A preacher who works at the Sydney Ruqyah Centre has taken to social media with a homophobic outburst against Sydney WorldPride, calling on Uber drivers to “fear Allah” while describing gay people as “filthy.”
Mohamed Shaar took to social media in response to Uber’s Pride Ride scheme that helped visitors get around safely during the 17 days of celebrations across Sydney during WorldPride 2023.
The scheme which offered free bus services and featured entertainment from Drag Race Down Under stars Etcetera Etcetera and Coco Jumbo, led Shaar to condemn any Uber drivers who worked during the festival, advising them they should “fear Allah.”
“Shame on this human race shame, on this government that shows this filthy people,” Shaar ranted on Facebook.
Shaar also praised Russia for its anti-LGBTQ+ stance, commenting, “Good on Russia,” while sharing a video by the BBC which reported the nation’s bans on any mention of LGBTQ+ people.
However, Shaar’s homophobia did not stop there and described Sydney WorldPride as “the curse of Allah” while peddling crazy views, including that LGBTQ+ people are followers of satan and how LGBTQ+ culture is harmful to children.
In response to Shaar, a spokesperson from Sydney Queer Muslims responded by saying: “For those of us queer Muslims who have stayed with the faith, do so by developing and strengthening our personal relationship with God.”
“That reconciliation has been through research… and an interpretation that aligns with the values that the Quran brings, which is mercy, compassion and justice. We pray that our haters will find peace.”
The hugely successful Sydney WorldPride festival boasted over 300 events and concluded on Sunday, the 5th of March, and made history as over 50,000 marched across Sydney’s harbour bridge in solidarity against hurtful and bigoted views held by individuals like Mohamed Shaar.
