Gay Muslims Face Discrimination, Banished From Mosque
Several gay Christian men in Lilongwe this reporter spoke to said they have never been outright rejected from a church but have heard pastors preach discriminatory homilies against homosexuality.
LILONGWE, Malawi-In October 2023, Raphael (not his real name) and three other gay Muslim men in Lilongwe, Malawi say they were banned from worshipping at their community mosque, writes Meclina Chirwa.
Since then they have faced stigma and discrimination in their personal lives as well as in the public sphere.
“We are living in a very dangerous and cruel society,” Raphael said. “We were sent away from the mosque claiming that we cannot pray there and told we should find another mosque where gay men pray. Since that day, we have turned into a laughingstock because [now] everyone in the community knows that we are gay men. They even refuse to sell us products at the market. We just stay indoors to avoid this traumatizing trouble.”
The men don’t know how mosque leadership learned of their sexual orientation, but the fallout has been devastating.
Raphael now suffers from depression and nearly attempted suicide due to the insults and abuse he received from the community.
“Staying here is not safe. There is nobody to protect us,” he said. “Discrimination and violence against us comes in many forms, from name calling, bullying, harassment and gender-based violence, to being denied a job or appropriate healthcare. Protesting to uphold our rights is also a challenge because we are suppressed.”
Charles (not his real name), one of Raphael’s friends who was also banned from the mosque, is troubled that local religious groups are promoting stigma and discrimination.
“It is very unfortunate that religious leaders are promoting evil instead of love. Why reject us from the mosque? Is it a crime to be a gay person? Even going to the market it’s very risky because we are subjected to all sorts of abuse and insults. It is not safe at all. We do not know how we can be assisted, but we are thinking of moving out of this area and going where our freedom of worship can be respected,” Charles said.
After being rejected from the mosque, the men created their own space of worship within the compound where they live for safety and to continue praying.
Human rights activist Michael Kaiyatsa, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), was troubled to learn of the men’s banishment from their faith community.
"I am very disappointed with this malpractice. I did not know that some religious leaders could be this inhumane and cruel to the extent of banning gay men from worshipping. We are going to look into this, investigate, and ensure that these men are protected at all costs,” Kaiyatsa said.
Harold Kachepatsonga, program lead at the Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (MANERELA+), also criticized how the men were treated.
"This is uncalled for. As MANERELA+, we cannot just fold our hands and watch. We will do something to protect our brothers. We are all sinners before God, and we don’t have the right to torment others in the name of God,” he said.
Sheik Dinala Chabulika, spokesperson of the Muslim Association of Malawi, asked for more time to investigate the matter.
“I have never heard such news before but that cannot be tolerated in Islam,” he said.
Several gay Christian men in Lilongwe this reporter spoke to said they have never been outright rejected from a church but have heard pastors preach discriminatory homilies against homosexuality.
“Most Christian denominations like my Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) church teach that homosexual behavior and acts are sinful, but we have never faced any rejection,” said Steve (not his real name), a gay congregant.
“Various mainline Protestant denominations have taken a supportive stance towards blessing homosexual clergy and same-sex marriage. We hope others like the Muslims will embrace the same.”
“The subject of sexuality is perhaps the most vexed issue in the contemporary Christian Church,” said one anonymous pastor.
“Many churches have been forced to confront the matter, both theologically and pastorally, and controversies have proved divisive between conservative and liberal oriented denominations and evangelical churches.”
The pastor emphasized that within a Christian denomination, individual believers and the groups they belong to may hold different views on sexuality, and that not all members necessarily support their church’s official stance.