An activist, who was the first Muslim woman to lead a Pride parade in Britain, says her mission in life is “to promote the inclusivity of sexuality and gender”.

The PA news agency is interviewing a series of people celebrating Pride Month in June, including Saima Razzaq, 38, from Birmingham.

Ms Razzaq is the director of change and communications at Birmingham Pride, and she uses her platform as part of the LGBT+, South Asian, and Muslim communities to carve out a space within the intersection.

Ms Razzaq, who is a lesbian but also uses the queer umbrella to describe her sexuality, became the first Muslim woman to lead a Pride parade in Britain at Birmingham Pride in 2021.

“Leading Pride was a monumental moment and obviously now I work at Pride as a result of that,” Ms Razzaq told PA.

After taking part in the Birmingham Pride Parade on May 27 this year, Ms Razzaq said she will be talking to and working with the community in the city for the remainder of Pride Month.

“Now, the thing is about getting into conversations within my own community,” she said.

“It’s about organising and working with the everyday communities of Birmingham, and taking them on this journey and working towards, ‘what can we do next?’”

– When did you ‘come out’ and how did your family respond?

Ms Razzaq said her mother approached her about her sexuality when she was 29 while they were driving to pick up a takeaway.

“She made me drive and she waited until we were on a dual carriageway and said, ‘do you like women?’

“I was like, ‘oh my god, why now?’,” Ms Razzaq recalled.

“Since that moment, I’ve seen a massive change in my mum. Now, she’s changing her language.”

Ms Razzaq added she looks up to members of her family, and she regards them as her “superheroes”.

“People look up to influences and all these famous people, I don’t, I look up to my aunties and uncle – they’re my superheroes,” she said.

“Even though my aunties and my uncle might not understand my queerness, they’re there.”

She added: “Faith is really important for me, and just because I’m queer, doesn’t mean I’m not Muslim, and they’ve not othered me for that either.

“Again, I think it’s really important for me to have this supportive family to allow me the space to do this.”

– What is your relationship with your faith?

Ms Razzaq said her faith helps her to “do better” and to “fulfil her mission in life”.

“I am a Muslim, I have a relationship with God, I feel very connected with God, like right now, I feel the most connected I’ve ever been.”

She added: “The Koran tells me to focus on where I am and the people I’m surrounded with and to do better and to fulfil my mission in life.

“I feel my mission in life is to promote the inclusivity of sexuality and gender.

“There is a really positive thing happening in Birmingham, and in time, Insha’Allah, the wider world will see it.”

– Have you experienced any hate or abuse since coming out?

Ms Razzaq said that while everyone is “happy” for her in regards to her sexuality, she receives “far more Islamophobia and racism” for being a woman of colour in a leadership position.

“Everyone is really happy for me to be queer, but when I suddenly say, ‘yes I’m also Pakistani’, ‘I’m also Muslim’, and ‘I’m proud of those intersections’, it’s a narrative that people aren’t that familiar with,” she said.

“People aren’t used to that side of the story. I get far more Islamophobia and racism for being a woman of colour in leadership.”

Ms Razzaq said she has been the victim of several hate crimes, including someone urinating on her bed on the narrow boat where she lives.

“I’ve had my car stolen, for example, in a really horrific way, I’ve had people urinate in my bed on my boat, I’ve had horrible calls.”

She added that she “doesn’t need anybody to judge my Muslimness”, and she finds that it’s those who are not of the faith that tend to judge her more.

“And actually, it’s non-Muslims who will judge my Muslimness more than Muslims,” she said.

“Our communities will work through things, but we need everyone else to allow us the space to work through things as well.”

– What are the challenges within the intersections of faith and queerness?

Ms Razzaq said “it isn’t easy” for those in faith communities to bring up the subject of queerness, but she said she has noticed more people in South Asian communities coming out.

“Everyone will have difficulty bringing in the subject of queerness because it has been so polarised.

“It isn’t easy for most people in faith settings, and I think it’s really important that we reclaim this narrative.

“What I’ve noticed since I’ve come out is, and that’s just within the circle I’m part of, I’ve seen other South Asians come out, and their parents support them in that journey.”

On what advice she would give to someone in a faith setting who wished to come out, she said: “The most important thing to remember is that you’re valid, you’re absolutely valid.

“Your queerness or your gender identity is absolutely valid, be your authentic self.

“There are people like you, and for me, finding other queer South Asians, other queer Muslims, has been the best part of my journey.”

Earlier this month, an estimated 1.5 million people took to the streets of London to join the annual Pride march in support of sexual and gender diversity. A day of celebration of just how far we’ve come – but also protest at how far we’ve yet to go – queer and non-queer organisations and diverse members of the public joined together in declaring that we’re all equal and that we all deserve equal representation, acceptance and visibility.

