Welcome to the home of the “I am not Haraam” project - a blog created for LGBTQIA+ Muslims by LGBTQIA+ Muslims.
Haraam is an Arabic word used in Islam to mean “forbidden”. This project has been started as a way for LGBTQIA+ Muslims to stand up and proclaim that we will not allow our existence as LGBTQIA+ Muslims to be erased any longer.
We are not kafirs, we are not deviant, our existence is not a sin. This is our space to say:
WE ARE NOT HARAAM.
-------------------------------- Call for submissions
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We’re calling for any Muslim who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum to submit to this blog. Allies and supportive families of LGBTQIA+ Muslims are also welcome and encouraged.
The theme for submissions is quite simply, “I am not haraam”
(or “my son/daughter/lover/sibling is not haraam”).
We’d like you to share what it means for you to be an LGBTQIA+ Muslim. You can tell us about your struggles, your everyday life, anything that makes you, you!
Submissions can take any form; text posts, audio posts, art work, poetry, video etc.
How do I submit?
You can submit by clicking on “submit” at the top of the page or by emailing iamnotharaam@gmail.com
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to message us.
----------------- Please note: This is a positive space for LGBTQIA+ Muslims. We will not publish or respond to any negative or hateful remarks. We will not respond to any message asking us to justify our existence as LGBTQIA+ Muslims.
I just wanna say thank you for creating this blog. I come from a muslim family and have many muslim friends, and I have been told by one of them that she has an attraction to boys and girls. I will tell her about this blog to make her feel better :)
A sex-ed guide for young Muslims around coming out that deals with the
intersections of faith, sexual orientation, and so more - all framed
through the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Muslims!
carnovalesque asked: hi noor! recently there's been a lot of articles circulating about homosexuality in islam, in the MENA etc and i'm wondering if in your readings you ever came across a book or article you could recommend that critically assesses the history of gender/sexuality in the MENA pre- and post-colonization? i read 'sex and the citadel' which offered me a taste but i guess i'm looking for something more critical like levine's "prostitution, race, and politics" but focusing on the MENA? thank you!
You’re right – Sex and the Citadel was a total mess. I think I recommended it to you on another blog two years ago (sorry!) and since then, I’ve started to understand why it rubbed me the wrong way – and even how it didn’t rub me the wrong way at the time but should have. (We all read and learn, it’s part of the process! Plus, at least some of the information in there was helpful, even if the analysis was totally off-putting.) I’m happy you liked the Levine text, though! I love it, too.
So…your instinct to find something more critical is definitely coming from the right place. Since you sent a second message saying I could post this publicly, the four main texts I would recommend are:
These are sort of what everyone reads once they become interested in queer/critical theory in the middle east and south asia. And although these texts are considered foundational, they aren’t immune to critique (esp. the last two: A lot of people I know can’t stand these texts so please don’t yell at me anonymously.) That being said, I think they’re a good place to start. I really support the practice of grappling with these kinds of texts and engaging with them honestly before leveling (or even trying to understand other) critiques.
I also loved sections of Paul Amar’s book, The Security Archipelago but here’s a nice and concise article he wrote with Omnia El Shakry (who is awesome so check her out!) entitled Curiosities of Middle East Studies in Queer Times.
I hope this helps! I’m going to tag @khofnak for good measure because they always have far better recommendations.
Great recommendations!
i agree, with anyone studying sexuality/gender in MENASA it’s worth studying homonatonalism/pinkwashing. Here are some other stuff I can recommend:
Ramadan, despite my complete lack of faith, always becomes a month of intense introspection and worldly reflection. I think a part of me would like it to always be, life is so fleeting and fast lived that we seldom get a chance to actually spend time exploring the inner crevices of our minds and spiritualities.
Seeing the progression of liberation and acceptance of LGBT+ muslims, as steady and riddled with resistance it is, has been such a wonder to behold. We have stories of people coming out to their parents and families who, for a change, are not met with immediate hostility and stark rejection. We have movements in the UK and further afield which are seeking to erect LGBT+ friendly masjids, create safe spaces for those of us in the community to practice our religions and enjoy our sexuality without fear of repercussion and persecution. “I am not haraam” is becoming a supplication almost synonymous with the fight to be accepted into the muslim world and shared culture, and this acceptance is being so passionately fought for by muslims in Islamic countries, those in the diaspora, and those who have reverted from other cultures and backgrounds who see the injustice our people face day in and day out.
In a time where the larger muslim ummah seems increasingly divided over sects, race, nuances in practising and so much more divisive pettiness, it seems as though the collective struggle of LGBT+ muslims has combined our ranks and made us a force that is seemingly shaking up the islamic world. People are afraid of the repercussions of challenging old beliefs. If they are forced to abandon one way of thinking, then what happens to other non-islamic but cultural practices that people seem to want to cling on to so badly? Cultural Islam, at least from my experience of it, has long been a religion of “accept what you’re told, submit to your teachers and elders or perish” and it is wonderful that those traditionalist views are being challenged with such courage. Of course this isn’t entirely owing to the works of the LGBT+ community, the revelation of technology and access to resources not previously available has given muslims the ability to think critically about their faith, and challenge the status quo in a way that has not happened previously in the modern, post colonialist history of our religion.
Of course the fight is far from over. It is a war against years of indoctrinated thinking, of beliefs that have remained unchallenged for so long, and such a fight is never easily won. But in a world that is seemingly regressing in terms of morality humanity, there are pockets of hope where people are fighting to win their rights. The right to pray, to love, and to exist. I hope that this struggle for acceptance soon becomes a fight for equality, but it’s nice to know we’re actually making some progress, and that we are getting through to some people. It is slowly starting to pay off, and we need to maintain the momentum for our liberation. The night is far from over, but the first few streaks of sunlight are peering through the horizon.
While both the BBC and Independent articles endeavor to state that in Egypt homosexuality is not technically illegal, the Egyptian government’s use of laws against “debauchery” and “blasphemy” makes clear that that’s just a pretext and a smokescreen.
anyway here’s your reminder that lgbt muslims exist and islamophobia shouldnt be tolerated within lgbt communities!
shout out to lgbt muslims living in places where our identities are still criminalised.
btw i encourage everyone especially non muslim lgbt ppl to reblog this. if you see islamophobia within the community, you should help us instead of telling us our religion is ‘horrible’
To all my LGBTQA+ sisters & brothers, this is the time to celebrate our faith, ourselves, and our queerness!
Eid Mubarak to all of you beautiful souls 🌈🎉🌙
