TEMPO.CO, Paris – As a holy place for Moslems, a mosque should be open for anybody. However, the fact remains that homosexuals and transsexuals are often denied entry when they wanted to pray in a mosque.
Such condition inspired Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed to build and become the imam of the Mosquée de l'Unicité, a mosque that welcomes homosexuals. Many of the mosque's gay worshipers recite Quran and pray in congregation.
"This is a gay-friendly mosque." said Zahed as quoted from Tempo Magazine, dated May 20, 2013. For security reasons, he prefers not to disclose the mosque's location to the public.
The ongoing debate about same-sex marriage laws in France is the reason why he would rather keep the address a secret. "For Moslems in France, what we do is a blasphemy," he stated.
Fortunately, Tempo is able to enter and take a look at the activities happening at te mosque on Friday evening. There were Isha prayer in congregation, religious discussions, reciting the Quran, dhikr, and a friendly chat accompanied with a light meal.
DINI KUSMANA MASSABUAU (PRANCIS)