However, despite the huge turnout of people, for many people, attending Pride is simply a closeted dream. As a Muslim (albeit a heterosexual cis woman), I’m particularly aware of just how prominent this problem is within my own religious community.

Sexual and gender exclusion: Inside the British Muslim community

For many Muslims, the idea of a Muslim being actively queer is simply a “no-no”. Deemed a “sin”, often seen as an “unnatural” “choice” and at best declared as something best to be hidden, pushed aside and not acted upon, queer Muslims are therefore often left facing stigma, exclusion, disownment and/or physical violence for embracing their sexual and/or gender-based identity.

It’s sadly a common perception that there is (little or) no room for sexual or gender diversity in Islam – despite arguments, evidence, history and ongoing research proving otherwise – as well as the presence of queer imams. The story of Prophet Lot and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for example – as detailed in the Qur’an – is frequently used as the primary source of anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric. Common traditional readings of the Qur’an (and related hadith – sayings of Prophet Muhammad) state that this story refers to homosexuality and with a punishment given for such acts, homosexuality has is therefore declared as “haram”. Alternative readings of this passage, however, refer instead to a condemnation of rape rather than homosexuality itself.

Nonetheless, such commonly held beliefs ideas have established a strong sense of heteronormativity and strict gender binary. Not only do common beliefs adhere to the narrative that same-sex relations are immoral but some Muslims also think they should be actively discouraged. A poll of British Muslims undertaken in 2018, for example, found that 52% of Muslim participants disagree that homosexuality should be legal in Britain – compared to 23% for the adult public and 23% for Christian peers. Of course, whilst there have been significant concerns over the research methods used for the poll, we cannot deny that there is without a doubt a widespread belief that being queer or “doing something about it” (acting upon it) is “haram” (forbidden). Whilst, of course, sexual relations is a wide topic in Islam in terms of pre- and extra-marital relations, this narrative nonetheless excludes same-sex marriage/loving relations and trans and non-binary identities in any form or shape whatsoever.

The result of such norms and restrictions which have accompanied this anti-LGBTQI+ narrative are of course devastating for queer Muslims who face a myriad of difficulties and challenges coming out and embracing their true identity – for which they are often forced to stay inside the closet:

“I would cry on my prayer rug: “Give me cancer or anything. Please make me straight.”’ (Afshan D’souza-Lodhi, 26, Manchester)

“I came out when I was 23. My parents took me to see my GP, not out of malice, but because they didn’t understand what it meant to be gay.” (Asifa Lahore, 35, Croydon)

“Growing up, I was very religious, but I was taught to fear Allah. When I came out at 15 it was a very difficult time. My parents thought it was a phase. They had an arranged marriage and met on their wedding day, so for them marrying someone you desire was not important. To them, you suppress desire to make things work societally.” (Ferhan Khan, 34, London)

(The Guardian, 2019)

Pushed into marriage, taken to a GP or becoming desperate to “pray the gay away” as the saying goes, the harsh truth is that queer Muslims battle against traditionalism and cultural norms, fear and ignorance around sexual and gender diversity and longstanding religious conservatism. In truth: they have been let down. Misunderstood, excluded and stigmatised, they deserve better than to marginalised and forced to choose between their faith and sexuality – in other words: being a “sinful” queer and/or transsexual Muslim or a “good” heterosexual cis Muslim. This simply isn’t good enough.

I may only identify as an LGBTQI+ ally but I myself am all too aware of this commonality. I’ve seen the outspoken homophobic and transphobic rhetoric online. One Muslim brother on Twitter recently admitted to me that he is subject to “same-sex attraction” but is not pro-LGBTQI+ and instead chooses to propagate homophobic rhetoric [see image below]. Likewise, since tweeting about Pride as a proud Muslim woman, I’ve sadly also witnessed/been victim to Islamophobia within pro-LGBTQI+ circles.

Tweet by an anti-LGBTQI+ Muslim activist (top left), tweets by non-Muslims when faced with Muslim pro-LGBTQI+ rhetoric (top right and bottom)

The harsh reality of the bigotry and hatred in British society today, as shown in these tweets, is exactly why visible positive representation and LGBTQI+ allies from both within and outside the Muslim community are so important.

