Local Muslims condemn homosexuality at Bates College lecture.
LEWISTON – Faisal Alam says he suffered a nervous breakdown trying to keep parts of his life, as a Muslim man and a gay man, far apart.
Combining such labels adds “layers of oppression,” Alam says. People get angry, as they did Monday.
Brought to Bates College to lecture on his work – as the founder of an international group that helps gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Muslims – Alam drew criticism from local Muslims.
They, too, believe that a person cannot be gay and faithful to Allah.
Midway through Alam’s lecture, leaders from the Lewiston Auburn Islamic Center passed out a statement “condemning all forms or homosexuality and opposing all the propaganda for this evil act.”
And that made Alam angry.
Alam, 26, came to lecture about himself and his group, the Al-Fatiha Foundation. He also thought he had reached an understanding with the Lewiston mosque’s leaders, that they would wait until the lecture was over to make a comment.
“This isn’t a debate,” he told them later.
In all, more than 50 people attended the event. Among them were representatives of the Many and One Coalition, people from the local Somali community, area Muslims, and activists for gay and lesbian rights. The lecture was sponsored by the Bates College Multicultural Center.
It began as a primer on Islam and basic comparisons to Judaism and Christianity. He spoke of the estimated 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, the 7 to 10 million in the U.S. and the vast diversity of Islamic people.
Among them, there are many gay and lesbian Muslims, he said. Many are just too frightened to open up.
After all, it was tough for him.
“I spent two weeks in a hospital with an IV in my arm,” said Alam of his breakdown.
“I could no longer live my life in duality,” he said. “I would never let this happen to somebody else.”
Gays and lesbian Muslims are in a similar place as gay and lesbian Christians were 50 years ago. Though some Christian groups denounce them today, others have changed. Currently, there are gay and lesbian priests and ministers.
“I know of one gay imam,” said Alam. “He’s in Washington, D.C.” The changes will happen mosque by mosque, he said.
However, such changes would be a direct contradiction to the Quran, said Abdirizak Mahboub, from the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center. His statement cited chapter and verse from the Quran, which Muslims believe is the word of God.
Another group, the African Immigrant Advocacy Group, a Lewiston-based organization that includes many Somalis released their own statement.
“We reject racisms, division hatred and violence,” said the latter group. “We commit ourselves to construction of our community free of hatred among or within us, where no one must live in fear and terror, where all live freely and equally.”
The center’s leaders also said they support peace.
“We are all caring human beings here,” Mahboub said, as college security guards watched nearby. “We are not here to bash anyone.” He said he merely came to tell people what the prophet Muhammad said.
Alam said he, too, believes. He just can’t change who he is.
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