Omar Mateen got 'very angry' seeing two men kissing, father tells NBC

[TomCADem]

Source: LA Times

Omar Mateen's father, Mir Seddique, spoke to NBC News about the shooting . "This had nothing to do with religion," he told the network.

"We were in downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry," Seddique told NBC. "They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, 'Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that.' And then we were in the men's bathroom and men were kissing each other."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-orlando-nightclub-shooting-live-omar-mateen-got-very-angry-seeing-two-1465749495-htmlstory.html

---

Edit to add that he was born in the U.S. contrary to earlier reports that he was an immigrant.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-omar-mateen-orlando-nightclub-shooting-story.html

Federal investigators are checking out local police reports that the Orlando nightclub shooter who killed 50 people at a gay venue pledged allegiance to Islamic State and said prayers to Allah during the attack, but haven't confirmed the information, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said Sunday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments, said investigators think Omar Mateen is a U.S. citizen who was born in New York state to immigrant parents originally from Afghanistan.

He was abusive to his wife and recently angered by seeing two men kissing, relatives told media outlets.

Authorities say Mateen of Port St. Lucie was armed with an assault rifle and pistol when he shot at an Orlando officer outside the venue then moved inside where he opened fire on the hundreds inside.

[Imajika]

1. Good grief

Yeah, nothing to do with religion....

[busterbrown]

2. Homophobia ?

A big fund raising machine for those of the hateful faith..

[msongs]

3. religion says death to gays and he kills gays. no coincidence at all.... nt

[TomCADem]

5. Its a Hate Crime. Religion Is Often Invoked To Justify Hate

Robert Lewis, Jr., the person who shot up a planned parenthood, is not seen as a religious zealot, because he was Christian, but he did describe himself as a member of “Army of God,” a Christian antiabortion organization.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/12/the-twisted-remorselessness-of-accused-planned-parenthood-killer-robert-dear-jr/

[skepticscott]

7. Ummmm...no

Religion often generates hate that would not otherwise be there.

The notion that there is some minimum quota of hate and bigotry that human beings are predestined to express, and that if it wasn't motivated by religion, there would always be another cause, is just dopey apologist nonsense. This guy may not have been thinking right at that instant "God wants me to kill these people", but if not for the undercurrent of homophobic bigotry that religion has sown in this country for so many years, it's quite likely that his reaction would not have been what it was.

[TomCADem]

11. Chicken and Egg - The Rise of the Religious Right Motivated By Race

In the 1970s, it was considered to be improper for Christians to get overly involved in political activities. However, when the IRS began cracking down on Christian universities because of they continued to engage in segregation, the religious right was formed. Of course, it was not a great argument to defend racist practices, so abortion became the focus of their efforts. Abortion did not give rise to the religious right. It was segregation.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133_Page3.html#.V12eEPkrKUk

The Green v. Connally ruling provided a necessary first step: It captured the attention of evangelical leaders, especially as the IRS began sending questionnaires to church-related “segregation academies,” including Falwell’s own Lynchburg Christian School, inquiring about their racial policies. Falwell was furious. “In some states,” he famously complained, “It’s easier to open a massage parlor than a Christian school.”

One such school, Bob Jones University—a fundamentalist college in Greenville, South Carolina—was especially obdurate. The IRS had sent its first letter to Bob Jones University in November 1970 to ascertain whether or not it discriminated on the basis of race. The school responded defiantly: It did not admit African Americans.

Although Bob Jones Jr., the school’s founder, argued that racial segregation was mandated by the Bible, Falwell and Weyrich quickly sought to shift the grounds of the debate, framing their opposition in terms of religious freedom rather than in defense of racial segregation. For decades, evangelical leaders had boasted that because their educational institutions accepted no federal money (except for, of course, not having to pay taxes) the government could not tell them how to run their shops—whom to hire or not, whom to admit or reject. The Civil Rights Act, however, changed that calculus.

Bob Jones University did, in fact, try to placate the IRS—in its own way. Following initial inquiries into the school’s racial policies, Bob Jones admitted one African-American, a worker in its radio station, as a part-time student; he dropped out a month later. In 1975, again in an attempt to forestall IRS action, the school admitted blacks to the student body, but, out of fears of miscegenation, refused to admit unmarried African-Americans. The school also stipulated that any students who engaged in interracial dating, or who were even associated with organizations that advocated interracial dating, would be expelled.

[rug]

16. So, he would not be a homophobe if he were not Muslim?

That your position?

[skepticscott]

24. Not remotely what I said or think

But I understand why you keep trying to put words in my mouth, ruggie. It's the only way you have to win arguments.

[rug]

26. Ummmm...no

"Religion often generates hate that would not otherwise be there."

Your words precisely, scottie. Including the ellipsis.

[skepticscott]

29. So please show us

where my "precise" words said anything about him being a Muslim, as you tried to attribute to me:

"he would not be a homophobe if he were not Muslim?"

That's YOUR exact statement, ruggie...and as noted, it's not what I said or think.

Try again. Or squirm some more...

[rug]

30. Hmmm . . .. could it be that Islam is a religion?

One of those things that "often generates hate that would not otherwise be there."

[skepticscott]

33. I said "religion"

I did not specify Islam or Muslims, now did I? And yet you tried to pretend I did.

Keep trying to misrepresent what I said, ruggie. I'll let you know when you get it right.

[rug]

36. You don't think Islam is a religion?

I wouldn't want to misrepresent you.

[skepticscott]

38. Like I said

When you get it right, I'll let you know.

Here's a hint, just because I feel sorry for you...All Islams are religions, but not all religions are Islams.

