Islam is often portrayed as a religion that is very intolerant towards LGBTIQ people. We have seen many examples of countries where homosexual relationships are outlawed, some with penalties that can go all the way to the death penalty, but it wasn’t always like that. Over the last few years, there have been some LGBTIQ Muslims taking the lead to offer inclusive spaces where being Muslim and LGBTIQ is possible.
One such person, is Imam Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed. Algerian born and now living in France, he became the world’s first gay Imam. We spoke to him 5 years ago and we were keen to hear how things had progressed. He now heads the CALEM Institute in Marseille, a training centre for progressive Imams and safe haven for at-risk LGBTIQ.