New Gay-Friendly Mosque Tests Islam's Tolerance in Paris

[DriftingCrow]

New Gay-Friendly Mosque Tests Islam's Tolerance in Paris
http://www.charismanews.com/world/34784-new-gay-friendly-mosque-tests-islams-tolerance-in-paris
Chine Labbe, Charisma News via Reuters, additional reporting from Lucien Libert and Sunaina Karkarey; Dec. 3, 2012

Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed, a French-Algerian, who is a practicing Muslim and gay man opened up a gay-friendly Mosque in Paris in late 2012 after his group "Homosexual Muslims of France" rose from six to 325 people within two years. The mosque is in a small room in the home of a sympathetic Buddhist monk. The mosque "will welcome transgender and transsexual Muslims and seat men and women together, breaking with another custom where the sexes are normally segregated during prayer." Women are also encuoraged to lead Friday prayers.

There are many Muslims who interprete the Qu'ran as forbidding homosexuality, and this tension has caused many LGBT Muslims to leave the faith. "Zahed, who believes he is the first Muslim in France to be joined to a same-sex partner in a symbolic ceremony conducted by an imam, says gays or transsexuals who feel their sexuality is conspicuous can struggle to blend in at regular mosques." The goal of the Muslims at this moasque is to promote inclusion in Islam, and to push for LGBT asseptance in the younger Muslim generation who is questioning some of the conservative interpretations of Islam.

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I heard this story back on BBC World Service in December and I thought it was worth sharing. I thought it was great how the Buddhist monk was willing to collaborate with Zahed in allowing the mosque to be in his home, and I hope more mosques, temples, etc. become LGBT-friendly.

[Mohini]

Alhamdulillah!

I hope and pray that more tolerance, acceptance, and blessings come for these devoted mu'min. I am always afraid of Islamic fundamentalism in Europe from news sources (Islam is peaceful here in Canada), so much blessings for their bravery!

[Shakira]

I really do like this.As a Muslim,I think it would be lovely to attend Friday prayers with brothers and sisters who are tolerant,non-judgemental and capable of intelligent,well reasoned conversation.

[Mohini]

I don't really like this. As a Muslim, it's not about 'interpreting' the Qur'an to say this - it's been in agreement for a thousand years and until the West started being gay-friendly there was no dispute. So, really and truly, this is bid'a and it is serious.

Even though I am non-Muslim, I think it's silly to throw around words like bid'a or shirk as if we know what God had in mind when He revealed the Qur'an to the Prophet. Obviously in the Islamic Renaissance, many devout and non-devout Muslims had differing interpretations on Qur'anic life and Islamic culture.

I think it is best to leave them be, and let them do their salat in peace. All people come from God, and unto Him shall we all return.

On a happy note, I just noticed that we have an Islamic prayer circle that opened up for the LGBT community here in my locality, so I am extremely happy for them. I grew up surrounded by Muslimahs, so I think it would be wonderful to show the world that even gays and lesbians can worship God.

[gennee]

That's really great!