Jerusalem: Imam of al-Aqsa Mosque Issam Amira has claimed that the LGBTQ+ community, and the Israeli government are responsible for the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The Palestinian Islamic scholar and preacher made the controversial statements in a sermon during Friday prayers at the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem; local media reports.
He claims that the Omicron variant “did not spread until the government and media announced its existence.”
He further targeted the LGBTQ+ community for the crisis. Amira went on to claim that the government and media that “brought the variant” are the same that “allow and encourage homosexuality.”
This is not the first time that the Imam has made controversial and problematic comments.
In 2020, Amira was arrested by Israel Police and received a six-month ban from al-Aqsa Mosque for praising the Muslim who murdered and beheaded French teacher Samuel Paty for using illustrations of the prophet Mohammed.