Gender, sexual and religious diversity: Pride in London

LGBTQI+ Muslims and allies at Pride London 2019 marching with the LGBTQI+ Muslim support organisation Imaan (Images: Elizabeth Arif-Fear)

Whatever our sexuality, gender and faith identity (including those who have no faith), we must support our Muslim peers. It’s our duty to recognise, accept and help carve a healthy inclusive space for queer Muslims – one free from false dichotomies which (attempt to) force people to choose between their faith and sexuality. Yet crucially, this mustn’t be done in jest or subject to apologetic, half-hearted speech or wishy-washy promises.

This can of course only be done by working with those affected and becoming engaged allies ready to speak out, to challenge “norms” and to sadly not be afraid to “go against the grain” – even if it’s “a little different”, a little self-reflective or a little uncomfortable for some. We must work in a way that is truly accepting, intersectional, tolerant and inclusive – free of “ifs”, “buts” and monolithic views of faith vis-à-vis sexual and gender identity.

Our rights to freedom of expression and belief are fundamental to all our brothers and sisters – of all faiths and none. As Muslims, when we talk of rights, we have to recognise that we have to not only accept but actively call for the same rights to inclusion and freedom of expression which we enjoin in every day here in the UK. We therefore must come together as a religious community to support our Muslim peers. What’s more, as a multicultural and multifaith nation, the same support, unity and inclusion must be equally present in secular and non-Muslim circles, as well as Muslim spaces.

Recognising the need for intersectional, inclusive spaces, we can see why such openly public events such as Pride – which are also cross-cultural and interfaith in nature – are so important. Imaan – the UK’s leading LGBTQI+ support organisation for queer Muslims – is dedicated to supporting LGBTQI+ Muslims across the country and engages in a variety of spaces including Pride in London. On the day of Pride this year – just like every other year – members of Imaan (out of the closet of course) stood tall and proud to march for Muslim LGBTQI+ rights. I myself was delighted to join them for such a critical cause.

Shouting: “Allah loves lesbians!”, “Allah loves equality!” and “Allah loves queers!”, we were declaring that we don’t merely stand against exclusion and hate, but that we believe wholeheartedly that queer Muslims aren’t “haram”. Queer Muslims need to be accepted, celebrated and supported in every way possible and our message was loud and clear: LGBTQI+ Muslims are just as “Muslim” as their cis and heterosexual peers and they’re not going anywhere!

? SOUND UP! The #LGBT #Muslims are taking up space with a message for the homophobes! #PrideinLondon pic.twitter.com/7fqPDggLeS

— Imaan LGBTQI (@ImaanLGBTQ) July 6, 2019

As a (heterosexual cis) LGBTQI+ Muslim ally, what I found particularly heartwarming at Pride (in addition to the great unity within Imaan) were the cheers, smiles and welcomes given by fellow marchers and members of the public. As we took to the streets of London, proudly Muslim and also proud of sexual and gender diversity, fellow Pride-goers young and old were there standing, jumping and screaming happily in support with us. They accepted us as Muslims, loved us as Muslims and celebrated with us as Muslims and non-Muslims together – just as we did with every other participant at Pride. And this is the crux: this is what inclusion is about, this is diversity in action and this is love in full force.

It’s exactly this sense of solidarity, inclusion and acceptance which what we should be seeing in action each and every day across the UK. As queer Muslims and allies, we believe in sexual and gender diversity and inclusion within and outside Islam, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike – whatever a person’s faith or non-faith background. Sadly though, across the UK, homophobia and transphobia still exist in many religious and non-religious spaces, and so we must address the issue of gender and sexual diversity within our own specific communities – including quite critically my own community in which anti-LGBTQI+ has so deeply embedded itself.

As Muslims, the time must be now for are already lagging behind. We only need to look at the ongoing row over inclusive education in schools and the protests of certain concerned Muslim parents to see how bad things have become – in fact: how hate, ignorance, intolerance and exclusion have become in fact so common. These ongoing protests have without doubt highlighted exactly how we’re at a critical crossroads. Our community is undoubtedly diverse and certainly not a uniform monolith but we must unite to take the crucial step onto a new more unified, progressive path, or else certain segments of the community risk leaving themselves behind, blinded by dogma and traditionalism based on singular monolithic, literalist interpretations of faith – interpretations that shut out others, exclude diversity and intersectionality, halt progress and critically stigmatise people (including quite crucially their own adherents).

What our community critically needs to do is to move on and to accept queer Muslims and above all, recognise that our peers need allies – outspoken allies who will actively support them. Denouncing hate crime or saying “I wish no harm” is simply not good enough. The fact is that harm is exclusion, harm is stigma, harm is a lack of inclusion and a lack of nuance – and this harm is manifesting itself within (as well as outside) our religious community.

