Qatar Crown Prince Outed

by 365Gay.com
(London) Qatar's 25 year old Crown Prince Tameem Bin Hamad Al-Thani has been outed in a British-based publication.

Aljazeera, quoting a Qatar-based Islamic website, reports that the prince and two other Qataris were involved in a bar fight at G.A.Y. one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Britain.

Aljazeera Magazine reports that the heir to the throne of Qatar and two others, one of whom as described as the prince's "partner" have been barred from the club.

The report quotes police as saying that the three men exchanged blows with locals at the club.

“Prince Tameem and his partner were not charged. However, they will be banned from visiting this club for 30 days,” a police spokesperson is quoted as saying.

365Gay.com has not been able to verify the details. Because no charges were laid there is no official police record of the alleged incident. The Qatar embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for a statement.

The Prince was educated in the UK and spends most summers in London.

Scholars of Islamonline.net condemned the actions quoting religious text, the magazine says.

"Almighty Allah has prohibited illegal sexual intercourse and homosexuality and all means that lead to either of them. Moreover, Islam emphatically forbids this deed [homosexual sex] and prescribes a severe punishment for it in this world and the next. How could it be otherwise, when the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever you find committing the sin of the people of Lut, kill them, both the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.'"

Qatari based scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi also quoted:

"The scholars of Islam, such as Malik, Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad and Ishaaq said that (the person guilty of this crime) should be stoned, whether he is married or unmarried.”

Qatar is an Islamic state. Under Sharia law the prince could be imprisoned if he were formally charged with the "crime of homosexuality".

In July two teens were executed in Iran reportedly because they were gay.

Supporters of the government say the pair had threatened and abused a 13 year old but rights groups dispute the allegation.

At least three men have been sentenced over the past month to death by stoning in Nigeria which also follows Sharia law in several provinces.

In March a gay couple was beheaded in a public execution in Saudi Arabia. The pair had been convicted of killing a blackmailer who had threatened to expose them to authorities. Hundreds of other gays have been rounded up by Saudi authorities in recent months.

Club G.A.Y. is one of London's most popular clubs. Located on Old Compton Street in Soho it has three floors and frequently features well known entertainers. It's sister bar in Manchester was made famous by TV's original Queer As Folk.