The senior leader of the Hamas in Gaza has called gays “perverts” and “mentally and morally sick” and thinks that mixed sex dancing should be stopped.

 

Mahmoud Zahar, the most senior leader of Hamas in Gaza, made the comments on the Arabic website Elaph.

 

Zahar condemns gay marriage, saying: “Are these the laws for which the Palestinian street is waiting? For us to give rights to homosexuals and to lesbians, a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick?”

According to The Times, Zahar also supports the enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islam, and backed the decision of a Hamas-led council to ban a dance festival.

“A man holds a woman by the hand and dances with her in front of everyone. Does that serve the national interest?” Zahar said.

“If so, why have the phenomena of corruption and prostitution become pervasive in recent years?”

 

The Times goes on to say that because of successes by Hamas in municipal polls and its likely strong showing in January’s parliamentary elections, secular Palestinians fear that it will try to impose its ultraconservative vision on them.