Pro-gay Mosque Opens in South Africa

A Muslim academic has opened a gay-friendly mosque in South Africa, despite receiving death threats and fierce criticism from parts of the local Muslim community.

 

According to BBC, women will also be allowed to lead prayers at Taj Hargey's "Open Mosque" in Cape Town.

"We are opening the mosque for open-minded people, not closed-minded people," Mr Hargey told the BBC.

He says the mosque will help counter growing Islamic radicalism.

Mr Hargey, a professor at the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford in the UK, told the BBC's Newsday programme it was time for a "religious revolution".

"In South Africa 20 years ago, there was a peaceful revolution changing from apartheid to democracy and we need to have a similar development in the area of religion," he said.