[rug]

39. It's pretty clear who's right here, scottie.

A rather disturbing display of someone running from the conclusions of his own words.

Not as disturbing, though, as seeing you rolling around laughing in this kind of thread.

[JI7]

4. "He was abusive to his wife"

So it was just fine for him to be abusive to his wife and his son seeing that but 2 men kissing was the problem ?

[IronLionZion]

17. The gays ruined his marriage

and caused the wife to leave him.



Which is probably how he justified it in his mind

[Boomer]

6. All too familiar

Men who react with rage at seeing two men together betray their own deeply-seated fears of being gay themselves.

I'm so tired of my community being ravaged by this self-loathing turned against everyone else.

[Igel]

31. Perhaps. Or not.

Imagine this: "A man who reacts with rage at a woman's being raped betray his own deeply-seated fears of being a rapist himself."

Or "A woman who reacts with rage at a black youth's being gunned down betrays her own deeply-seated fears of being a racist killer herself."

I doubt we'd think that of most people. Perhaps we'd think that of those we especially dislike, but then it's just our desire to insult them that's doing the "thinking."

Sometimes it might happen, but Freudian analysis is best left to psychiatrists who actually interact with the subject. Otherwise it comes off as puerile.

[AlbertCat]

8. "This had nothing to do with religion,"

Baloney.

[TomCADem]

12. Religion Being Used To Justify Acts of Hate and Violence

Many folks manage to practice and observe their faith without going on a killing spree.

[AlbertCat]

13. Many folks manage to practice and observe their faith without going on a killing spree.

So what.

Some folks manage to practice and observe their faith and do go on killing sprees because of them.

Same religions. Can be used, thru cherry picking, to justify all manner of stupid behavior.... and it is.

Religion is ridiculous.

[bigworld]

9. Another piece says that his wife left him in 2011

so he's been thinking about the kissing for a loooong time it seems.

[iandhr]

10. NBC is saying that he pledged allegiance to ISIS.

[Kali]

28. no and your post should be hidden too

you are essentially saying gays are so fucked up they hate themselves enough to kill other gays. that is fucking WRONG.

ASSHOLES are bigoted and filled with hate. PERIOD.

[JI7]

19. this is offensive to lgbt community

Throughout history people have been hateful towards those who may be different in any way.

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Thank you!

I am surprised it was hidden, even by a slim margin. I am fucking sick and tired of people who try to make this a "gay" issue, meaning it was because the attacker is "secretly gay." Some homophobes are homophobes because they are hate-filled assholes. Not a single fucking person claimed Stormm "secretly" wanted to be black when he massacred 9 African-American people. When someone murders a Muslim, NO ONE claims the person "secretly" wants to be Muslim, but every goddamned time, EVERY FUCKING TIME, a gay person is murdered, the murder is speculated to be a "secret" homo who hates himself. It is nothing more than victim blaming and maki8ng excuses for homophobia spewed from the non-GLBT community!!!

I am sick of it!

[Aerows]

34. Mark me down

as absolutely sick of it, too!

[MowCowWhoHow III]

18. The Taliban supporting father? Very reliable!

Orlando shooting suspect’s father hosted a political TV show

The father of Omar Mateen, identified by police as the man behind the carnage at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning, is an Afghan man who holds strong political views, including support for the Afghan Taliban.

Seddique Mateen, who has been referred to as Mir Seddique in early news reports, hosted the “Durand Jirga Show” on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California. In it, the elder Mateen speaks in the Dari language on a variety of political subjects. Dozens of videos are posted on a channel under Seddique Mateen's name on YouTube. A phone number and post office box that are displayed on the show were traced back to the Mateen home in Florida. Mateen also owns a nonprofit organization under the name Durand Jirga, which is registered in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

In one video, Mateen expresses gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.

“Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in [the] Taliban movement and national Afghan Taliban are rising up,” he said. “Inshallah the Durand Line issue will be solved soon.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/12/orlando-shooting-suspects-father-hosted-a-political-tv-show-and-even-tried-to-run-for-the-afghan-presidency/?tid=sm_tw

[rockfordfile]

20. Religion is the main reason for bigotry.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. The father is blaming the kissing men and excusing his son's rage, and that's nasty and obviously

Dad taught him this hate, Dad being a big Taliban supporter and all.

[Behind the Aegis]

23. Victim blaming.

And, like the rising of the sun, there are those assuming the shooter was "just really a self-loathing homo!" Our community is attacked and people want to make US the goddamned problem!

[Aerows]

35. "Our community is attacked and people want to make US the goddamned problem!"

Bingo, and I'm getting seriously pissed off about it.

[smirkymonkey]

25. His religion informed his hatred of gay people.

Therefore I think it was a major factor in this hate fueled massacre.

[Gomez163]

27. I remember when I first watched "Six Feet Under" on HBO.

Yes, to see two men kissing was jarring. I never really ever saw that in person.

But I got over it and accepted that it was how life was.

People can love whoever they want.

[Odin2005]

37. Father is a Taliban-supporting POS.

[bluestateguy]

40. Islam is pretty homophobic

More so than Christianity (which also still has a good many homophobes too).

But even most "moderate" Muslisms hold anti-gay views.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

41. He sounds like goddamn Ralph Wiggam

"They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, 'Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that.' And then we were in the men's bathroom and men were kissing each other."

“Mrs. Krabappel and Principal Skinner were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and the baby looked at me!”

Fucking cretins. Get the fuck out of this country if you don't like it. Go back to a country where murdering gay people and women is lauded and celebrated, you fucking scumbag.