He was an activist against both the Mubarak and Muslim Brotherhood regimes, but nothing could prepare him for the brutality of the Sisi regime:
“There are people who have stopped practicing Islam as a result of being gay and being ostracized. I will not pay that price. But because I am not willing to walk away, I am left holding that bag. The bag is the one that contains the beauties and burdens of being a gay Muslim”:
- Muslim, Gay and Guilt for Orlando Shootings (Chicago Tribune)
“Istanbul pride week organizers issued a statement with a #LoveWillWin hashtag in Turkish rejecting security concerns as a reason to ban the parades. It said ‘the governorship prefers to limit people’s rights and freedoms instead of taking measures to deal with the threats’” …
- Turkey Bans Gay Pride Parade in Istanbul Amid Security Fears (AP / abc News)
… but some Muslims “are welcoming what they see as an opening within their communities to address anti-gay attitudes” an some note that ‘the Ottoman Empire decriminalized homosexuality 100 years before … the West” …
… and one gay Muslim now finds the “Muslim community opening up ‘so much more… Individuals who never really talked to me about my sexuality actually reached out to me…to say they see me and value me. Those were the words that were used and it was beautiful’”:
- ORLANDO MASS SHOOTING: Being Gay and Muslim a ‘Crossfire of identities’ (Press-Enterprise)
“As I have continued to study Islam, I have come to understand that the underlying message of my faith is one that invites us to acceptance of the great diversity of the people with whom we share this miraculous planet — and of our own experience as part of that diversity”:
- As a Trans Muslim, I Used to Feel Vulnerable All the Time:Â Then I found a community of people like me (Washington Post)
“This is New York City, the most diverse place in the world. And in New York, we protect our own and we don’t give a **** what anyone looks like or who they love, or any of those things. It’s time for you to leave these women alone, sir”:
“A statement said the Iraqi flag was raised above the city council building after its capture by Counter Terrorism Force troops, police and soldiers…. The US defence secretary, Ash Carter, said there was ‘still some fighting to be done’ as IS still controls a significant part of the city”:
“Israel has broken more UN resolutions than any other country in UN history…. According to Professor Francis A. Boyle … it is also responsible for ‘crimes against humanity’. The UN Human Rights Commission came to the same conclusion”:
- UN Has Lost Sight of Its Purpose (Middle East Monitor)
“A soccer player-turned-politician … stands accused of asserting … that the president was guilty of theft[,] … referring to charges in 2013 of corruption against Cabinet ministers, the director of a state bank and members of the president’s family by pro-Gulen prosecutors:
- Power in Turkey: Islamist Power Struggle Returns to the Pitch (Middle East Soccer)
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