"Love is halal" - How do Islam and gay, bisexual, lesbian as well as transgender people fit together?
The action "Love is halal" stands for more openness and tolerance towards queers. The Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Mosque wants to show that it is quite possible to combine faith and LGBTQ. To do this, they give queers a face within the faith community. Posters of Muslims and Muslim women have been put up all over Berlin, showing how - in the truest sense of the word - the world can be colorful here too.
The quotes accompanying the images are likely to stir and possibly shock some non-Muslims as well. Nevertheless, they represent, among other things, that a change seems to be taking place here.
What do the queer posters in Berlin say?
The statements of the photographed persons are not long, but accurate and to the point. Tugay, for example, declares: "I am a Muslim, a believer, and yet I have sex with men!"while Marwa makes it clear: "My parents don't accept that I'm a lesbian. I love them anyway."
The other statements by the participants are also likely to cause a stir - especially among devout Muslims. For others and followers of "Love is Halal", on the other hand, they may seem like a liberating blow and possibly encourage their own coming out.
After all, it is often easier to take the first step when role models have already shown how liberating it can be to stand up for oneself. We can only hope that the posters in question will not be destroyed for homophobic reasons and will instead be able to spread their message for a long time to come.
The Ibn Rushd Goethe Mosque is considered a "pioneer" by many people
This is not the first time that the Ibn Rushd Goethe Mosque has made a name for itself. Not only among many Muslims and Muslim women it is considered rather modern and progressive. One of its special features is that everyone (men, women, diverse, queer, etc.) is allowed to pray together here. Among other things, those responsible for the house have even supported the CSD.
Actions like these have long been criticized by devout Muslims. However, Islam is undoubtedly no exception here. The Catholic Church also showed little enthusiasm a few days ago when it became known that queer couples were to be blessed in some parishes.
Queers and religion - a sensitive topic
In many religions, there is still the view that it is not "God's will" that, for example, a man and a man or a woman and a woman love each other.
People who believe but are queer are often caught in an enormous conflict of conscience in this way. The result: they either turn away from the church or do not dare to stand by their same-sex love.
Nevertheless, for some years now it seems that - as the example around the Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Mosque shows - more and more people concerned dare to take the step into the public without fear of possible consequences. That is why the campaign "Love is halal!
Here queer Muslims and Muslim women find help
Anyone who wants to come out (or has already come out) and is struggling with problems such as non-acceptance and homophobia need by no means feel alone! For these purposes, the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs has set up the contact point "Islam and Diversity" has been set up for this purpose.
Whether it's just to "have achat" or to get advice with regard to the next steps: here queers meet understanding and competence. But one thing is already certain: the mere fact that it is now possible to hang up posters such as "Love is halal" shows that society is once again on the right path... Even if this is certainly far from over and there is still a lot of room for improvement.
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