A Muslim cleric in Ghana has justified the rise of violent hate crimes against the country's LGBT community by saying that homosexual sex "disgusts" Allah.

The cleric, Maslam Abass Mahmud, made the remarks amid an increase in homophobic hostility toward LGBT individuals of Ghana's Zongo communities in Kumasi (one of the country's largest metropolitan areas) and the capital city of Accra.

These Zongo communities are composed primarily of immigrants from other West African countries and are predominantly Muslim. Many Zongo people perceive homosexuality as evil because of teachings found in the Holy Quran. Their interpretation of these teachings has led to the formation of a generally held belief that violence against LGBT individuals is actually not violence at all—it's a holy endeavor.

In an interview with a local paper, Mahmud surmised it thusly: “Allah gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounters and such disgusting encounters cause earthquakes."

He cites the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as evidence that Allah abhors homosexual behavior and has called on his fellow Muslims to crusade against LGBT people until they are wiped clean from Ghana.

“Should we allow such a shame to continue in our communities against our holy teachings?” he asks.

"Certainly no," he responds, "and we are very happy to chase away such idiots from our Zongo communities."

Many LGBT individuals within these communities have gone into hiding or fled their homes for fear of a mobilized anti-LGBT effort.