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Faisal Alam and Al-Fatiha – Pioneers in LGBTQ Muslim Understanding

Posted on 28 April, 2010 | 1 Comment

By Josephine Butler
It happens to all of us – it’s inevitable. Doesn’t matter whether we are undergrads or grad students, we become overwhelmed and stressed with assignments, exams, and projects we begin to forget there is a world that continues to turn, independent of the academic boxes we have confined ourselves in. As a graduate student, I struggle to keep up with the news and other daily events occurring in Columbia and the world at large because by the time I am done studying for the night, all I really want to do is catch up on sleep. I struggle to stay active in my community. Therefore, it was a sacrifice for me to give up two hours of my time during my busy Tuesday night to listen to someone named Faisal Alam, the founder of the organization Al-Fatiha. It was, however, time well spent.

Al-Fatiha is a unique agency. Meaning “the beginning” or “the opening” in Arabic and also referring to the first chapter of the Qur’an, Al-Fatiha is an organization dedicated to helping LGBTIQQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, and Questioning) Muslims reconcile their sexuality with their religion. Alam’s desire to create this organization was borne out of his personal experience as a young man who felt from a young age that he was “different” from other boys. As a young college student, he was forced to appropriate two different identities: a homosexual man and a devout Muslim. After he was no longer able to effectively function in the two distinct identities he had created for himself, he had a nervous breakdown. That nervous breakdown was a catalyst to his personal transformation and his desire to reach out to other Muslims who were suffering in silence because of their sexual orientation. In 1998, he created Al-Fatiha Foundation.

All of the information Alam provided was fascinating; some of it was truly disheartening. For instance, he explained that in 2003, homosexual individuals in Egypt were persecuted and arrested. In 2006, two gay teenagers were executed in Iran. While Alam himself says he has received death threats, he continues his fight for LGBTQ rights within Islam. While there were questions from audience members regarding how he could interpret certain passages of the Qur’an, the holy scripture of Islam, in ways that supported LGBTQ rights, he made it clear that he was not interested in theological debates. As he said several times during his presentation he is not interested in theology, but rather he is interested in the “human stories” behind the religious persecution. What he wants most is to ensure every Muslim can live a safe and peaceful life.

The presentation was informative and intense, but I left with a feeling of inspiration. If someone like Faisal Alam can do give so much of his time to help marginalized individuals, I can certainly take time out of my schedule to listen to what he had to say.

For more information about Al-Fatiha, visit http://www.al-fatiha.org.

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