Al-Fatiha Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Al-Fatiha Foundation is an organization which advances the cause of gay
, lesbian
, and transgender
Muslim
s. It was founded in 1997 by Faisal Alam
, a Pakistani American
, and is registered as a nonprofit organization in the United States
. Imam Daayiee Abdullah
is also a board member of the Al-Fatiha Foundation.
, Canada
, Spain
, Turkey
, and South Africa
.
The name means "the Opening" and is shared with the first surah of the Qur'an
. In the beginning of that surah, Allah is described as compassionate and merciful; the organization's founders believe that these attributes, rather than hatred and homophobia.
Each year, Al-Fatiha hosts an international membership retreat and conference. Early conferences took place in Boston, New York, and London in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and focused on issues such as the reconciliation of religion and sexual orientation.
, an international organization seeking the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate
, issued a fatwa
declaring that all members of Al-Fatiha were murtadd, or apostates, and condemning them to death. Because of the threat and coming from conservative societies, many members of the foundation's site still prefer to be anonymous so as to protect their identity while continuing a tradition of secrecy.
While Al-Fatiha works to combat homophobia within Muslim communities, it faces the challenge of not provoking an Islamophobic reaction among non-Muslims.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. It was founded in 1997 by Faisal Alam
Faisal Alam
Faisal Alam is a gay Pakistani American who founded the Al-Fatiha Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing the cause of gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims....
, a Pakistani American
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
, and is registered as a nonprofit organization in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Imam Daayiee Abdullah
Imam Daayiee Abdullah
Imam Daayiee Abdullah, is a gay Muslim that aids in the fight against discrimination and hatred towards homosexuals and Muslims alike. Adbullah is one of the front-runners against the injustice against LGBT Muslims, through a group called the Al-Fatiha Foundation...
is also a board member of the Al-Fatiha Foundation.
History
The organization grew out of an internet listserve that brought together many gay, lesbian, and questioning Muslims from 25 countries, and by 1998 had developed numerous in-person chapters. Al-Fatiha has 14 chapters in the United States, as well as offices in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The name means "the Opening" and is shared with the first surah of the Qur'an
Al-Fatiha
Sura Al-Fatiha , is the first chapter of the Qur'an. Its seven verses are a prayer for Allah's guidance, and stress His Lordship and Mercy...
. In the beginning of that surah, Allah is described as compassionate and merciful; the organization's founders believe that these attributes, rather than hatred and homophobia.
Each year, Al-Fatiha hosts an international membership retreat and conference. Early conferences took place in Boston, New York, and London in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and focused on issues such as the reconciliation of religion and sexual orientation.
Fatwa
In 2001, Al-MuhajirounAl-Muhajiroun
Al-Muhajiroun is a banned Islamist organisation that was based in Britain and which has been linked to international terrorism, homophobia and anti-semitism...
, an international organization seeking the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
, issued a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
declaring that all members of Al-Fatiha were murtadd, or apostates, and condemning them to death. Because of the threat and coming from conservative societies, many members of the foundation's site still prefer to be anonymous so as to protect their identity while continuing a tradition of secrecy.
While Al-Fatiha works to combat homophobia within Muslim communities, it faces the challenge of not provoking an Islamophobic reaction among non-Muslims.
See also
- Liberal movements in Islam
- LutLutLot is an apostle and prophet of God in the Qur'an. He also appears in the Bible, but the Biblical stories of Lot are not entirely accepted within Islam. According to Islamic tradition, Lot lived in Ur and was the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham. He migrated with Abraham to Canaan in Palestine....
, source of Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ic injunctions against homosexuality - Homosexuality and IslamHomosexuality and IslamLGBT topics and Islam are influenced by both the cultural-legal history of the nations with a large Muslim population, along with how specific passages in the Qur'an and statements attributed to the prophet Muhammad are interpreted. The mainstream interpretation of Qur'anic verses and hadith...
External links
- Al-Fatiha homepage (website discontinued since 2009)
- Imaan, UK Muslim LGBT support organisation