In an interview with Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper late last month, Shawki Allam said that he condemned the Orlando massacre in which 49 people were killed and that no one had “the right to hurt homosexuals or to take the law into their own hands.”

Allam’s comments, which were part of a discussion about moderate Islam, are a historic milestone for Egypt’s religious institution. Along with the grand imam of al-Azhar mosque, the grand mufti of Egypt holds one of the highest positions on religious authority and plays an important role in determining opinions on religious law.

Allam noted that other religious communities in Egypt, such as the Coptic Church, have also condemned homosexuality but say gays and lesbians should be treated fairly.

The interview comes amid a crackdown on Egypt’s gay community, which has led many people to hide their identity because of fear of being arrested or harmed. Activists have expressed concern about a wave of arrests targeting people alleged to be gay or transgender, including seven transgender people who were celebrating a friend’s birthday in February 2015 and 11 allegedly gay men accused of prostitution in September.