The LGBT Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has reacted angrily to the decision taken by Pride in London to ask its communities team to investigate the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) with a view to possibly banning it from future Pride events.

PTT Secretary George Broadhead said: “This decision is appalling. The accusation from the East London Mosque that the CEMB was inciting hatred against Muslims at this year’s London Pride event is baseless nonsense.

“East London Mosque seems to have made a brazen attempt to deflect criticism of its bad record on LGBT rights. It has a history of inviting ultra homophobic speakers to its meetings. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has revealed that he has asked the mosque to meet LGBT Muslims 11 times since 2015 – and all his invitations had been rejected.

“Pride in London seems to be ignoring the widespread Islamic hostility to LGBT relationships and rights, notably the barbaric treatment of LGBT people in Islamic theocracies like Saudi Arabia in which Sharia Law dictates that they are publicly beheaded , stoned or flogged.

“The Islamic penalty for apostasy (abandoning the religion) is death, and this of course applies to members of the CEMB, and a recent survey has indicated that more than half of British Muslims (52%) think homosexuality should be illegal and nearly half (47%) think it is inappropriate for gay people to teach in schools.

“The PTT maintains that the CEMB has every right to draw attention to hostility from Islam.

“It urges Pride in London organisers not to place religion beyond criticism. This would be a highly regressive step and contrary to its presumed aim to counter homophobia from any source.”