Muslim protests against LGBT 'No Outsiders' || Islamophobia & Homophobia

'No Outsiders' is a series of children's books, published for schools to teach children to be accepting of those who may be deemed 'different,' whether due to race, skin colour, disability, gender identity or sexuality.
However, these books have sparked controversy within the Muslim community - there have been protests outside schools, most notably in Birmingham, to stop the 'No Outsiders' series being used.

4 of the 35 books in the series focus on LGBT awareness, and this is what has caused an uprising from Muslim parents, as they believe that homosexuality is a sin, and should not be taught in schools.

I don't even know where to start with this. Let's just bullet point and see how it goes.

• Firstly, if your 'traditions' are causing prejudice, don't you think it's time to get with the times? Prejudice is NOT cool. Being kind to others and respecting people for who they are - is that not a fundamental part of every religion?

Apparently not.

• Furthermore, so many people are trying to stop Islamophobia, but you are counteracting this by showing outright hatred and disrespect towards other minorities. I've met Muslims who identify as gay and bisexual, and the impact of your views on them is shattering. Are you going to disown your children, just because of their choices to be who they are, and not conform to your homophobic ideologies? Or will you continue to force your religion upon them, in hope of ruining their dreams and aspirations for a brighter, less hateful future? Will you keep them boxed up and labelled, or let them be who they are and flourish?

• You're literally going against an Equal. Rights. Campaign.

That same campaign teaches children to be accepting of those who are disabled, of colour, or who follow a religion.

That same campaign is trying to stop children from growing up and becoming racist - becoming Islamophobic.

By protesting against this, you are hate crime. Remember that.

Religion is meant to be uplifting. Can you really say that you are fulfilling your duties as a community?

• Do you want the next generation to be full of hatred? Surely this is working backwards from years - centuries - of progress to combat discrimination?

Look at how far we've come - black people are no longer segregated from whites. Apartheid has been abolished. Gay marriage is legal in the UK.

Look at how people were treated; Rosa Parks, Alan Turing, and countless others have sacrificed their lives for the greater good. For us.
Don't ignore the mistakes that humans have made in the past - learn from them.
Learn from the Nazis, from the World Wars, from the Aztecs - hatred, genocide, war, these things are not okay, and they never will be, no matter how much you try and justify them.

• There will be gay children in these schools, learning that they are no different from others, and these books will help them be able to love themselves for who they are - so, how do you think they feel when they see people holding banners and shouting, saying that being gay is wrong? Is your mission simply to make people feel so much self-hatred that they cannot stand to be alive anymore?

Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among LGBT youth is significantly higher than among the general population. LGBT adolescents have the highest rate of suicide attempts, which is almost always linked to homophobic attitudes.

These people, including children, need to be supported. Where are they expected to get this support if they are rejected by their family and friends, and by society?

Some of these LGBT people will be Muslims, and I'm sure that when they are dead you will mourn for them as you mourn for the heterosexual: with regret.

***I am not saying that all Muslims are like this - I understand that many are fighting for equality, and for those I have the utmost respect***
I have many Muslims friends, who are tolerant of the things that make each of us unique and different, and I am glad for that.

Remember, traditional is not always best.

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I guess the moral of this article is,

If you want to be respected, respect others. All others.

Thank you for reading.

- R