavowal of the death penalty, however, al-Ouda insisted that same-sex relationships shouldn’t be displayed in public.

“Even though homosexuality does not distance oneself from Islam, the Islam does not encourage individuals who have same-sex attraction to show their feelings in public,” he added.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the 60-year-old’s comment have sparked an outcry on Arab social media forums, where the hashtag “Odah permits homosexuality” was launched.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most repressive states when it comes to LGBT rights, and is one of just six to carry the death penalty. Acts of homosexuality or cross-dressing are also punishable with imprisonment, fines, corporal punishment, or flogging.