Former Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa: Human Rights Watch Is Stupid and Ignorant

In a December 6, 2014 interview with the Egyptian CBC TV channel, former Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa criticized Human Rights Watch, saying that treating boys between ages 12 and 18 as children was "extremely stupid and ignorant." He further said that homosexuality "belongs to the rights of the shameless, the impious, and the criminal."

Following are excerpts:

Ali Gomaa: When that organization, whatever it's called… Human Rights… whatchamacallit… Human Watch… whatever… That organization comes and tells us… First, they say that they want childhood to last until the age of 18. If a boy reaches puberty at the age of 12, he has six years until he reaches 18. They tell us not to punish him for any sex crimes he perpetrates. In other words, they are encouraging him to rape. These people purport to protect women, and say that sexual harassment is wrong from a humanistic, not Islamic, perspective, but if a boy who will turn 18 in two days commits rape, they let him go scot-free.

Interviewer: According to international conventions, he is still a child and doesn't know better.

Ali Gomaa: Exactly. We are facing stupidity and ignorance. In our religion, in our country, or in our blessed East, which taught literature, moral values, and religion to the entire world… All the prophets lived here, in this region. We should not hesitate to tell these people that they are "stupiramuses."

Interviewer: Stupiramsus?! What's that?

Ali Gomaa: Stupid and ignoramuses. It's a combination of both words. They are extremely stupid and ignorant.

[…]

Is human rights what goes through your mind, whether your mind is pure or dirty? Human rights must be agreed upon, and we are party to that agreement. Then they say that homosexuality is part of human rights. No, it is not! It belongs to the rights of the shameless, the impious, and the criminal.

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