Yahoo News Ukip MEP defends leader’s Islam ‘death cult’ comments following Brunei gay sex death penalty law
A Ukip MEP has come out in defence of party leader Gerard Batten’s comments describing Islam as a “death cult”.
Stuart Agnew, speaking as the party prepared to launch its European elections campaign in Middlesbrough, said the remarks were justified by the Sultan of Brunei's recent declaration that gay sex in his country should be punished by stoning to death.
Mr Agnew said the Muslim community in Britain should have come out "en masse" to condemn his remarks.
"He (Mr Batten) said the word 'death cult'. The Sultan of Brunei justified that," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"The Sultan of Brunei said 'From now on, in this country, in the name of Islam, homosexuals are to be stoned to death.’
"Why didn't they (the Muslim community) come out en masse in this country and say 'We thoroughly condemn (the comments)’?"
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Last year Mr Batten said what he wrote about Islam is “factually accurate and historically true”.
He added in his personal blog: “It [Islam] was propagated by invasion, by violence and intimidation.
“And if you look at every continent in the world where you have this belief, then you have violence. It glorifies death.
“They believe in propagating their religion by killing other people and martyring themselves and going and getting their 72 virgins.”
Mr Batten went on to say he supported the idea of British Muslims being asked to sign a text formally renouncing elements of the Qur’an “which allow people to justify violence and extremism”.
He said: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that people who come and live in our country should reject these dark-age ideologies, which many of them bring with them.”
Mr Batten last month described a candidate’s rape tweet to MP Jess Phillips as “satire”.
