It is essential therefore to support the progressive forces within Islam, so that it may once again become the great contributor to human civilization it had once been (?)(probably only where it has been mitigated by a mixture with some other culture) instead of being the greatest terrorist pain in the ass, next to that Texan clique.

Now then, follow the, also ~~ temporarily ~~ bearded guide, yours truly, and Ali Baba to the Fourty Thieves' following formerly hidden treasure-cave of information. Open sesame!

In Iran mullahs' henchmen publicly hanged two young boys in Edalat (Justice) Square in Mashhad

http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/222/69/

And with, in addition, some awful Western responsibility thrown in, in particular from our beloved sweet EU. Power and money politics...

[added July 27, 2005]

Here is the place to draw attention for instance to an organization in the United States not mentioned on the link list below:

Al-Fatiha

On this site you can read an Op-Ed by Al-Fatiha's founder Faisal Alam:

Christmas Sentiments from a Queer Muslim

ZAWAJ.COM Muslim Matrimonials and More!

"ZAWAJ.COM: Number 1 source of Islamic marriage and wedding information in the world." was added on March 13, 2005, upon request from Fahad Shaikh, Partner Manager.

Muslim Woman's Courage Sets Example

Saudis Behead Gay Couple

Gay Jordanian now 'gloriously free' in Canada

Islam on Trial: The Prosecution’s Case against Islam

Toward a "Jesus Society"

'Islamikazes' in Our Midst

Neocon Tales of the Arabian Nights

Can Gay Marriage Protect Europe From Subway Bombers?

Gay Media's Failure to Accurately Report Stories Adds to Growing Islamaphobia and Hatred Towards Islamic World

Dear Faisal, you are very biased and dishonest here by pushing the texts under the rug, wanting to make your religion look better than it is. Its good sides do not make the bad sides disappear. While the "assault on law-abiding Muslims" is certainly wrong, provided they abide by universal civilized laws and values and by laws in their Western democracies of residence that are consistent with these universal humanist values, but they should be assaulted when they abide by some of the barbaric laws contained in your shariah. When you say that the Western gay media "jumped quickly to condemn the execution", this in my eyes is a scandalous statement. They could actually not jump quickly enough! And this is certainly not "hysteria". It is good that you draw the attention to great failures of the United States in this field, but these failures are simply no excuse for what is happening in several Muslim countries. If the United States still have the death penalty, even defended by some libertarians, and have been executing minors till very recently, they nevertheless kill murderers for instance and not people for simply committing homosexual acts resulting from desires that are in nature and thus your Allah or our God must have created them. The "execution of civilians" and the "killing of homosexuals" is certainly within your religious laws. It is easy to say that your religion condemns the killing of innocents (see the recent fatwas in England and Germany about this), but how hypocritical when people who are, by all decent human standards, innocent, are declared by your religious texts as guilty, as is the case for homosexuals. I think that you are doing a disservice to the majority of Muslims who are indeed decent people, as I can testify from my own experiences, but few have spoken out and only very recently, very late, against the horrors a minority commits and does claim to be based on your religious texts. And unfortunately they can base their crimes on those texts. You better skip your religion and any other one also. You can be a good human being without revealed religion. Why does the majority of Muslims want to stay in the dark Middle Ages or even return to them? The other religions after all have freed themselves from that past, though there are a few stragglers and late-comers there too...

Referring to the press release below, I would of course neither associate the majority of Muslims nor Islam in itself with terrorism. But I would certainly associate the religion with intolerance and a good deal of violence. It is too easy when Muslims always talk of their religion of peace. You can find enough proof of the will for peace in the texts, but you can also find enough texts to the contrary. As long as you have that second kind, the first kind cannot be considered as very valid. But the main problem is, and that is a very real danger, that in most Muslim countries, more so than in the other countries, the majority is extremely backward and retarded in their knowledge and education and this allows malevolent, sometimes insane leaders to make easy prey of the masses.

