I was intrigued and scared but somehow mustered the strength to attend it. "I came across the Muslim queer community potluck event during Ramadan. He would feel withdrawn and didn't particularly do well in social situations. He said his inner conflict and loneliness took a toll on him. It caused me extreme guilt and I felt lonely," Kabir said. I would go to the mosque to pray and couldn't help feeling attracted to other boys. "'Homosexuality is a sin.' I grew up hearing this. One such meeting was an eye-opener for Kabir (name changed), who is a university student in New Delhi. Shahamat Uddin had been searching for support when he found the project 'A place I could belong' When we heard people's powerful and heartbreaking stories of being at odds with their identity, we realized there was a need for mental health support and community space," said Rahman. But they now mostly happen over video conferencing from around the world.
There are workshops, consultations and meet-ups where community members share experiences.īefore the coronavirus pandemic, some of the events took place in India's capital, New Delhi. This space is not limited to social media. So, I wanted a space where queer Muslims could come together and exchange ideas within the space of faith," he told DW.
"There is very limited space in mainstream Islamic theology to talk about gender and queer rights. program and came back to India to set up the platform. Rafiul Alom Rahman, a former scholar of sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, started the project in 2017 when he was studying the intersection of religion and sexuality. The project provides support and guidance for LGBT Muslims in South Asia