Religion

UK Muslim Psychologist Under Fire For Supporting Campaign That Reportedly Endorsed ‘Lashing And Killing Gay People’

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A Muslim psychologist in the U.K. is facing an investigation over her support for a campaign that allegedly promotes death as a penalty for homosexuality.

The Health and Care Professions Council launched an investigation into Dr. Kate Godfrey-Faussett concerning her fitness to practice psychology, given her support for the Stop Relationship and Sex Education (Stop RSE) campaign. Godfrey-Faussett, who converted to Islam 25 years ago, argued in a speech against the “queering” of Muslims, saying those who experience same-sex attraction should receive psychological treatment.

She said Muslims in the U.K. were “turning to same-sex relationships because they haven’t had the guidance,” according to The Guardian.

The Stop RSE campaign, which Godfrey-Faussett has openly supported, reportedly posted materials to its website that advocated for flogging and killing gay people, according a Feb. 18 inquiry from the National Secular Society. The NSS filed its inquiry with the Health and Care Professions Council to ask whether the Stop RSE’s views on homosexuality, and by extension Godfrey-Faussett’s views on homosexuality, were compatible with the council’s treatment standards.

The Stop RSE campaign comes in response to relationship and sex education lessons, approved by Parliament, through which children in elementary school and above will learn about non-traditional family models, including same-sex marriages, bisexuality and transgender identities.

The campaign is one group among several that initially arose among concerned parents of students in Birmingham, and later in other areas. NSS chief executive Stephen Evans characterized any attempt to stop such teaching in favor of curricula more in line with conservative religious views was “unreasonable and must be resisted.”

#PledgeYourPound #StopRSE #StandUpAndBeCounted pic.twitter.com/QLxTwDZy4v

— 40 Days (@40daysUK) March 29, 2019

The NSS alleged in its complaint that the Stop RSE campaign “promoted material which says the punishment for homosexuality is death. Our research has found that downloadable resources which were available on Stop RSE’s website as recently as last week [since withdrawn] included a book which endorses lashing and killing gay people.”

The Health and Care Professions Council confirmed it had received the complaint and that it was investigating Godfrey-Faussett but declined to provide more details, citing confidentiality concerns.

“We are aware of concerns about Kate Godfrey-Faussett and are looking into what action, if any, we need to take. We have a duty of confidentiality to all parties involved and it would not be appropriate for us to comment further,” a spokesman from the council told The Guardian.

Godfrey-Faussett, however, characterized the complaint as a progressive smear campaign aimed at her for questioning the secular narrative concerning sex.

“I have simply tried to warn people of the underlying liberal secular agenda of RSE and the harm that it may cause children – and is, in fact, already causing based on reports I am receiving from parents,” she said. “It is well known that if you speak out against the secular narrative they will silence you through smear campaigns and getting you struck off professionally.”