The truth is simple: sexuality isn’t a “choice”, gender identity isn’t something we “self-create” and living as you so crucially are – in the way that Allah created you – is not “haram”. What is a choice, what is self-generated and what is wrong are: shame, stigma, exclusion and hate. We therefore need to not only accept but actively embrace these truths – and many, many more!  It’s time that we learnt to explore other “narratives” – to question, to think and to listen to the feelings, experiences and stories of others without apologies, excuses and simplistic, un-nuanced and unchallenged “haram only” narratives. Too much time has already passed. Our Muslim siblings need us. I therefore call on you – Muslims and non-Muslims alike to be an ally, a friend, a companion and a supporter – not a bystander, not an “excuser” and not an accuser.

So, if you’re Muslim: please stand with our queer co-religionists by speaking out against hate, building inclusive spaces and developing more open narratives around sexual and gender diversity. It’s not simply the duty of our queer peers to battle for inclusion and acceptance – it’s all the responsibility of each and every one of us to make this happen.

Likewise, if you’re non-Muslim: please don’t propagate homophobia and transphobia in the name of “community relations” out of fear, socio-political pressure or a (well-needed and well-meaning) desire for better relations with the wider Muslim community. Instead, please work with queer and non-queer Muslims alike for the betterment of our entire community. Help spread the voice of queer Muslims, offer openly queer (and non-queer) Muslims an inclusive space free from Islamophobia and actively engage with the full diversity of the Muslim community with zero room for hate, stigma, shame and intolerance. This will crucially help respect the rights and dignity of our queer Muslim peers in secular queer spaces and both Muslim and interfaith circles and help promote a more tolerant, diverse society for everyone.

By working together, we can create critical long overdue change. For each and every one of us, the message is simple: there are no half measures. You either stand for equality – the right of each and every one of us– or you don’t. No double standards.

So, are you ready to stand up and declare: Allah loves equality?

About the author

Elizabeth Arif-Fear is a young British Muslim and award-winning writer and activist based in London.

She is Founder of Voice of Salam and works with a range of national and international human rights, interfaith and women’s organisations/platforms as a writer, activist, community organiser and ambassador.

In 2019, Elizabeth won the St. Ethelburga’s award for Sacred Activist of the Year and also published her debut poetry collection “What If It Were You?” (2019) which focusses on a range of critical human rights and socio-political issues, including religious extremism, LGBTQI+ exclusion and Islamophobia.

]]> 8531 https://www.faith-matters.org/malaysia-orders-removal-of-lgbt-activist-pictures-from-exhibition/ Thu, 09 Aug 2018 09:50:29 +0000 https://www.faith-matters.org/?p=7667

A Malaysian minister on Wednesday said he had ordered the removal of portraits of two lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists from a public photography exhibition, as they promoted LGBT activities.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is routinely persecuted in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where sodomy is a crime and is seen as a threat to conservative values.

Domestic media quoted Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the minister of Islamic affairs, as saying he ordered the removal from an exhibition in the northern state of Penang because promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activities was not in line with government policy.

“I have consistently repeated in parliament that we do not support the promotion of LGBT culture in Malaysia,” he told reporters in the lobby of parliament, the Star newspaper said.

Reuters could not reach the minister by telephone after office hours to seek a comment.

Nisha Ayub, one of the activists whose portrait was removed, expressed concern, asking for the government to explain its stance “towards minorities like us”.

“They talk about rights as a citizen of Malaysia but yet they are denying people like me to even express our love to our own country,” Nisha, a transgender activist, said in a post on social media site Facebook.

On social media, the sponsor of the exhibition also expressed shock at the minister’s move.

“False religiosity and political insecurity is not what the New Malaysia is about and can accept,” said Vinod Sekhar, adding that Malaysia’s diversity, acceptance of differences and human values made it a wonderful country.

Activists say intolerance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has grown in Malaysia in recent years.

In February, a newspaper article detailing how to identify lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals sparked outrage on social media.

Last year, the health ministry drew criticism from activists and campaigners over a contest on ways to “prevent” homosexuality and transgenderism. In 2015, Malaysia’s highest court upheld a ban on cross-dressing.

Ruling party lawmakers were among those who criticised Wednesday’s decision.

“This incident is indicative of a larger issue, where we continue to deny the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community their rights, opting instead to marginalize and discriminate them,” said Charles Santiago, a member of the ruling coalition.

On Monday, Mujahid provoked anger from women’s rights groups when he said the government was working on a dress code for Muslim women in the private sector to keep them from facing discrimination.

The non-profit Women’s Aid Organization said it rejected efforts to police women’s clothing and freedom of expression.

