The Orlando shooter's father is a Taliban supporter who made a video claiming God will 'punish' gays

Seddique Mir Mateen
(Image credit: Twitter/@GMA)

Seddique Mir Mateen, the father of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, posted a video on his Facebook page Monday morning claiming that while he was "not aware what motivated him to go into a gay club and kill 50 people," the elder Mateen believes "God will punish those involved in homosexuality."

Seddique Mateen shared his U.S.-born son's anti-American views, serving as the host of a California-based satellite Afghan TV station for Afghans living in the United States, and expressed opinions in support of the Taliban, CBS News reports. The elder Mateen, who often appears in his Facebook videos wearing a military uniform, has also declared himself the leader of the "transitional revolutionary government" of Afghanistan, and claims to have his own intelligence agency that he will use to overthrow the influence of Pakistan in Afghanistan.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.