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Content about Islam

May 19, 2013

Hundreds of Muslim leaders throughout the UK have signed a letter in a unified protest against the government’s same-sex marriage bill

Muslim leaders representing tens of thousands worshippers in the UK have banded together against gay marriage.

In what British newspaper The Telegraph calls ‘an unprecedented intervention from the British Muslim community,’ over 500 imams have signed a letter to express ‘serious misgivings’ about Cameron’s gay marriage bill.

March 20, 2013

Associated Press have backed up an unconfirmed story about a gay man being buried to his waist, blindfolded, and stoned to death in Somalia

A gay man was allegedly stoned to death as punishment for his homosexuality in Somalia.

A militant official and a Somali resident have confirmed al-Shabab fighters stoned to death a man for carrying out the sex act, the Associated Press reports.

The resident, Yusuf Abdi, said the group buried a blindfolded man to his waist last Friday (15 March) and threw stones at him until he died.

March 2, 2013

The English language mouthpiece of terrorist group Al Qaeda has criticized President Barack Obama’s support for marriage equality as valueless and pointed to openly gay congressman Barney Frank as a symbol of the corrupt American dream

Islamist terror group Al Qaeda has criticized the Obama Administration for its support for marriage equality and the election of openly gay public officials in the United States.

In the latest issue of the group’s English language mouthpiece, Inspire, an infographic attacks the US for ‘standing on no values,’ quoting President Barack Obama as saying, ‘My stance is still evolving … I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.’

February 24, 2013

A religious leader in India repeatedly slams the transgender community, known as hijras, saying these individuals have 'physiological and hormonal difficulties'
 

A video in which a Muslim leader decries the transgender and intersex community has gone viral on YouTube.

The interview, translated from Hindi, shows the founder and president of India's Islamic Research Center (IRC), a non-profit organization that promotes Islamic teachings, answering a question about how the 'other' gender that is neither man nor woman fits in Islam.

Faiz Syed said in his response: 'They are what we call hijra, in our language. They are neither male nor female.'

February 21, 2013

Gay Muslim advocate Omar Kuddus demands a swift response to the students who called on gays to be killed for kissing

GSN reported on Tuesday (19 February) about a Manchester student who secretly filmed an extremist Muslim at his Students’ Union saying gays should be executed.

Colin Cortbus, a Middle East studies student at the university in north-west England, used a small camera to film the event. It was organized by the Muslim-led Global Aspirations of Women student group.

February 15, 2013

Valentine’s Day yesterday saw an outpouring of claims amid some British Muslims that Valentine’s Day went against Islam. But this is false, says Omar Kuddus

I find it disturbing that several Islamic groups attacked Valentine’s Day yesterday as ‘haram’ (forbidden) by Islam. This is entirely false.

Valentine’s Day is described by Wikipedia as: ‘The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.’

February 1, 2013

Tehmina Kazi talks about fighting homophobia while nurturing understanding and respect for diversity within British Muslim communities

Over the last two weeks, a flurry of amateur YouTube videos have emerged, chronicling the activities of self-appointed ‘moral vigilantes.’

Storming the streets of Tower Hamlets, they took it upon themselves to ‘confiscate’ bottles of alcohol in the clutches of public drinkers, and harassed women whose dress codes fell short of their own particular definition of modesty (which, I’m guessing, is around 99% of the UK female population, including the Muslims).

January 25, 2013

Why Imams were right to condemn the gang trying to impose Sharia law in east London and why Islam doesn’t actually say being gay is a sin

This week GSN reported the Metropolitan Police were investigating a ‘Muslim Patrol’ in London that has been harassing men for looking ‘gay’.

This investigation was prompted by a video posted on You Tube on the weekend (19 to 20 January), which showed a group calling an unknown male a ‘bloody fag’. The video is prefaced by a logo saying ‘Islam will take over the world.’

January 20, 2013

Omar Kuddus, a Muslim gay LGBT rights advocate says there is no place for Sharia law in Britain and being gay is not sinful in Islam

Omar Kuddus, a Muslim gay LGBT rights advocate spoke against the possibility of applying sharia law in the United Kingdom.

Kuddus, who is also a GSN contributor as well as director and founder of GayAsylumUK believes that the introduction of Sharia law into Britain would put LGBT people’s safety and civil rights at risk.

Appearing on the UK's Channel 4 - 4Thought program, he argues religion should have no part in civil law.

December 29, 2012

Pakistan’s Journal of Contemporary Arts and Culture has been pulped after it published a series of paintings of suggestive scenes featuring Islamic clerics and undressed young men

Pakistan’s National College of Arts has closed its own academic journal following threats from Islamists after it published a series of paintings featuring homoerotic scenes of Islamic clerics and young men.

The Lahore based college pulled all copies of the journal from shelves and dissolved its editorial board following a backlash against the paintings, which may yet result in blasphemy charges being brought against college staff, the artist and others involved in the publication of the journal.

December 21, 2012

The establishment of an LGBT friendly mosque in France has been condemned by authorities in Malaysia

One of Malaysia’s top politicians has warned Muslims to be wary about the spread of homosexuality following the establishment of an LGBT friendly mosque in France.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim said homosexuality was a major transgression in Islam and what was being practiced in Europe should not be emulated in Malaysia.

December 5, 2012

FPI forces closure of Festival Waria Berbudaya (Cultural Transgender Festival) in Jakarta, but denies violence

Indonesian Islamic extremist group FPI (Front Pembela Islam, the Islamic Defenders Front) forced the closure of a festival for transgender rights in Jakarta on Monday.

A witness reported that the members of the FPI wore helmets and brought sticks to break-up the event.

Jakarta chief of FPI Salim Alatas denied this, telling Jakarta Globe:

November 21, 2012

Gay CNN anchor pulls no punches in exchanges with snarky viewers

Anderson Cooper has been proving in recent days that he is nobody's punching bag on Twitter.

