A gay imam's story: 'The dialogue is open Islam – 10 years ago wasn't' | World Enomic Fom

Contents:

• MEET AMERI’S FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM
• MEET DAAYIEE ABDULLAH, AMERI'S GAY IMAM
• THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH
• THERE ARE 8 PUBLICLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD SAYS DAAYIEE ABDULLAH
• LIFE AS A GAY IMAM ISN'T AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS
• MEET AMERI'S ONLY OPENLY GAY IMAM
• D.C. IMAM PROVIS COUNSELG, WEDDGS, AND PRAYER SPACE FOR GAY MLIMS
• IMAM DAAYIEE ABDULLAH WEL GAY MLIMS TO WORSHIP, MARRY
• A GAY IMAM'S STORY: 'THE DIALOGUE IS OPEN ISLAM – 10 YEARS AGO WASN'T'

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. 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 DAAYIEE ABDULLAH, AMERI'S 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. 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.

THERE ARE 8 OPENLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD: DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

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.

THERE ARE 8 PUBLICLY GAY IMAMS THE WORLD SAYS DAAYIEE ABDULLAH

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.

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

It's OK to be gay and Mlim, acrdg to Daayiee Abdullah, an imam Washgton, D.

Abdullah is thought to be the only openly gay imam the Uned Stat, a signatn he says he is pleased to have.

MEET AMERI'S ONLY OPENLY GAY IMAM

Drsed sually a tank top, shorts, and baseball p bearg the logo of a chary where he volunteers, Abdullah is, many ways, not your typil jovial 61-year-old has followed a wdg and unnventnal path around the world that led him to bee a lear the gay Mlim muny the U. It was shortly before his 16th birthday when he told them he was gay.

D.C. IMAM PROVIS COUNSELG, WEDDGS, AND PRAYER SPACE FOR GAY MLIMS

Abdullah moved to San Francis after llege and joed a muny of activists fightg for gay rights.

Abdullah has nducted 65 weddgs over the years, cludg marriag between gay Mlims and for ter-fah upl. Daayiee Abdullah says other imams treat him rpectfully spe his ntroversial belief that is acceptable to be Mlim and gay. (Meagan Fzpatrick/CBC News)"Those who say there's somethg the Qur'an that says 's agast homosexualy are g their own terpretatn of what they thk the Qur'an says, " Abdullah said.

"Beg gay is not socially acceptable Islam, but that view n't legimately be based on the Qur'an, he acknowledg the way he terprets that Qur'an is an "alternative view.

IMAM DAAYIEE ABDULLAH WEL GAY MLIMS TO WORSHIP, MARRY

"Abdullah's homosexualy and beliefs have at tim ma him an outsir his fah, but general he said other imams Washgton treat him "rpectfully.

Seekg acceptance, not toleranceAs a unsellor he has helped gay youth and their parents navigate the challeng of beg gay and Mlim. Abdullah said some stanc parents are supportive but worry their muni may not be gay Mlims are treated pends on what part of the world they live , Abdullah said.

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

- Daayiee AbdullahThis unual imam, one of a handful known the world to be openly gay, said he don't seek tolerance about his sexualy and his relign, he is lookg for acceptance. Salaam is a volunteer-n anizatn that advot for social jtice and addrs the tersectg issu around homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia/racism. CALEM received the SOS Homophobia 2010, was supported by the European Council 2012, was an advisor to the Brish urt of jtice to the stat of refuge, was advisor to the French ernment regardg the law on marriage for all, and advisor to the nstutn of ILGA Ai (Biggt LGBT NGO worldwi).