30 November, 2012

France To Open World’s First ‘Mosque For The Gay Community’

Mohammed Ludovic Lütfi Zahed (right), an Algerian Muslim living in France who is married to his gay partner Qiyam al-Din (left), hopes to open a mosque for homosexuals


  • Gay activist hopes to open 'gay mosque' in Paris by the end of this month
  • Women will be allowed to worship alongside men at mosque
  •  Mohammed Zahed hopes to conduct gay marriages there
  •  He faces opposition from French lawmakers and Muslim community

A French-Algerian homosexual man is planning to open a 'mosque for gays' in France and hopes to eventually conduct same-sex Muslim marriages.
Mohammed Ludovic Lütfi Zahed, an Algerian Muslim living in Paris who is married to his gay partner, hopes to open the doors by the end of the month, according to the Jerusalem Post Mr Zahed says the mosque, situated in a Buddhist chapel in Paris, will also break another Islamic taboo by refusing to segregate women and men.

He said: 'In normal mosques, women have to sit in the back seats and wear a headscarf and gay men are afraid of both verbal and physical aggression.
'After performing the Hajj, I realized that a mosque for gays was a must for gay Muslims who want to perform their prayers.'


Zahed is married to Qiyam al-Din, a South African man. The pair wed in South Africa, where same-sex marriage is legal, and their marriage was approved by an imam in France, but was not recognised by the previous government.
Gay marriage has bitterly divided France.


French President Francois Hollande said he would enact his ‘marriage for everyone plan’ within a year of coming to power in May, but vocal opposition from religious leaders, some politicians and parts of rural France has sparked protests with an estimated 70,000 marchers.
Riot police have been forced to use tear gas to break up violence between those who support and oppose the change in law.
As well as opposition from those against gay marriage, the couple will likely face persecution from the French Muslim community. Homosexuality is a religious, political and cultural flashpoint among much of the Arab and Islamic world.


Source: Daily Mail

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