– Muslim queers have it very difficult. They feel insecure, with condemnation and expulsion from several environments. And experience that both the Koran and the rainbow flag are burned. That is the victory of Hadia Tajik in the Labor Party. – My impression is that a very large majority of Muslims have negative attitudes towards homosexuals. In conservative circles, condemnation is unison. That is the victory of Abid Raja from the Liberal Party. – Take a stand The two parliamentary representatives themselves have a Muslim background. news has asked them about the Muslim community’s attitudes towards gays. After the mass shooting in Oslo the night before the pride parade, both now have a clear encouragement to both Muslims in general and imams in particular. – There is one before and one after the shooting on 25 June. It is no longer possible to be neutral either about pride or how queer it is every day, says Tajik. – Muslims can use this situation to deal with their own attitudes and create tolerance, says Raja. According to Abid Raja (V), sitting on a rainbow bench should not be a problematic “statement” either in Muslim or other environments. Photo: Thomas Hagajore Fosse / news Empathy Two men were killed and 21 injured when Zaniar Matapour (42) fired many shots at people at several nightclubs. The police security service (PST) has considered the shooting as an extreme Islamist terrorist act. The umbrella organization for many Muslim religious communities, Islamic Council of Norway (IRN), has strongly distanced itself from and condemned the attack. – Islam does not allow one to take the life of innocent people, whether they are gay or heterosexual. Few people other than Muslims know better what it is like to be exposed to stigma, hate crime and terrorist attacks, what fear it creates. We therefore have great empathy with the queer society, IRN stated after the shooting. – Not good enough Both Tajik and Raja think it is not enough to condemn the attack. – Muslim religious communities have become better at distancing themselves from violence and murder. It was just missing. But that’s not good enough. We must be able to expect more from the religious leaders. – It should only be missing that one has empathy with other people. It is a bit weak in relation to the changes we need. Everyone should have acceptance of each other. No one can be against love, says Raja. He says attitudes are still changing and vary among Muslims. – Especially among the youngest increases acceptance, but even there there is condemnation. Conservatives see homosexuality as degrading and pride as a shameless movement that destroys society. Fortunately, few of those who condemn want violence, but many believe homosexuality should be punished, says Raja. Tajik thinks the shooting in Oslo on June 25 must be a time difference for how Muslims and others behave towards queers. Photo: Thomas Hagajore Fosse / news – Paradox He calls the homosexual attitudes among Muslims paradoxical: – Many Muslims feel discriminated against in Norwegian society. Then it is strange to discriminate against gays and not want the same rights. It is difficult to understand that Muslims do not see this contradiction. Tajiks think conservative Muslims are opting out of this debate. – Do they support a theology that accepts the death penalty for homosexuality? And a language that dehumanizes queers? This must be taken into account, she says. According to Raja, neither Muslims nor any Christian community is in line with their attitude changes. – The religious communities have a long, long way to go. Everyone is responsible news is in contact with the Islamic Council of Norway, but no one on the board is available for an interview on this matter. The organization Salam, which works for queer Muslims, agrees that it is far ahead, but emphasizes that homophobia is everywhere, and that there are important changes in attitudes among Muslims. – A lot is said, but we see that religious Muslim leaders are starting to use terms such as transphobia and homophobia and that they say they do not accept such attitudes. That is the victory of Assistant Secretary-General Thee-Yezen Al-Obaide. Thee-Yezen Al-Obaide of the organization Salam emphasizes that the whole of Norway, not just Muslims, must work against homophobia. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news He points out, for example, that ultra-conservative Muslims have liked the view of homosexuals as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Pentecostals. – We see homophobia and transphobia in many environments: among religious, atheists, politicians, not just among Muslims. So working towards this is a mission for the whole society. Al-Obaide says politicians do not just have to point to certain groups. – Politicians can start by increasing financial support for grassroots organizations. I hope Salam gets resources for the dialogue work with the mosque teachers and for our school visit project. Skulane says that our visits have a positive and quick effect on how the students think about homosexuality, he says.
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Raja and Tajik criticize homosexual Muslims – news Vestland