The CNN anchor and daytime talk show host has been reporting on the bloody conflict between Isreal and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and even had to duck when there were blasts nearby.

But that doesn't mean he's been too distracted to craft witheringly sarcastic responses to some of the unflattering things that are being written about him on Twitter.

November 21, 2012

Europe's first inclusive mosque which will welcome LGBT people and women on an equal footing to open in Paris, France

The association of Gay Muslims in France (HM2F) announced it will open an inclusive and progressive mosque which will be open for gays and women on an equal footing.

The new mosque which will be open on 30 November will enable women and men to perform their prayers together in the same space, not separately as is customary in traditional mosques settings.

November 21, 2012

A new video is going viral on YouTube. It shows American militaries dancing and singing like the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders

American soldiers in Afghanistan have been taking a break from conflict by recreating the Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders’ Call Me Maybe.

Without fear of the Taliban, the group of soldiers shoot missiles and show off their guns, while imitating the cheerleading squad of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins.

The cheerleaders covered Carly Ray Jepsen’s gay anthem this year and clearly won a few American soldiers as fans.

November 4, 2012

New York City homeless shelter for LGBT youth damaged by Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is making life more difficult for those already struggling. A New York City drop-in center for homeless LGBT youth is trying to recover from water damage caused by the storm.

The Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit working with gay homeless teenagers, has a walk in center in the traditionally gay neighborhood of Chelsea (located in Manhattan). The building, a block away from the Hudson River, can no longer offer the help it has for the past seven years.

October 6, 2012

US Army sergeant was killed with two other soldiers in a Taliban suicide bomb attack in Khost

A married lesbian soldier and two others were killed in a Taliban suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan this week.

US Army Staff Sergeant Donna Johnson was murdered when a man riding a motorcycle packed with explosives rammed into a group of soldiers on patrol in Khost on Monday (1 October).

The suicide bomber was identified as a member of the Taliban, the Associated Press reports.

August 28, 2012

A group of LGBT Muslims celebrated Eid Al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, with pride and joy on the banks of the River Seine, Paris

Last weekend, a group of LGBT Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan with a special feast on the banks of the Seine.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims observe a strict fast and partake in charitable giving and peace-making.

At the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Fast-Breaking.

It is both a family and community occasion to celebrate the end of fasting, and thanking Allah for giving them strength throughout the fast.

July 13, 2012

Video which features 'fake' Sheikh claiming it is 'permitted' for jihadists to hide explosives in their rectums is a smear campaign against Wahhabi Muslims

Claims that Al-Qaeda suicide bombers were allowed to have anal sex in order to hide explosives in their rectums is part of a smear campaign against Wahhabi Muslims, experts reveal.

Researcher Raymond Ibrahim at right-wing think tank the Gatestone Institute wrote that it is common practice for jihadists to conceal bombs in their anus in order to 'execute martyrdom operations'.

Ibrahim, a fellow at the conservative David Horowitz Freedom Center, says news footage from Arabic channel Fadak TV in 2010 was evidence of this bizarre form of terrorism.

July 6, 2012

Extreme jihadist anti gay hate preachers invited to speak in a conference this Sunday. Some speakers openly call for gays to be put to death

This Sunday (8 July), London will host a conference titled The Month of Mercy featuring several extreme jihadist hate preachers, some of which have previously used hate speech against gays even calling for the death penalty for this 'sin'.

The conference is organised by The Al-Muntada Al-Islami, meaning the Islamic Forum in Arabic. This Salafi trust owns a Mosque and a number of schools in Britain, it also runs an Islamic centre in Parsons Green, London SW6, which has a long history of hosting known homophobic hate preachers.

June 20, 2012

Malaysia deputy minister says government is ‘tackling’ LGBT issue

A Malaysia deputy minister questioned in the senate yesterday, said that the constitution did not protect the rights of LGBT citizens.

Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, deputy minister in the prime minister’s department responded to a question in the senate about what the government was doing to ‘tackle’ LGBT issues.

‘A series of rehabilitation and treatment courses will be given to Muslims who have deviated from societal norms,’ said Mashitah. She said that being LGBT was against Islam and the constitution of the country, as Islam is the official religion.

May 25, 2012

ZI publications is considering all legal options after the Malaysian authorities banned both the English and the Malay versions of Irshad Maji’s new book

Publisher ZI Publications says the official confiscation of Canadian author Irshad Manji's books on Islam is illegal and is looking at all legal options.

The Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI) seized copies of the Malay version of 'Allah, Liberty & Love' by the Ugandan-born writer and its original English version at a bookstore in Kuala Lumpar Wednesday evening (23 May), according to the local media.

May 20, 2012

Lesbian writer Irshad Manji launches the Malay version of a new book amid criticisms that she promotes ideas against religion and human nature

A Canadian Muslim gay activist launched the Malay version of her controversial book on liberal Islam in Malaysia, despite official efforts to ban all her public events.

Irshad Manji and her local publisher ZI Publications eventually managed to pulled off the launch for ‘Allah, Liberty and Love’ (Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta in Malay) in front of a 50-odd crowd yesterday (19 May), after two other venues pulled out of hosting her.

May 20, 2012

Lesbian writer Irshad Manji launches the Malay version of a new book amid criticisms that she promotes ideas against religion and human nature

A Canadian Muslim gay activist launched the Malay version of her controversial book on liberal Islam in Malaysia, despite official efforts to ban all her public events.

Irshad Manji and her local publisher ZI Publications eventually managed to pulled off the launch for ‘Allah, Liberty and Love’ (Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta in Malay) in front of a 50-odd crowd yesterday (19 May), after two other venues pulled out of hosting her.