In response to the Hot Topic, Gay Muslims in the UK: Progress?, Azeem Ahmad shares his very personal experience of dealing with both Homophobia and Islamophobia.

Being instrumental in the formation of the UK’s first gay Muslim group, Azeem has witnessed real progress for LGBT Muslims whilst recognising there is much work to do within less tolerant communities and cultures.

• Azeem Ahmad shares his pride in being a Gay Muslim
• Islamophobia highlights Gay Community’s intolerance
• The whole LGBT Community shares a common “Jihad” for Gay Human Rights
• Progress for Gay Muslims? Yes, in the bigger cities

I was asked to write the second article on this issue after I left a comment about the first . My name is Azeem Ahmad. I am out as a gay man to all my family, friends and colleagues. I am proud to be a Muslim who follows the spirit of Islam. I’m proud to be Scottish and I’m proud to be of Punjabi descent. I’m proud of my academic and sporting achievements. Generally you could say at any Pride march I’m the proudest! It wasn’t always this way.

I was a scared 15 year old who did the pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) when he realised he was gay. At 17 I was engaged to my cousin and at 21 I was married. I joined a group called the Tablighi Jamat which preached within the Muslim community the virtues of prayer and piety. I was determined never to utter out aloud the words ‘I’m gay’. My personal journey to being the proudest at Pride is another story in the writing. I’m merely setting the scene. I met my boyfriend when I was 24 (the marriage was over by this stage). I had to grapple with the question I’m gay and I’m Muslim. I’m a gay Muslim. It was an oxymoron for me!

When I was 27 I was fortunate enough through my internet searching to discover the first meeting of gay Muslims in the UK. It was November 1998 and I went to the meeting at First Out at the beginning of December. There we created the first gay Muslim group then called Al-Fatiha UK (and now Imaan www.imaan.org.uk). We held our first conference soon after that and second one a few years later. We had over 100 people attend both conferences. I also attended a conference in 2001 in San Francisco where the gay Muslims marched for the first time at a US pride march. Imaan holds regular monthly meetings and has an internet forum to ask questions and be in touch with other gay Muslims. One of the most surprising things that we as group discovered was the Islamophobia within the gay community. We were not at all surprised by the homophobia of the Muslim community.

Imaan is now in dialogue with leaders of both the Muslim and gay communities to deal with the issues that arise and we certainly have our work cut out for us. Of course this is all very well for us progressive Muslims living in big cities and talking to people on high. There are gay Muslims out there who have still to accept their sexuality. Generally they are from a cultural background that is less tolerant towards homosexuality and live in tighter knit communities. Coming out is just that bit harder.

Coming out is not specifically difficult for Muslims it is difficult for many people regardless of culture, faith or ethnicity. The difference we in the gay community can make is to stand up and be counted. Let them see us all in our diversity. Welcome all LGBT people as we have a common Jihad for recognition of our human rights around the world. When they see us they will be less frightened to join us and be free of the torment that we hear so much about. Progress? We’ve come a long way in 10 years. I’d say yes to that.

Peace, Azeem.