Atralia’s First Openly Gay Imam on What He's Learned About Intolerance

Contents:

• MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM
• A GAY IMAM'S STORY: 'THE DIALOGUE IS OPEN ISLAM – 10 YEARS AGO WASN'T'
• THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH
• ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM ON WHAT HE'S LEARNED ABOUT INTOLERANCE
• LIFE AS A GAY IMAM ISN'T AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS
• IMAM GAY ATRALIA KLAIM BANYAK DIMTAI BANTUAN OLEH LGBT MLIM INDONIA
• FRANCE : IMAM ET GAYARTE REPORTAGE

MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM

But Imam Daayiee Abdullah – believed to be the only openly gay imam the Ameris – is proud of his story.

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

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

"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.

ATRALIA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM ON WHAT HE'S LEARNED ABOUT INTOLERANCE

“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.

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

“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. "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.

IMAM GAY ATRALIA KLAIM BANYAK DIMTAI BANTUAN OLEH LGBT MLIM INDONIA

Andre Carson, D-Ind., have both advoted for gay rights.

” 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.

FRANCE : IMAM ET GAYARTE REPORTAGE

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

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.