WATCH: Australia now has an openly gay Imam
Nur Warsame is Australia’s first openly gay Imam, an Islamic leader who runs a mosque.
Having moved to the country from Somalia, he now runs secret groups for gay muslims who aren’t ready to come out to their families.
According to The Feed, the majority of muslims in Australia still don’t accept LGBT people.
Nur was married with a daughter, hiding the fact he was gay because of his religion. He said that coming out was a “difficult journey”.
He said: “Reconciling spirituality with sexuality is a very difficult journey.
“There’s the name of the family you have to protect, the name of the community you come from. The reason it’s difficult for people to come out in the Muslim world or Islamic communities is because the losses are too high, the risks are too great, I mean there is even a risk to your life because the conservative school of thought in Islam to counter homosexuality is to be killed.”
Nur added that he now wants to make it easier for young LGBT muslims.
“I can’t see the future or what’s going to happen however there is that element of extremism in our community so I am very cautious and I’m not one who’s easily intimidated,” he said.
“And I have resources in place for safety and protection so I don’t walk into a storm unless I know which direction the wind is travelling.”
Watch the interview with Nur below:
