"They prayed at our execution ceremonies. But now we know someone who prays at our wedding ceremonies."From: NewNowNext
A gay Muslim cleric who officiated secret same-sex weddings for gay couples in Iran tracks his journey from discovering his own sexuality to where he is now, living as a refugee in Turkey while waiting for resettlement in Canada, in a new BBC investigative report.
In the report below, Taha explains that as a Muslim cleric, or mullah, he was expected to enforce homophobic sharia law and condemn homosexuality in Iran, where being gay is punishable by death.
Because he refused, Taha said life at home became increasingly difficult and he was forced to flee.
The UN estimates there are over 1,000 Iranian LGBT refugees waiting for resettlement in Turkey. And though life there isn’t perfect (migrants allowed to hold a jobs and therefore are limited financially), Taha is already meeting new friends and experiencing the liberating power that comes with being a proud member of the LGBT community.
“Before this we knew mullahs as people who wanted to punish us,” a friend of Taha’s says in the report. He, like many other LGBT refugees, hope that Taha can one day officiate his wedding ceremony.
“They prayed at our execution ceremonies. But now we know someone who prays at our wedding ceremonies.”
Check it out below:
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