Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s highest religious authority, has warned against promoting homosexuality through entertainment content tailored for children. The warning came amid growing criticism of Walt Disney Company over plans to introduce more gay characters in its productions.

In a June 9 statement, the Al-Azhar Fatwa Global Center condemned homosexuality as “obscene” and “reprehensible.” It cited a “systematic diabolical plan to normalize the immoral crime of homosexuality in Muslim societies” through entertainment media content.

The plan “aims to destroy the system of moral and social values of the family institution, distort the identity of its members, and tamper with the security and stability of societies,” the statement said. “There are attempts to impose a culture of homosexuality on the Islamic world under the pretext of accepting the other.”

The statement urged parents, media institutions and educators to play their roles to enhance religious and societal values and “immunize young people against falling into the clutches of these attempts.”