About

Imaan supports LGBT Muslim people, their families and friends, to address issues of sexual orientation within Islam. It provides a safe space and support network to address issues of common concern through sharing individual experiences and institutional resources.

Imaan promotes the Islamic values of peace, social justice and tolerance through its work, and aspires to bring about a world that is free from prejudice and discrimination against all Muslims and LGBT people.

In September 1998, a group of us were brought together in London by an advert placed in the Pink Paper by visiting founder of Al Fatiha Foundation, the US gay Muslim group.

Back then, Muslims who were gay were not part of a discernable group. If anything we were part of a larger, mostly London-based Asian presence that congregated at gay Bhangra clubs like Club Kali and Shakti – if at all.

The need to reconcile Islam with sexuality seemed to coincide with a coming-of-age of a particular generation of gay people from Muslim backgrounds born in this country that had witnessed the growth of a gay culture in England. It was inevitable therefore that at some point they would start to ask, ‘Why should I not be able to be both gay and Muslim?’

Al Fatiha UK was founded and evolved into Imaan – the Arabic word for ‘Faith’, which more closely expressed the ethos of the group and its members.

Imaan is an independent organisation run by volunteers and without external funding. All donations of time or money will be gratefully received. Please contact the Imaan Chair by email:
tawseef@imaan.org.uk 

Monthly Imaan meetings are held at central London venues. For details of the next meeting please contact the Imaan Events Officer by email: 
info@imaan.org.uk 

To network with other LGBT Muslims, friends, families and supporters, join the Imaan forum:
http://www.forum.imaan.org.uk