No apology from 'anti-gay' singer

Sizzla cannot enter the UK while the Home Office examines complaints

Reggae star Sizzla has refused to apologise for his lyrics advocating violence against gay men, despite his UK tour being cancelled after protests.

"They can't ask me to apologise," he told BBC radio station 1Xtra. "They've got to apologise to God because they break God's law."

Sizzla is not allowed into the UK while the Home Secretary examines concerns raised by gay rights group OutRage!

But the singer said: "We don't go there to hurt people."

Lyrics examined

Born in Jamaica as Miguel Collins, Sizzla has released 25 albums since 1995 and is credited with taking dancehall music back to its reggae origins.

One of his most controversial songs, Pump Up, contains the Jamaican patois lyrics "fire fi di man dem weh go ride man behind", translated by OutRage! as "burn the men who have sex with men".

His five-date UK tour was cancelled earlier this month as the Metropolitan Police's Racial and Violent Crime unit examined lyrics by eight reggae artists.

I sing 'fire burn for homosexuals' and sometime in some street I walk, I see them and me no touch them Sizzla

In his first interview since the cancellation, Sizzla explained why he would not apologise to homosexuals.

"Why must I apologise to corruption? How can I do that?" he said.

But the singer denied he was a threat to gay men and lesbians.

"I sing 'fire burn for homosexuals' and sometime in some street I walk, I see them and me no touch them," he said.

"If I don't like what you're doing I don't come there, if you don't like what I'm doing or what I say you don't come where I'm at."

He concluded: "Everyone's entitled to life, freedom of security and person."

Sizzla is interviewed on BBC 1Xtra's Robbo Ranx's show at 1900 GMT on Thursday.