British pop singer Elton John has provoked Christian outrage worldwide over remarks that Jesus Christ was homosexual.
“Jesus was certainly compassionate, but to say he was 'super-intelligent' is to compare the son of God to a successful game-show contestant,” Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League, the largest US Catholic rights group, said in a statement cited by Australia’s Sky News on Saturday, February 20.
“More seriously, to call Jesus a homosexual is to label him a sexual deviant.
“What else would we expect from a man who previously said, 'From my point of view, I would ban religion completely'?”
The controversial pop star has described Jesus as a “compassionate, super-intelligent gay man”.
“On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel,” John, who is a gay, told US celebrity news magazine Parade on Friday.
Donohue, the US Catholic leader, accused the pop star of ignorance and intolerance.
“In any event, if we thought we could persuade him to issue an apology, we would try. But given his recidivism, we won’t even bother to ask,” he said.
“One thing is clear: someone needs to straighten John out.”
Christian leaders accused the British singer of seeking to draw media attention.
"Had a senior political figure made these comments, I would have had an opinion,” said Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute.
“But this is Elton John and I don't think anybody takes him seriously."
Stephen Green, director of Christian Voice, agreed.
“This is a desperate cry for attention," he said, describing John’s statements as “rubbish”.
"The Bible says Jesus was without sin and that rules out homosexuality.”
Muslims believe in Jesus as one of the great Prophets of God and that he is the son of Mary but not the Son of God. He was conceived and born miraculously.
In the Noble Qur’an, Jesus is called "Isa". He is also known as Al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary).
As for his crucifixion, Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but was lifted up to heaven.
Muslims believe that Jesus will come back to earth before the end of time to restore peace and order, fight the Anti-Christ (Al-Masih Al-Dajjal) and bring victory for truth and righteousness.
The true followers of Jesus will prevail over those who deny him, misrepresent him and reject him.
In the Holy Quran, Allah says:
(Say ye: we believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between one and another of them: and we bow to Allah (in Islam).) (Al-Baqarah 2: 136)
(Behold! the angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth Thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.) (Aal `Imran 3: 45)
Muslim and Christian residents of Mtwapa, a district in the outskirts of the port city of Mombassa, recently joined hands in disrupting a planned nuptial involving two local tribesmen on the ground of being completely an alien practice in their largely conservative community.
"It is just something that we used to hear about and it never occurred to the back of my mind that it will happen here in Africa," Mustapha Said, a Muslim resident, told IslamOnline.net.
Two men had wanted to make their wedding ceremony public but in vain.
Local Muslim and Christian communities who reside in the small coastal town went on rampage to disrupt the ceremony.
The two men, whose identities have not been revealed, were taken into custody after the controversial incident.
"We are really worried for our future and we don’t want Africa to embrace an alien practice like homosexuality," said Maymuna Salim, a 26-year-old Muslim woman.
The faltered gay wedding ceremony would have been the first public same-sex marriage in the East African country.
Homosexuality is legally prohibited in Kenya and statutes which date back to the colonial period provide for prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Africa has put a strong resistance for same-sex marriages on grounds of religion, belief and conscience.
In 2006, South Africa became the first in Africa, and fifth in the world, to legalize same-sex marriage.
But defiant Africa remains one of the most homophobic places in the world.
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