‘Gay Muslims In Malta, Know You Are Loved’: Lesbian Cancer Survivor Sends Message To Imam
An outspoken Maltese cancer survivor who has often spoken out for minorities in Malta has sent a message to Malta’s Imam after he urged gay men to marry women and follow “the righteous path”.
“This is emotional and physiological violence,” Antonella Rogers told Lovin Malta. “Imam Mohammed El Sadi has made me worried and concerned – I just can’t understand why people judge others’ sexual orientation.”
“If you are Muslim and gay and are reading this, please know you have a right to be loved and accepted as you are. If you are family or friends of such an individual, please support your loved one and don’t let them feel alone – solidarity to my Muslim friends.”
Rogers, who lives an open life with her sexuality and who previously took other religious fundamentalists to task over their views, was clear on where she stood: “I accept that you don’t accept me how I am – I still accept your beliefs, but I don’t accept this hate speech.”
Imam El Sadi had reiterated his position on the LGBTQI community in a new interview this week, where he urged people to resist their ungodly temptations, no matter what they were.
However, people found the fundamentalist rhetoric to be outdated in 2022 – Equality Minister Owen Bonnici even posted a reaction, saying being gay wasn’t a choice but something people discover within themselves throughout their lives.
Rogers didn’t mince her words: “Imam El Sadi, if in your eyes I’m a sinner, let God judge me, and not you.”
“As long as you love yourself and be kind in this cruel world, your orientation doesn’t matter.”
What do you make of Rogers’ personal perspective?
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