Newly wed gay Muslim couple targeted with vile online abuse from fellow Muslims
A gay couple who married in traditional Muslim garb have been subjected to online abuse.
Jahed Choudhury, 24, and Sean Rogan, 19, tied the knot last week in a ceremony in the West Midlands.
The pair donned Islamic garb for the marriage ceremony, which was carried out in Walsall registry office.
The story has received widespread media coverage for its rarety.
However the happy couple have since been targetted with hundreds of messages of abuse by online trolls, some from fellow Muslims.
Posting on a video of the pair by BBC Midlands, one commenter says: “You Can’t Be A Gay Muslim, If You Are Than Your Not A Muslim.
“Islam Forbids This, I’m not saying they should Split up and Be Straight Which is the right thing to do, what I’m saying is they can’t be Muslim If they are Gay.”
Another writes, “It’s like eating meat and calling myself a vegetarian you are not Muslims.”
Another commenter adds: “Ex-Muslim is the right word.”
However most comments have been overwhelmingly positive.
The top rated comment on the BBC video reads: “This is reality. There are Muslims and there are gays. Sometimes, they are both. Get over it. This is coming from a Muslim.”
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It’s not the first time Mr Choudhury, who grew up in a traditionally Muslim household to Bangladeshi parents, has faced abuse for being a gay Muslim.
He realised at school that he was not like other boys, as he was more interested in fashion than football, and quickly became a target for homophobic bullying.
While a teenager he was branded a “fag” and relentlessly bullied, driving him to attempt to ‘cure’ himself of homosexuality.
Mr Choudhury said that when the mosque he had attended for fifteen years found out he was gay, he was told he was no longer welcome.
It was at his lowest point that he met Mr Rogan, shortly after a suicide attempt.
He explained: “I’d not long overdosed and I was crying on a bench and Sean came over and asked if I was okay.
“He gave me hope at one of my lowest points and he’s stood by me all the way.
“I tried killing myself, and I then met Sean. The housing association got us a house in a week and we’ve been living together ever since.
“I proposed on Sean’s birthday last June.”
The pair tied the knot in a ceremony this week, dressed in traditional Islamic clothing.
Mr Rogan said: “I’ve stood by him every step of the way. I’ve helped him with everything, and I will for the rest of my life.
“People at the Mosque need to understand about gay people – it’s not wrong, it’s who you are. It’s not a phase.
“I’ve known I was gay since I was six. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 16, but you always know.
They low-key ceremony was not attended by Mr Chouhury’s family, as he explained: “They just don’t want to see it, it’s too embarrassing for them.
“They think it’s a disease and can be cured, some of my family still call it a phase.”
But he insisted: “I want to say to all people going through the same thing that’s it’s okay – we’re going to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim.”
