due to the popularity of the website queermuslims.com, i have been busy with responding to the mixed feedback in my mailbox. so, you could say i have been in my own bubble with that. of course, it's the negative feedback that always bothers us, right?
then came this week.
this has been a very interesting week, to say the least. i don't remember another week in which queer muslims have gotten good news after good news. it all started on monday when rahal eks publicly came out to say being queer and sufi was not mutually exclusive. rahal eks has been a writer on this very blog, as well as huriyah when the magazine was alive back in the day. he's also the author of "khalil & majnun" and "hussein & the nomad," both queer muslim love stories, so to speak.
then, on tuesday, reza aslan and hasan minhaj crafted a beautiful open letter to american muslims on lgbt rights. reza aslan is the popular scholar you probably know from tv and the author of the great book "no god but god". hasan minhaj is a popular comedian and correspondent on the daily show. their support has been incredible, and it got the community talking. on twitter, we at @queermuslims re-tweeted many of those tweets.
last but not least, on wednesday the crowdfunding campaign for mecca institute was released. mecca institute is the first muslim educational institution in the united states in which islam is taught from a progressive point of view. they are planning to have lgbt and gender courses, and to educate muslims to live progressive lives.
it's weeks like this that can elevate a group of people's spirit. for non-queers in the muslim community, and for queers in non-muslim communities, it might not seem like a whole lot. but to me, a queer muslim, i would love to see more weeks like this week. it would be nice waking up to beautiful discussions in the community, both within the larger muslim community and within the queer muslim community.
may we have more and more weeks like this week.
amen.
link to rahal eks article: bit.ly/1H7skTa
link to reza aslan and hasan minhaj article: bit.ly/1HKn3r6
link to mecca institute crowd funding: bit.ly/1HkJqwZ
