Adnan Ali speaks

We caught up with one of our most visible gay Muslims Adnan Ali.


In the aftermath of recent anti-terror arrests, scrutiny of Muslims is snowballing.

With Britain entering an overwhelmingly turbulent political atmosphere, many of us (including myself, someone who was raised Muslim) are feeling especially suspicious of our Muslim neighbours.

While many Muslim leaders are quick to condemn homosexuality, some gays and lesbians still manage to embrace the religion which has publicly rejected them.

There is a growing resistance to the anti-gay beliefs held by many religious leaders; some are challenging the polarisation of religion and sexuality within the Muslim community.

In recent years with the founding of the UK-based Imaan support network and international organisation Al-Fatiha, the gay Muslim voice is finally being heard.

We caught up with one of Britain's most visible gay Muslims Adnan Ali to talk about the problems faced by gay muslims in the wake of rising homophobia and Islamaphobia.

Originally from Pakistan, Adnan came to the UK and with the help of Al-Fatiha and helped start Imaan.

Featured on Channel 4's documentary Gay Muslims, Adnan recently celebrated a civil partnership with his partner of 4 years and is currently completing a Masters Degree in Gender, Culture, Politics at the University of London.

Do you identify yourself as a Muslim?

YES, I am a practising Muslim. Being Muslim can mean different things to different people, whether referring to a certain association with a specific culture (like being Pakistani-Muslim in my case) and/or reference to Islamic rituals and spirituality in everyday life.

Have you ever felt like you had to dismiss your religion to be gay?

In the beginning yes I did, just like I had to dismiss my sexuality to be Muslim. However, things changed and got better once I met other gay and lesbian people who culturally and/or religiously identified as Muslim.

Are you out to your family? How have they responded?

I don't recall coming out in a certain organised fashion; perhaps it was more of being 'found out'. As a young boy my immediate and extended family always knew of my fondness for other boys and men.

The breaking point was the day I articulated my association with the word 'gay'. Worse, I told my family I would not get married.

There was no initial mention of Islam. No one said anything about Islamic condemnation of homosexuality – the concerns were more along the lines of what other people would think of me and them as family members.

The realisation that I was gay was more of a blow to the traditional patriarchal notion of manhood and they were pretty hostile towards their self-assumed compromise of masculinity.

Do you feel you have additional responsibility as a gay Muslim?

Yes, responsibility as a minority within a minority. Being a gay-Muslim-Asian man there are so many varied identities to deal with it - sometimes separately and often at the same time.

Why do you think it is important for there to be gay groups with religious affiliations? What do these groups accomplish??

It is a personal choice. The secular notion of the West is still a minority concept. Majority of the people in the world are not secular. We have to accept this fact while living in the West, whether we like it or not. More and more gay people are being discriminated and treated horribly due to conservative religious interpretation of the theology.

Therefore it is quite significant to question this religious banishment by actually finding out what a particular religion says about homosexuality. You will be surprised to learn that a religion can be appreciative of sexual diversity. So it is important for some of us to have religious gay groups.
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However, I don't expect everyone to have affiliations.

These groups do strive hard to accomplish a very basic sense of integrity with and within a sexual-religious minority, whether through cultural and ritual celebrations or intellectually stimulating debates on theology.

How do you feel about the gay community? Do you feel like you are a part of it?

For a lot of us, who come from different cultural and social backgrounds, the sense of community on the basis of our sexuality is important.

Whether it is going clubbing every weekend or protesting outside Russian embassy against the ban on the Moscow pride, there is definitely a sense of support, alliance, and community. Yes, I am very much part of this community.

Do you feel comfortable going to the mosque?

The day I offer prayer at home, my home becomes a mosque for me. My mosque is in my heart.

Yes, when I go to a (formal) mosque, I don't go there as a gay or straight person; I am there to pray and bow, and no one can question my sexuality. So far no one has ever dared to, and if someone ever does that, I am confident enough to defend myself.

A mosque is a house of Allah, and I have not given anyone that right to stop me from going there.

What are your thoughts on 'Moderate Islam'? Does it exist?

Yes it does. Granted, not in a very visible sense.

However, there is a debate going on amongst few progressive and moderate Muslims. The important issue is for it to be inclusive and accessible to all Muslims from different social, cultural, geographical and economic backgrounds.

What do you think is the best way to challenge anti-gay attitudes from Muslims in the UK?

More visibility of LGBT Muslims and dialogue with and within the mainstream Muslims on the issues surrounding Islamic instructions on homosexuality are very important.

We need to dispel the invalid ideas such as the idea that being gay is a "western thing" or "a white man's disease".

To challenge anti-gay attitudes, one must be very confident of his/her own sexuality. Imaan and Safra Project are two support groups in the UK, who are doing commendable work in providing that support to LGBT Muslims, their friends, and allies.

Do you feel like there is Islamophobia within the gay scene? What can gay Muslims to challenge that?

Yes, and there has been a rise since September 11th. In a way it is good that people are expressing their concerns about Islam, that Islamophobia is more visible; it makes it strategically easier to be challenged.

More moderate Muslims have to speak out against the discriminatory remarks by the conservative Muslim leaders and similarly not let any person to generalise the image of Islam as oppressive religion.

As Muslims we also share the responsibility in the existence of Islamophobia. We have to be more political and vocal for our very basic human rights and not allow any orthodox/fanatical Muslim cleric to speak on our behalf.

To learn more about Imaan visit www.imaan.org.uk