A pastor who was suspended from her position on Harrow council over her comments criticizing the LGBT community has refused to back down, saying that as a Christian, she "must" tell the truth.
Chika Amadi, a charity worker and evangelical pastor who has been on the Harrow Council since 2014, was suspended after sharing a post from the website LifeSiteNews.com showing a picture from a Toronto Pride march with a young girl appearing to cover her eyes as a naked man walked past.
"Walking about naked in front of children is nothing but paedophelia being labelled liberalism," she tweeted. Another tweet said: "Try me try my God. Walk naked in front of my child, you will know whether you are normal or not."
Amadi, who is one of the main speakers at the five-day long "Jesus Festival 2017" which takes place in north London next month, also tweeted, "Who cares how distressed the child in the picture is? I do. It is unfair to take away a child's innocence.
In an earlier Facebook post, she shared a quote from the president of the Gambia in which he threatened gay men and women with prison.
"Homosexuality is anti-humanity," the quote reads. "I have never seen a homosexual chicken, or turkey. If you are convicted of homosexuality in this country, there will be no mercy for offenders. We will put you in the female wing of the prison."
When other social media users accused the pastor of homophobia, Amadi tweeted, "Evil. If you dare walk naked in front of my child God will give you terrible assignment that will put you to perpetual sleep. Be warned."
Shortly thereafter, she was suspended by the Labor party "pending investigation."
Harrow Council's leader, Sachin Shah, told the Evening Standard: "As Leader of Harrow Council and a proud Harrow resident I absolutely reject and condemn these abhorrent statements.
"Homophobic views have no place in our community - which is one of the most diverse and accepting in all of the UK. We stand for equal rights for all - and I have asked the national Labour Party to deal with this issue swiftly and decisively."
Dylan Thomas and Sarah Kerton, the co-chairs of LGBT Labor, also issued a separate statement calling the comments "offensive, distasteful and homophobic".
Conservative MP Margot James said: "These homophobic comments by a sitting Labour councillor are completely unacceptable and wrong. I urge the Harrow Labour party to withdraw the whip immediately from Councillor Amadi to reflect the seriousness of these statements on her social media."
Instead of backing down, however, Amadi released another tweet, reading: "I am of a different breed in Christ. I love but I must tell you the hard truth. Take it or leave it. Fight me and u provoke God's wrath."
She also shared a photo pointing out that "liberal tolerance is an oxymoron."
"Liberals say they are the 'tolerant' 'inclusive' ones. But if you disagree with them, they hate you, mock you, and call you horrible names. Isn't that what 'intolerant bigot haters' do?" reads the photo.
