I CAN SEE NO DOWNSIDE!
Posted on 11/28/2012 1:54:24 PM PST by billorites
Ludovic Mohammed Zahed is braced for controversy, maybe even worse. A gay Muslim and an expert on the Koran, Zahed plans to open Europe's first gay-friendly mosque in Paris at the end of this month. He calls it a place of shelter as well as a place of worship.
"We need to have a safe space for people who do not feel comfortable and at ease in normal mosques," Zahed told ABC News. "There are transgender people who fear aggression, women who do not want to wear head scarf or sit in the back of the mosque. This project gives hope back to many believers in my community."
"Common prayer, practiced in an egalitarian setting and without any form of gender-based discrimination, is one of the pillars supporting the proposed reforms of our progressive representation of Islam," he said.
"The Unity" mosque will initially operate in a Buddhist temple in a neighborhood in eastern Paris, and will emphasize "accepting everyone as equally God's creation....I hope straight men will pray together with gay men and women, everyone," said Zahed who declines to make public the address of the venue, due to security concerns.
Zahed's mosque will honor some Islamic traditions, like Friday prayers (Jumu'ah), and the Muslim marriage contract (Nikah) to bless same-sex marriage. It will also perform funeral rites (Janazah) for those who have been denied a traditional Islamic funeral based on Sharia law because of their sexual orientation.
"It is a safe place to worship," said Zahed, where no religious questions will go unaddressed. "Our imams will talk on any taboo topic." Zahed will be one of three prayer leaders, along with a female French convert to Islam and another man who is being trained.
"Current Islamic ethics may condemn this sexual orientation," Zahed said, "but in fact...
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I thought all mosques were gay-friendly since they have a room full of men on their hands and knees with the butts sticking up in the air.
I’m guessing this mosque will not be around long!
Why the secrecy? Who are they afraid of?
:p
I CAN SEE NO DOWNSIDE!
Gay Mosque to Open in Paris, Address to Be Secret
Entrance in rear, I bet.
Oh Dear! I didnt think of the (other) consequences of a gay mosque until you posted that pic. LOL
I know “Allahu akbar” is Arabic for “Allah is great”. What’s Arabic for “Allah is FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABULOUS!!!”?
With all those muzzie buttholes in the air, what could possibly go wrong?
I love The Onion. This is HILARIOUS!
Oh, wait....
Wonder how long it will take for the maniacs in Islam to blow up this mosque?
Weird that they hate gays when moslem men are famous for buggering boys.
So much wrong with this, LOL. The world has truly gone mad.
This isn’t going to end well for Zahed&Co...
I'm guessing once word gets out, your little muslim bathhouse-of-worship will be jammed packed with closet homo muslims.
Oxymoron.
The secret will last about 5 seconds.
Then it’s Abdul bar the door.
“...your little muslim bathhouse-of-worship...”
Bathhouse...that should be a fairly low-cost venture considering all the participants will be bringing their own towels.
Ludovic doesn’t have the life expectency of a common house fly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.