Maajid Nawaz: "Gay Cake Bakers Should Be Allowed To Be Bigots"

25 October 2016, 12:53 | Updated: 21 November 2016, 11:34

Maajid is a strong supporter of gay marriage, but he opposes the fining of a bakery that refused to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage message.

Two Christians bakers' refusal to make a cake that featured a picture of Sesame Street characters with the message 'Support Gay Marriage' was found to be 'discriminatory' by a Northern Ireland court and were fined.

LBC presenter Maajid is a strong supporter of gay marriage, but he disagrees with fining the bakers for their refusal.“I’m pro gay marriage. In fact I remember once upon a time on television in twenty thirteen I was probably the first British Muslim to so openly and publicly support gay marriage on national television. I called, again an Irish activist Ian Paisley Jr this time, a bigot on live T.V. You can still watch that clip on You Tube. So I am very clearly pro gay marriage equality but with a capital BUT.”

“I don't think the way to stop bigotry is by banning discriminatory speech. I don't think this will stop bigotry, I think it can only exacerbate and increase bigotry.”

“I don't think the couple should have been fined and I don't think that in a privately owned business anybody should be forced to do anything against their conscience no matter how unsound their decision is, no matter how bigoted their decision is, they shouldn't be forced to act against their own bigotry and their own sincerely held bigoted views.”

“I just don't think that can be right, to force people to do something they don't want to do, they have the free speech to discriminate in their private business and we have the decision. The freedom to vote with our feet not to send them our business and I can assure you, I can assure you as is the direction of travel in our politics, that give them twenty years, give them fifty years and that bakery would probably be out of business.”

“Because Ireland in a referendum voted for gay marriage equality. The trend the direction of travel is not the same as this Christian couple but until until we get there and we are headed in that direction. People should be left alone to make their wrong decisions. That's incredibly important in a free and open liberal society that bigots are allowed to express their bigotry so they can be challenged.”