rim ination ▁laws . ▁ ▁However ▁a ▁drawn - out ▁period ▁of ▁recon c ili ation ▁followed , ▁involving ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁el - M ou m ni , ▁Dutch ▁polit icians , ▁hom osex uals ▁and ▁religious ▁groups , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁gradually ▁moved ▁to ▁apolog ize . ▁ ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁statements ▁were ▁m istr ans l ated . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁justice ▁min istry ▁decided ▁to ▁pro sec ute ▁him ▁anyway . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁a ▁court ▁in ▁Rot ter dam ▁announced ▁its ▁ver dict : ▁although ▁in ▁principle ▁his ▁statements ▁had ▁been ▁disc rimin atory ▁against ▁hom osex uals , ▁they ▁were ▁permitted ▁on ▁grounds ▁of ▁freedom ▁of ▁religious ▁expression , ▁since ▁they ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Q ur ' an ▁and ▁other ▁Muslim ▁documents . ▁ ▁The ▁justice ▁min istry ▁appe aled ▁the ▁decision ▁but ▁lost ▁again ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Just ▁before ▁reaching ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 5 , ▁el - M ou m ni ▁ended ▁his ▁ 4 6 - year ▁career ▁with ▁a ▁last ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁An - N as r ▁Mos que ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁In ▁this ▁service ▁el - M ou m ni ▁called ▁on ▁bel ie vers ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁mos que ▁not ▁only ▁for ▁prayer , ▁but ▁also ▁for