Gay Advocates Take Issue With Park51 Imam

[nalnn]

Source: NY1

A fight over the planned Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan centers around its location of being two blocks from the World Trade Center site. But now the controversy is broadening as some gay advocates are airing concerns about the new imam who's joined the project.

In a lecture Imam Abdallah Adhami sells on the Internet, he offers the following explanation for the existence of homosexuality:

"An enormously, overwhelming percentage of people struggle with homosexual feeling because of some form of violent emotional or sexual abuse at some point in their life. Again, not necessarily in their childhood....A small, tiny percentage of people are born with a natural inclination they cannot explain. You find this in the animal kingdom on some level as well."

For gay rights advocates, the words are unacceptable.

Read more: http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/132886/ny1-exclusive--gay-advocates-take-issue-with-park51-imam

[JI7]

1. i'm surprised it's not as anti gay as i thought it would be

and he actually seems to kind of accept though reluctantly that it IS something people are born as.

considering the crap you hear from many other religious leaders, especially in Islam this looks like an improvement.

but they really need to stop with the shit about it being a result of sexual abuse.

[nalnn]

2. Remotely possible.

Considering he is living in NY, that is possible. Could be taqiyya still however.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. He is soft selling it, and is not telling the whole truth about islam's position on gays

hint: it involves a large number of thrown rocks

[jobycom]

12. You say Islam as if it's all one thing.

There are gay Muslims, there are liberal Muslims, there are secular and humanist Muslims, and as with the Bible, followers find different ways to explain the Qur'an and the Haditha. Saying "Islam's" position on gays is standardized is like saying Christianity's is. The slandering of 2 billion people over beliefs that not all of them hold is not unlike what people are upset about the imam doing.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. well said. just like there are violent christian groups who want to kill fags

there are moderate groups and liberal groups of all religions

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Look at it from a risk mangement perspective...its far from slander

[jobycom]

23. I grew up in the South during the 70s, as Civil Rights were hotly debated.

I've heard that "risk management" argument enough about enough different groups of people that it turns my stomach.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

24. Considering that risk management was even developed as a discipline then

you may want to reconsider your statement

[davidinalameda]

22. I wonder how many of those 2 billion people

agree with the good iman

What does Islam say about homosexuality?

Taken from the book titled 'Common Questions People Ask About Islam' by Shabir Ally.

Islam teaches that homosexual acts are sinful and punishable by God. This teaching comes not from human beings, but from the Creator of all humans. God tells us in His own words how He punished the people of Lot for their homosexual behaviour.

The story of prophet Lot, on whom be peace, finds mention in several Qur'anic passages, especially Chapter 26:160-175 which reads: "The people of Lut rejected the apostles. Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not fear (God)? "I am to you an apostle worthy of all trust. "So fear God and obey me. "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds. "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, "And leave those whom God has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!" He said: "I do detest your doings." "O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!" So We delivered him and his family,- all Except an old woman who lingered behind. But the rest We destroyed utterly. We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)! Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe. And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might Most Merciful."

From these passages we learn that God saved Lot and the righteous ones of his family, and rained on the rest a shower of brimstone, so they were utterly destroyed. This is mentioned in the Qur'an not only for the sake of information, but mainly to serve as a warning to anyone who dares to repeat such acts.

http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/homosexuality.htm

I'm sure I could many many more examples if you'd like

[RKP5637]

3. People really need to get out of others sexual lives. All this religious stuff

really starts to get weird IMO. What are they hiding about themselves.

[LiberalFighter]

11. To increase the odds of people not sticking their noses in other people's lives

is for religion to become extinct.

[RKP5637]

15. Yeah!!! IMO looking now and back in history religion is so invasive, cruel and

all about politics and control of people.

[LiberalFighter]

19. Religion might be considered the orginal form of government.

Religion controls the people. They use fear to control people. It demands them to follow their laws. It requires them to pay taxes in the form of tithes.

[RKP5637]

21. It would certainly seem that way. Whenever anyone tells me they're religious a

red flag goes up for me. Most religions I've ever heard of are dictatorial, persecutory and weird. And if one follows the money trail some are often making out big time off others donations. Why they still hold a tax exempt status is beyond me.

[bluestateguy]

4. By and large Islam is not a very progressive religion

The site is their land and they should be legally allowed to build their community center, but I don't necessarily like it.

[RKP5637]

6. +1, n/t

[No Elephants]

26. Agree, in part, but which religions do you consider progressive?

[ehrnst]

5. Not half as radical as Fred Phelps. And he gets his own church. (nt)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Then you do not know islam

[ehrnst]

17. I know and work with muslims. And the ones I know are in not anything like Fred Phelps. (nt)

[Nuclear Unicorn]

18. And I know Christians who despise Fred Phelps

:shrug:

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[No Elephants]

27. Depends on how you define "followers." Besides, they speak only for themselves.

[jberryhill]

10. What's the nearest Catholic church to Ground Zero

Islam isn't kindly toward homosexuality. Is that news of some kind?

[No Elephants]

25. No Abrahamic religion, in its orthodox form, is kindly toward homosexuals.

Not sure which reigions, if any, are kindly toward homosexuals.

[LibertyLover]

28. A number of the earth-centered religions

are very well disposed towards homosexuals. I am Wiccan, and by and large it is a religion extremely tolerant and welcoming to all, GLBT or straight.

[leftynyc]

30. But only one Abrhamic religion

is currently stoning them or hanging them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. err, for a religious figurehead this is hardly that alarmingly homophobic

i think its only a story because of park51 issues, not a story in an of itself

[EFerrari]

20. Good for Gay City News.

[originalpckelly]

29. If someone wanted to build an evangelical Christian church next to ground zero...

No one would be talking about the anti-gay rhetoric of the pastor there, now would they?

Yeah, I thought so.

I'm gay, but I'm not about to be blinded by this bullshit. If only we could get someone like Joel Olstein to talk like that. That's a fairly open-minded stance, compared to what one can hear in the Islamic world elsewhere.