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Wigfield’s
‘Wigfield’ actors use neutral costumes in front of sometimes jarring pictures to tell this funny ‘page to stage’ story.
Obituaries
John Franklin Rennie Wagner, 32; James Hutton Lemly, 59
Obituaries
Deaths in 2003
Concerts
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
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Four prominent Muslim leaders in the Washington area told a forum at George Washington University on Oct. 26 that Muslims should open a dialogue on the subject of homosexuality with the goal of promoting tolerance of gay people.
The forum, Islam and Homosexuality: Muslim Perspectives, was said to be a ground-breaking event aimed at broaching a highly controversial subject within the Muslim community in the U.S. and in Islamic countries.
“Speaking about homosexuality and Islam is risky,” said Amal Amireh, professor of Women and Gender Studies at George Mason University. “Not speaking about Islam and homosexuality is riskier,” she said.
The event was sponsored by G.W. Allied in Pride, a group of gay students and supportive non-gays, along with 15 other gay, human rights, and student organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty International.
Local gay Muslim leader Imam Daayiee Abdullah of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, a gay Muslim group, said interpretations of the Quran vary on how gay people should be treated within the Muslim faith. He said that although some passages in the Quran and separate Muslim writings known as the hadiths condemn homosexual sex acts, other sections of the Quran call for treating all people in a humane way.
Princeton University lecturer Hisham Mahmoud said he believes the Quran clearly condemns homosexual acts but he personally doesn’t believe gays should be punished for committing such acts.
“I recommend that you keep it to yourself,” he said. “Coming out is antithetical to God’s mercy. The mercy of God is he is veiling your homosexuality.”
Imam Johari Abdul Malik, director of outreach at Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center, said he is troubled that homophobia among Muslims is discouraging many U.S. Muslims from getting tested for HIV and from seeking early treatment for AIDS-related illnesses. He said he believes the Quran allows Muslims to be true to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad while showing compassion toward gays and people with AIDS.
Rohmteen Mokhtari, an official with Allied in Pride, said a video of the 90-minute forum would be available for viewing late this week on a newly created web site, www.islamandhomosexuality.com.
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