I have the feeling that those masses are very scared (it's by creating fear that despots rule, there is no difference here between those backward countries and our supposedly more advanced ones), they are so unfree in their collectivist corset of family, customs, traditions, beliefs and guidance by leaders, that many are sort of crying for help and at the same time too weak to accept it, should it come along. Observing their women around here, often wrapped up like mummies, many obviously in that condition not out of their free will, I get the impression that Islam is the religion of bondage. Yes, like in those porn magazines. I got this impression in particular yesterday, having had the occasion to watch such a forlorn looking mummy in the main railroad station here. It's the second or third one that struck me like that in recent days. There are the other ones of course, but this type is conspicuously everywhere. If I except those that never get out of "their" house. Each time I am tempted by the idea to hand them my calling card and tell them that they should contact me should they need help, which they certainly do. But I don't do it, as I am still clinging to my life...

Imaan Press Release - LGBT Muslims Urge Unity

Imaan statement - LGBT Muslim representatives urge unity in the wake of the London bombings

Imaan, the organisation for LGBT Muslims, issued af statement in the aftermath of the initial London bombings on the 7th July, condemning the atrocities and calling for Britain to stand united and to resist attempts to scapegoat the Muslim community for the acts of individuals. We were proud to be part of the Mayor of London's memorial events the following week, when London remembered those who tragically died in these appalling circumstances.

We echo the calls from Azad Ali, Chair of the Muslim Safety Forum, who has called on the Home Office to ensure that there is a clear distinction made between Islam and terrorism. The days following the attacks on 7th July saw the murder of a Pakistani man, many attacks on the muslim community ranging from verbal and physical abuse to attacks on Mosques, property and businesses

In this climate, we are concerned at attempts by some gay and lesbian organisations to ban Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi from entering Britain. We believe such calls contribute to a confusion between Islam and terrorism which is profoundly wrong. We believe that the association of Islam with the recent bombings, as in Galha's statement that Britain is "reeling from the kind of extreme violence that is spawned by his religion", will only result in divisions between the Muslim and LGBT Communities. We join with others in Britain and internationally who have rejected any association between Islam and terrorism and have pointed out that if these atrocities were committed in the name of Islam, those perpetrating them are wrong and deluded.

Dr. Al-Qaradawi, a senior Islamic cleric, has unrelentingly condemned the London bombings. As an LGBT Muslim organisation, we do not agree with Dr. Al-Qaradawi on the issue of homosexuality. However, we restate, particularly at this critical time, that it is highly divisive to single Islam out as being uniquely reactionary on this matter, when a range of other faith leaders hold to views which are also reactionary with regard to homosexuality. Dr. Qaradawi speaks on behalf on many people - gay and straight - who have genuine concerns about Palestine, Iraq and the huge problems in the wider Muslim world, due to Western interference in Muslim lands. Instead of trying to shut out these views, we should be promoting an environment where people can feel free to speak out and discuss these vitally important issues.

In order to isolate and defeat terrorists of the kind we have seen in London in the last fortnight, it is critical to welcome and work with the Muslim community, who have expressed willing to work with the police. This necessarily involves the immediate end to any demonisation of Islam and the Muslim community. It is only through open and honest dialogue that we can forge a path to peace. Trying to ban people like Qardawi will only create more tension and resentment.

We call upon all those within the LGBT community to stand united with the Muslim community. The bombs in London were designed to divide us, to isolate communities from one another and to whip up fear and terror of each other. Imaan stands against this. Any attempt to utilise Islamophobia, under the cover of homophobia or via other means, will only impact heaviest on the LGBT Muslim community and will be counterproductive to garnering effective relations with the Muslim community at this critical time.

For more information please contact Imaan, the organisation for LGBT Muslims on Farzana@imaan.org.uk or http://www.imaan.org.uk

The GALHA Article from Rainbow network can be viewed below:

http://www.rainbownetwork.com...

INTERNET TOOLBOX FOR ISLAM-CRITICS