What 's like to be gay and Mlim | CNN

Contents:

• A GAY IMAM'S STORY: 'THE DIALOGUE IS OPEN ISLAM – 10 YEARS AGO WASN'T'
• MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM
• THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH
• WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE GAY AND MLIM
• IMAM FRANCE MARRI TWO GAY MLIMS
• GAY PARIS
• LUDOVIC ZAHED ONE OF THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MUSLIM CLERICS IN THE WORLD
• IMAM ET GAY, IL MARIE SANS DISTCTN - DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

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

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.

MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM

"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.

THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

Many worshippers at the Light of Reform Mosque are not 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.

“But the tradn was and remas that homosexualy is a s Mlim tradn.

WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE GAY AND MLIM

The var scholars who ntributed to the project’s report emphasized that there is no sgular terpretatn of homosexualy Islam. "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.

IMAM FRANCE MARRI TWO GAY MLIMS

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.

GAY PARIS

Andre Carson, D-Ind., have both advoted for gay rights. Ain-Amerin Daayiee Abdullah (62) is one of the few publicly gay imams the world.

Do Islam approve of homosexualy?

Durg my rearch Sdi Arabia, I found posive terpretatn on homosexualy Quran. Is difficult to be a gay imam publicly? There are 12 gay imams the world and eight are openly gay.

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

It is not difficult for an dividual to be openly a gay imam but pends on the cultural ntext. In the Wt, there is much more acceptance of gay imams or Mlim gays.

Lia Darj photographed people var untri who are both gay and Mlim.

IMAM ET GAY, IL MARIE SANS DISTCTN - DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

Among those she terviewed were openly gay imams Europe and the Uned Stat. But as wh many gay Mlims she terviewed and photographed, unsettlg ner dialogu are takg place beneath the surface.

“I started wh the notn that was sful (to be gay) and that those who practiced were problematic at bt, ” he said.