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Gay Muslims cautiously gather for pride parade
MMohammad
06/20/01 at 23:17:24
Asalamu'alaikum, Gay Muslims cautiously gather for pride parade http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/article.html?s=asia/headline s/010620/world/afp/Gay_Muslims_cautiously_gather_for_pride_parade.html SAN FRANCISCO, June 20 (AFP) - One faction attending this weekend's gay pride parade in this city of tolerance isn't that anxious for publicity: The estimated 100 men and woman of Al-Fatiha Foundation, an international gay Muslim support group. Because members of Al-Fatiha regularly receive hate mail -- ranging from scholarly debate to death threats -- their conference venue in San Francisco remains secret. Participants must carry identification, and photography is prohibited during workshops and sessions. But a handful of conference participants will openly march in San Francisco's 31st annual, locally televised Gay Pride Parade on June 24. "Muslims tend to speak on gay issues with only one voice," said Faris Malik, a 35-year-old translator planning to attend the Fatiha conference. "To freely express yourself about sexuality and societal oppression is very liberating." Al-Fatiha, or "the opening" in Arabic, evolved from a 1997 email discussion group into an international organization with nine chapters in three countries. Though the group has had small gatherings in the past, this coming weekend of meetings will be the most open for the group. Faisal Alam, the 24-year-old founder and director of Washington, D.C.-based Al-Fatiha, said 90 percent of delegates at the conferences joined the group since its first small North American conference in New York City in 1999. "We want to create a supportive environment reconciling sexuality with the Islamic faith through networks of communication," said Alam. "Our vision in the next five years is to bring that community to the orthodox clergy to look at how this segment of Islam is suffering." Sydney Levy, communications director of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, which maintains a list of human rights violations against homosexuals, says the meeting is a act of bravery. In one Muslim country, Afghanistan, thousands watched in 1998 as a stone wall was toppled upon three men accused of sodomy, Levy said. "Were not interested in pointing the finger at any religion, but we must confront these human rights violations," said Levy. "The issue of homosexuality is extreme in the Muslim community," said Alam. "Islamic countries follow different practices, and some enforce capital punishment for homosexual acts." Iran's 1991 penal law specifies execution for sodomy between consenting adults, with escalating punishments applied to certain sex acts. A minor engaging in sodomy receives 74 lashes, while lesbianism calls for 100, with death on the fourth offense. In Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, similar laws mandate execution by stoning, hanging, or beheading. Saudi Arabia sentenced nine people to over 2,400 lashes each and up to and six years imprisonment for deviant sexual behavior in April, 2000, said Dennis Palmieri, a spokesman for Amnesty International, which will release a wide-ranging report on international homosexual persecution this weekend to coincide in San Francisco. "Amnesty International is looking to the strength of community to fight this terrible cycle of violence and silence," said Palmieri. Though Alam insists that the Koran doesn't outlaw homosexual acts, orthodox Islamic interpretations of the story of Lut (Lot, in the Bible) are unwavering. "The principal in Islam is that any extramarital sex is not allowed, straight, gay or otherwise," said Maher Hathout, senior advisor for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles, Calif. "A marriage is between man, wife and their God. By definition, adultery, fornication, homosexual practice will not be accepted by Muslims." Muzammil Saddiqi, president of the Islamic Society of North America concurred, saying that "gay Muslim" is a contradiction in terms. "Homosexuality is universally condemned in Islam," said Saddiqi. Hathout said he didn't believe Al-Fatiha would have a significant impact on Muslim thought in America, which is home to nearly six million of the world 's 1.2 billion Muslims. "People may have different tendencies that dont have to be paraded or propagandized," said Hathout.

Re: Gay Muslims cautiously gather for pride parade
humble_muslim
06/20/01 at 23:19:36
AA The incident in Afgahnistan actually involved three homosexual rapists.
NS

Re: Gay Muslims cautiously gather for pride parade
UmmZaid
06/20/01 at 23:54:47
>>One faction attending this weekend's gay pride parade in this city of tolerance isn't that anxious for publicity: The estimated 100 men and woman of Al-Fatiha Foundation, an international gay Muslim support group.<< SNORT. For a group that doesn't want publicity, they do a smashing job of getting it.  I've even seen this "anxious" group on television.  They're also very good at self-promotion, particularly the self-promoting Alam.  And very good at silencing the "Orthodox" Muslims who disagree with their views, through e-mail viruses, spamming, hate mail (oops, you mean... gays can *send* hate mail too???).  Been there, done that, with him and his little minions.  Unless they want to gather quite openly in Jahanam, they should make tauba to Allah subhannahu wa'tala for any wrong *actions* and speech they have made against Islam, insha'Allah they will.  Insha'Allah, we all will.
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