A former Egypt international has been hit with monumental backlash after describing homesexuality as "a dangerous ideology".
During a live punditry appearance on beIN Sports, which broadcasts Premier League games in Qatar and North Africa, Mohamed Aboutrika encouraged players to boycott the ongoing Rainbow Laces campaign and called on beIN to "avoid everything LGBT-related during Premier League broadcasts."
The 43-year-old, who won the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2008 and was capped 100 times by his country, also stated homosexuality is "not compatible with Islam" and was not challenged for his comments.
"Our role is to stand up to this phenomenon, homosexuality, because it's a dangerous ideology and it's becoming nasty and people are not ashamed of it anymore.
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"Allah says in the Quran that we have to honor the children of Adam but by doing this homosexuality we are not honoring humans, we are humiliating them.”
"They (the Premier League) will tell you that homosexuality is human rights. No, it is not human rights; in fact, it's against humanity."
According to The Athletic, beIN are reviewing the footage and the subsequent comments made by Aboutrika, one of their regular pundits.
A Premier League spokesperson reacted to the opinions expressed, saying: "We wholeheartedly disagree with the pundit's views.
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"The Premier League and its clubs are committed to supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion and making clear football is for everyone."
Between November 27 and December 2, players in the Premier League show support for the LGBTQ+ community and highlight the need for diversity and inclusion through the Rainbow Laces initiative.
Rainbow banding, captain's armbands, laces and badges are just some of the ways in which awareness is raised.
Featured Image Credit: Image: PATopics: Egypt
