Al-Fatiha Foundation: Difference between revisions

The organization grew out of an internet listserve that brought together many gay, lesbian, and questioning Muslims from 25 countries, and by 1998 had developed numerous in-person chapters.<ref name="cybermecca">{{Cite news |work=The Advocate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E2QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 |page=27 |title=Cyber mecca |date=March 14, 2000}}</ref><ref name="gayreligion">{{Cite book |title=Gay religion |first=Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8NhmnsTG5DgC&pg=PA379 |page=379  |last=Thumma |first2=Edward R. |last2=Gray |publisher=Rowman Altamira |year=2005}}</ref> Al-Fatiha has 14 chapters in the United States, as well as offices in England, Canada, Spain, Turkey, and South Africa.

The name means "the Opening" and is shared with Al-Fatiha or the first surah of the Qur'an. In the beginning of that surah, Allah is described as compassionate and merciful; the organization's founders believe that these attributes characterize Islam, rather than hatred and [[homophobia]].<ref name="TAI">{{Cite book |title=Teaching against Islamophobia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bx18QENdh_MC&pg=PA192 |page=192 |first=Joe L. |last=Kincheloe |year=2010 |publisher=Peter Lang}}</ref>

Each year, Al-Fatiha hosts an international membership retreat and conference.<ref name="gayreligion"/> Early conferences took place in Boston, New York, and London in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and focused on issues such as the reconciliation of religion and sexual orientation.<ref name="cybermecca"/><ref>{{Cite news |work=Out |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PWIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA97 |page=97 |date=November 1999 |title=Where the others stand}}</ref>