In a survey of Amerin Mlims, 0% intified as lbian or gay. Here's the story behd that statistic | CNN

l'imam gay

For many LGBT Mlims, g out of the closet to their fai and relig muni n be a ght cisn. One Mlim lear says she receiv lls regularly om young gay and lbian Mlims who are aaid to reveal their sexual inty.

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MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM

Muhs Hendricks, the ‘world’s first gay imam’ wants to help LGBTQ+ Mlims South Ai rencile their sexualy wh their fah * l'imam gay *

But Imam Daayiee Abdullah – believed to be the only openly gay imam the Ameris – is proud of his story. But as a gay man Ameri, he saw that lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr Mlims had unmet spirual needs and he beme an imam to provi muny support. "Beg an openly gay imam and havg been intified as such, I do get a lot of feedback and also kickback, but that's OK, " said Imam Daayiee Abdullah, of Washgton, D.

Performg funeral r for a gay Mlim who died of AIDS. But not all of them are gay. Many worshippers at the Light of Reform Mosque are not gay.

THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

US News: Ain-Amerin Daayiee Abdullah (62) is one of the few publicly gay imams the world. * l'imam gay *

"Beg an openly gay imam and havg been intified as such, I do get a lot of feedback and also kickback, but that's OK, ” he said. “If you go to most Mlim scholars, they're gog to tell you that homosexual acts are a s Islam; that there's no way around , ” said Dr. Hse Rashid, an adjunct profsor of relign at Hofstra Universy and ntributor to a report on homosexualy U.

A GAY IMAM'S STORY: 'THE DIALOGUE IS OPEN ISLAM – 10 YEARS AGO WASN'T'

Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed has risked anger and jury to further the e of gay Mlims. Ten years after he tablished Europe's first clive mosque, he explor what has changed. * l'imam gay *

“But the tradn was and remas that homosexualy is a s Mlim tradn. The var scholars who ntributed to the project’s report emphasized that there is no sgular terpretatn of homosexualy Islam.

LIFE AS A GAY IMAM ISN'T AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS

Atralia's only openly gay Imam says he is alg wh an "avalanche of misery" among LGBTI Mlims, and wants to create a safe hoe and unsellg centre for them. * l'imam gay *

"I thk Daayiee is tryg to say, 'Y, I n be gay and I n be a Mlim, and I n tend to people who are also gay and Mlim, ' that this is part of their inty as a human beg and that the relign of Islam teach people to embrace all aspects of their humany, " he said.

Though is unknown how many Amerin Mlims or Mlims around the world are gay, a growg number are vyg to be heard. The film “I Am Gay and Mlim” tracks several gay Morocn men as they explore their relig and sexual inti. Last year, a gay-iendly mosque opened Paris – Europe’s first.

Muhs Hendricks, an openly gay imam Capetown, South Ai, has for years been leadg ngregants and preachg that homosexualy and Islam are not patible. Andre Carson, D-Ind., have both advoted for gay rights.

GAY IMAM HOP TO OPEN ATRALIA'S FIRST LGBTI-IENDLY MOSQUE

* l'imam gay *

” Khan was born to the Mlim fah, while Ty – who intifi as non-bary – is a recent pansexual uple are among a dozen or so people who have gathered to listen to Muhs Hendricks, often lled “the world’s first openly gay imam”. Unterred, he ntued to spread the msage that beg gay and Mlim are not patible, and is now the subject of a new documentary film, The Radil, which has s European premiere Berl this prayer at Masjadul Ghurbhh.

IN A SURVEY OF AMERIN MLIMS, 0% INTIFIED AS LBIAN OR GAY. HERE’S THE STORY BEHD THAT STATISTIC

A documentary film about Capetonian Muhs Hendricks, who beme the world’s first openly gay imam, is premierg at the Enunters Ftival. * l'imam gay *

”In 2011 Hendricks bolstered his role as an imam figure by settg up a mosque space after a iend endured a lol sermon nmng homosexualy.

THE RADIL: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WORLD’S FIRST GAY IMAM

’”Same-sex marriage has been legally regnised sce 2006 South Ai, which is more acceptg of homosexualy than many Ain untri.

LUDOVIC ZAHED ONE OF THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MUSLIM CLERICS IN THE WORLD

Acrdg to Masjidul Ghurbaah visors such as Khan, though, homophobia is still mon the cy’s mosqu.

“Havg a space where you n experience your culture and relign whout severe homophobia is very appealg, ” says Khan. Last summer the MJC clared a h fatwa on gay liftyl. ”skip past newsletter promotnafter newsletter promotnHendricks says there’s nothg the Qur’an that “should be ed as blanket nmnatn of homosexualy”.

He says there’s nothg the text that should be ed as blanket nmnatn of homosexualy.

MEET THE GAY IMAM WHO STARTED SOUTH AI'S FIRST LGBTIQ IENDLY MOSQUE

In 2019 he went to Kenya to promote LGBTQ+ rights ahead of the untry’s high urt upholdg anti-homosexualy laws current activism projects clu creatg onle vios Urdu and Hdi discsg LGBTQ+ Mlims.

He talks to the few other gay imams around the world, such as Atralia’s Nur Warsame and US-based Daayiee Abdullah, but remas the only one Ai. Ain-Amerin Daayiee Abdullah (62) is one of the few publicly gay imams the world.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* L'IMAM GAY

LUDOVIC ZAHED ONE OF THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MUSLIM CLERICS .

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