The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) began distributing a flyer entitled “10 myths about homosexuality” saying gay people were more likely to contract STIs, suffer mental illness, indulge in substance abuse.
The survey of 751 people across eight cities showed more than 50 percent admitting to living in constant fear of their sexual orientation being found out.
Ismaili Queers: Advocates for Pluralism, a community group of LGBT-identified Shia Ismaili Muslims, proudly marched as a solo contingent for the first time at the Toronto pride parade on Jul 1.
Openly lesbian Muslim activist and author Irshad Manji spoke about her faith after she had one event at a university in Yogyakarta cancelled, and another in Jakarta stopped midway where she had to leave under heavy police escort as religious extremists violently protested the event.
Abdul Rohman, a faculty member at Indonesian Islamic University, writes in The Jakarta Post that it is imperative to foster dialogue between religious groups and gay communities, and for religious groups to reach out to them and learn how to synchronise their situation with Islam.
South African Muhsin Hendricks, who is an openly gay Islamic cleric, runs a foundation called The Inner Circle which helps Muslims who are struggling to accept their sexuality.
Despite being shunned by his community, the devout Muslim and PhD candidate in Economics began a new area of study in Islam and homosexuality, and hopes for Muslims to rethink the possibility of consensual, supportive relationships as opposed to violent homosexual rape which he says is what the frequently referred to story of Lut (or Lot) in the Qur'an is about.
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