'Despicable': website blames Christchurch quake on gay community

Megan Levy

February 24, 2011

A website that claims Christchurch's devastating earthquake was an act of God triggered by the tolerance of homosexual behaviour in the city has been denounced as ''despicable and appalling'' by New Zealand's gay and lesbian community.

The website ''Christchurch Quake'' - registered on September 20 to an address in Utah in the USA - suggests the destruction was a result of ''lesbians running loose on the South Island as if they own the place'' and general ''amoral'' behaviour.

Among other inflammatory accusations, the website alleges that the earlier September earthquake, which coincided with the start of Gay Ski Week in Queenstown, was a warning from God to ''End the Evil - or else!''.

Screengrabs from the controversial website.

<SNIP>

Video and loads of pictures along with the rest of this article is at website

Lin's commentary-->CONSENSUS: There are nutcases all over the world.

On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 4:10 PM, <robert-blau@webtv.net> wrote:

Sounds pretty reasonable to me . . .

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1267262/Iranian-cleric-Women-wear-revealing-clothing-cause-earthquakes.html

Iranian cleric: Women who wear revealing clothing cause earthquakes

ByÂ MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE
Last updated at 8:36 PM on 19th April 2010 Women who wearÂ revealing
clothingÂ and behave promiscuously are to blame for earthquakes, a
senior Iranian cleric has said. HojatoleslamÂ Kazem Sedighi's
comments follow a warning byÂ President Mahmoud
AhmadinejadÂ that a quake is certain to hit the capital Tehran and
that many residents should relocate. In a prayer sermon, the cleric
said: 'Many women who do not dress modestly... lead young men astray,
corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases
earthquakes.' A female opposition supporter flashes the victory sign
during election rallies inTehranÂ last year. An Iranian cleric has
claimed that an earthquake at the time was the result of protests... and
that women who are provocatively dressed can cause more quakes
Women in the Islamic Republic are required by law to cover from head to
toe. But many, especially the young, ignore some of the stricter codes
and wear tight coats and scarves pulled back to show much of their hair.
'What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?' Sedighi
asked.Â 'There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion
and to adapt our lives to Islam's moral codes. A divine authority told
me to tell the people to make a general repentance. Why? Because
calamities threaten us.'
IranÂ is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and
seismologists have warned for 20 years that one is likely to hit Tehran,
which straddles scores ofÂ fault lines, in the near future. Some
12million people live in the city, which was last struck in 1830. Two
weeks agoÂ President
  AhmadinejadÂ said 'at least 5million' should leave Tehran
because of the earthquake threat. Some experts have even suggested Iran
should move its capital to a less seismically active location. Tehran
straddles scores of fault lines, including one more than 50 miles (80
kilometres) long, though it has not suffered a major quake since 1830.
In 2003, a powerful earthquake hit the southern city of Bam, killing
31,000 people - about a quarter of that city's population - and
destroying its ancient mud-built citadel. Referring to the violence that
followed last June's disputedÂ presidential election, Sedighi said,
'The political earthquake that occurred was a reaction to some of the
actions (that took place).Â
'And now, if a natural earthquake hits Tehran, no one will be able to
confront such a calamity but God's power, only God's power... So let's
not disappoint God.' The Iranian government and its security forces have
been locked in a bloody battle with a large opposition movement that
accuses Ahmadinejad of winning last year's vote by fraud. Minister of
Welfare and Social Security Sadeq Mahsooli said prayers and
  pleas for forgiveness were the best 'formulas to repel
earthquakes'. 'We cannot invent a system that prevents earthquakes, but
God has created this system and that is to avoid sins, to pray, to
  seek forgiveness, pay alms and self-sacrifice,' Mahsooli said.
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