Dutch politician condemns Islam's view of gays

WESTERBORK, Netherlands, April 21 (Reuters) - A Muslim-born Dutch lawmaker today condemned Islam's attitude to homosexuality and said her country had not done enough for gay asylum seekers who could face the death penalty at home.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is writing a film on Islam and homosexuality, despite receiving death threats for her 2004 film on violence against women in Islamic societies, said the faith was responsible for much gay abuse.

''By that I do not mean that people of other religions do not persecute homosexuals ... but coming from that background that is what I have witnessed and I think that it is my responsibility not to remain quiet,'' she added.

She also stressed the Dutch government and other European governments had not done enough to protect those trying to flee such persecution.

Hirsi Ali highlighted the plight of a group of Iranian gay asylum seekers, who were due to be deported from the Netherlands after a government report concluded their sexuality did not put them at risk, and who have been the focus of a bitter debate.

Comments by Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk that gays did not face persecution in Iran as long as they were discrete sparked fury after reports Iran may have executed men last year for being homosexual.

''I did not expect that the minister of a democratic country could say such a thing,'' said one of the asylum seekers, who fled Iran five years ago and gave his name only as Ebrahim.

The centre-right government, in which Hirsi Ali's VVD liberal party is a coalition partner, bowed to pressure last week and agreed to delay any deportations until it had reviewed the situation in Iran.

''My government has not taken this as seriously as I would have liked,'' Hirsi Ali told reporters after opening an exhibition on the persecution of homosexuals during the Nazi-era at Westerbork former concentration camp.

RISING INTOLERANCE Islam's position on homosexuality became a major discussion point in the Netherlands when anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn, himself openly gay, accused Islam of being homophobic.

Fortuyn was murdered by an animal rights activist in 2002.

Hirsi Ali has lived under armed guard since filmmaker Theo van Gogh, with whom she worked on her film ''Submission'' was killed in 2004 by an Amsterdam-born Muslim radical.

Surveys last month showed gays in the Netherlands, traditionally seen as one of the most gay friendly countries in the world, believe violence and aggression against them was on the rise -- much of which has been blamed on immigrants.

''We have a lot of tension in society about the value system in our country and the clash between Western culture and Islamic culture,'' said Frank van Dalen, chairman of an umbrella organisation of Dutch gay groups.

But he added: ''Immigrants also suffer a lot of discrimination so there is tension in that society too. We need to give each other space.'' Reuters SC VP0215