Woman forced to resign from job for attending her gay son’s wedding
By Ross Semple
A woman has been forced to resign her position at a Muslim organisation after attending her son’s same-sex wedding.
Siddika was secretary general at the Organization of North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities (NASIMCO). She recently attended the Vancouver wedding of her son Ali and his partner, Paul.
After the wedding, Siddika was criticised online and a petition was launched to remove her from her position. It read: “It is indisputable that the Secretary General took part in the same-sex wedding of her son. The wedding was celebrated openly and proudly, with #AliandPaul2017 hashtag on social media.
“This sin was not done in private, but rather was publicly celebrated and promoted,” continued the text of the petition. The author argued that attending the wedding went against the teachings of Shia Islam.
NASIMCO responded to the petition with an official statement, saying that the organisation “rejects recent allegations that suggest the organization condones and advocates for behaviour that is considered to be un-Islamic.
“We assure all community members that we are looking into the issue quite seriously and will address it in an appropriate and timely manner.”
Following the statement, Siddika penned an open letter to reveal that she was being forced out of her job because of her attendance at the wedding. “Today as a Muslim and a devoted mother who has had the privilege to serve our community institutions, I am being forced to resign by NASIMCO,” Siddika wrote, “for the sole reason that my son has married a man, which I would like to point out is legal in Canada.”
She fiercely defended her decision to support her child, criticising those who chose to pass judgement on her. “My stance today is not just as a devoted mother but as a human being who has painfully observed how the community has usurped the rights of God’s creation in the name of Islam and passed judgement.”
Writing about her son Ali’s coming out, Siddika wrote that she was initially “shocked, devastated, and heartbroken” when he told her he was gay. However, she chose to love and support her son regardless.
“How could I as a Mother discriminate against my own Son and if my God is so just, then how could I not take on this value of Justice and act on it. When I reflect back through mine and my Son’s journey I am convinced that his orientation is Nature and not Nurture.”
The president and vice president of NASIMCO have also resigned as a result of the controversy surrounding Siddika and the petition.
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