“Restricting what women wear is, in and of itself, discriminatory, and this policy would end up discriminating against women who do not conform to the code,” it said in a statement.

Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia’s population of 32 million, with substantial Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities.

An Indiana man arrested on his way to a Los Angeles-area gay pride parade last year after police found three assault rifles and potentially explosive chemicals in his car has pleaded not guilty to weapons charges.

James Wesley Howell was arrested only hours after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Florida, but police said they found no connection between Howell and the Orlando mass shooting.

He entered his plea on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to unlawful possession of an assault weapon, importing large firearms magazines, possession of a destructive device and carrying a loaded gun in a car, according to court records.

Howell was arrested June 12 after police officers responded to a call from a member of the public and found him sitting in a white Acura sedan with the firearms, Santa Monica police said last year.b

He also had a five-gallon (19-liter) bucket with chemicals that could be used to make an explosive device, police said after his arrest.

Howell told police he was on his way to the LA Pride Festival in West Hollywood, a small municipality bordering Los Angeles. Police said he made no mention of what he planned to do at the parade.

Howell, who faces a sentence of more than nine years in prison if convicted, has been held in jail on $2 million bail since his arrest. He is due back in court on April 27.

A Los Angeles judge earlier this month found sufficient evidence to hold him for trial, according to court records.

Last year, prosecutors in Clark County, Indiana, where Howell lived at the time, charged him with molesting a 12-year old child, Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said by phone.

Indiana authorities brought the charge against Howell one day after he was charged with weapons offences in California. Authorities had been investigating the molestation allegation for about two weeks prior to pressing charges, Mull said.

Howell appeared to have left for California after learning he was under investigation in Indiana, Mull said. Authorities plan to have Howell sent to his home state to face the child molestation charge after the conclusion of his criminal case in California.

A Los Angeles prosecutor could not immediately be reached for further comment on Wednesday. Reuters was not immediately able to identify a legal representative for Howell.

Istanbul riot police fired tear gas and rubber pellets on Sunday to disperse a march for transgender people banned after ultra-nationalists said that “degenerates” could not demonstrate.

Hundreds of riot police cordoned off the city’s main Taksim Square to prevent the “Trans Pride” rally taking place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Authorities have banned transgender and gay pride marches this month, citing security concerns after the ultra-nationalist warnings against any such events on Turkish soil.

“Football fans can rally in this country whenever they want. We were going to do a peaceful activity,” said Ebru Kiranci, spokesperson of the Istanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association.

“(The) holy month of Ramadan is an excuse. If you are going to respect Ramadan, respect us too. The heterosexuals think it’s too much for us, only 2 hours in 365 days,” she said.

The annual gay pride parade, described as the biggest in the Muslim world, was due to take place on June 26. Istanbul has held gay pride parades since 2003, attracting tens of thousands of marchers, but last year’s was broken up by police.

Although the Turkish republic is constitutionally secular, the vast majority of the population is Muslim.

Tayyip Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after 11 years as prime minister, has steadily boosted the power of the head of state’s office with appeals to conservative nationalist and religious-minded Turks.

This has effectively shifted Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system even before Erdogan seeks to amend the constitution through a referendum to make that official.

Unlike many other Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey but hostility toward gays remains widespread. Critics say Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party have shown little interest in expanding rights for minorities, gays and women, and are intolerant of dissent.

The assault by the riot police targeted protesters angered by an attack on a record store launching the new Radiohead album on Saturday.

A group of men armed with sticks and bottles attacked the store late on Friday, apparently in protest at people drinking beer during Ramadan, video footage on social media showed.

In an audio statement broadcast by Albayan Radio, Islamic State claims responsibility for the Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 50 people.

“Allah helped the brother Omar Mateen, one of THE Caliphate soldiers in the U.S, commit a ‘ghazwah’ (incursion) where he managed to go in among a group of crusaders at a nightclub for the followers of Lot in Orlando in Florida. God helped him kill and injure 100 of them. This ‘ghazwah’ (incursion) is the largest in the U.S. in terms of death toll after the incursion of Manhattan 16 years ago. Thank God,” says a member of Islamic State, overlaid with photographs.

The gunman, Omar Mateen, a New York-born Florida resident and U.S. citizen who was the son of Afghan immigrants, was shot and killed by police who stormed the club early Sunday morning with armored cars after a three-hour siege.

Mateen, 29, called emergency services during the shooting and pledged allegiance to the leader of the militant Islamic State group, officials said. His father said on Sunday his son was not radicalized, but indicated Mateen had strong anti-gay feelings. His ex-wife described him as mentally unstable and violent toward her.

(The broadcast by the so-called Islamic State can be heard HERE.)