USA TODAY International Edition
Shooter’s father condemns slaughter but also gay people
He says judgment was not up to his son but in God’s hands
The father of the suspect in the shooting of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando condemned the massacre but implied that God would punish gay people.
Federal authorities identified the gunman at the Pulse club as Omar Mateen, 29, a New Yorkborn resident of Fort Pierce, Fla.
His father, Seddique Mateen, posted a video in the Dari language of Afghanistan on his Facebook page early Monday.
In a message to the people of Afghanistan, he said, “I don’t know what made him ( do this), I have no idea. I had no idea that he felt resentful in his heart and had gone to the gay ( he used the derogatory term hamjensbazi) club and killed men and women there,” according to The Guardian.
He described Omar as “a very good and well- educated son with a wife and a child.”
He said, “I am very sad, and I’ve announced this to the American people as well. Why did he do this act during this holy month of Ramadan? On the topic of being hamjensbazi, punishment and the things that they do, God will give the punishment.
“This is not the issue for a follower of God, and he that did this has greatly saddened me. I wanted you to know this. God give all youth complete health to keep the real path of the holy religion of Islam in mind,” he said.
Seddique Mateen, who is of Afghan descent and lives in Florida, holds strong political views, including support for the Afghan Taliban, The Washington Post reported.
The Guardian reported that he said in a phone interview that his son did not identify with the family’s Afghan heritage. “Omar was an American,” he said.
“Why did he do this act during this holy month of Ramadan?” Seddique Mateen