the idea that LGBT rights are somehow an issue that only affects white people, that doesn't touch the muslim (or other ethic minority communities. Black and Muslim LGBT people face double oppression, from homophobia and from racism - the latter partially coming from within the LGBT community.
We need to educate our-f selves on the specific issues faced by LGBT Muslim people such as the fatwa against Al-Fatiha (LGBT Muslim group - forerunner of Imaan) issued in July 2001 by Al-Muhajiroun or the threats to a sexual health worker in the gay Muslim community which forced him to leave his home on account of his work.
Fighting for womens' rights and LGBT rights will sometimes mean taking on reactionary (male) elders within muslim communities as elsewhere in society. This shouldn't stop us either in supporting women's rights or lesbian and gay rights.
When George Galloway fought to support a young woman from Glasgow kidnapped and sent to Pakistan for a forced marriage when he was an MP there he took these issues up head on, despite the role of so-called community leaders.
He did so to when he responded with outright condemnation to comments from Cardinal Thomas Winning, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, comparing gay rights campaigners to Nazi's, and using offensive terms like "perversion" during the battle to repeal the homphobic Section 28 in 2000.
These are some of the traditions we should base ourselves on in Respect.
It is certainly not true that all Muslims think alike on the issue of lesbian and gay rights, although this is a very painful struggle for many LGBT Muslim people. Consider the following from a website that explores issues around Islam and sexuality:
"The conflict between sexuality and faith which Muslim LBT women and gay men usually experience is almost always overwhelming. defend them. This is what the academic histories and the sociologies of dissident Muslim sexualities and genders are saying to me."
We should take this debate and turn it into a massive opportunity to win over Respect supporters and their base in communities all over to the idea that in our struggles against all our oppres• sions we are united? I simply do not believe that we cannot get people on board supporting LGBT rights - including people of faith!
As LGBT in Respect we have to get ourselves organised and find our collective voice in this hugely important debate about core values and political principles. Between us and all our supporters in the Respect movement, we have a unique opportunity to support our sisters and brothers in the LGBT Muslim and other faith communities and unite the base of Respect around a common understanding of LGBT equality and even, dare we say it, LGBT liberation.
Contact Socialist Resistance if you are an LGBT Respect member/supporter or to send messages of support to those who are. References: 2 Fatwa on Al-Fatiha from British Muslim group AlMuhajiroun, July 2001 http://www.rainbownetwork.com /News/detail.asp?iData=17388& iCat=29&iChannel=2&nChannel =News • For a very good account of homophobia and Islam from an LGBT Muslim perspective see Raza Griffith's report at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a I-fatiha-news/message/45 Peter Tatchell on Islam and LGBT rights with reference to last year's visit by homophobic Islamic community leader, Dr alQaradawi at Ken Livingstone's invitation at http://www.petertatchell.net/religion/qaradawi.htm Islam & Sexuality at http://www.muslimwakeup.com/ sex/archives/2004/12/dissident_voice.php
LGBT Muslim networks at www.imaan.org.uk and www.safraproject.org