Mosque Displayed A Rainbow Flag In Support Of The LGBTQ+ Community. Some Muslims Say It Desecrates Islam

A mosque in Berlin, Germany has hung a rainbow flag on its wall to express its support for the LGBTQ+ community. Officials at the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque hung a flag next to the building's entrance, where fans added "Love is Halal" stickers, according to Albawaba.

The term halal in Arabic means "permissible" or "allowed", which Muslims use to refer to items and activities that are permitted on a normal day according to Islamic law. In most Muslim countries, homosexuality is prohibited, if not legally punishable by severe penalties ranging from long-term imprisonment to the death penalty.

Several marches, concerts and events in support and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community are planned in Berlin in the coming weeks, so the mosque wanted to join the institutions expressing support and sympathy.

However, the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque is not a classical shrine of Islam. It was established in 2017, and its representatives refer to it as the only "liberal mosque" in all of Germany. The mosque is even one of the few mosques in the world to allow men and women to pray together, which has raised questions among conservative Muslims since its opening.

The decision to hang the rainbow flag on the walls of the mosque has outraged many Muslims around the world, who say the mosque is trying to desecrate Islam, but there are also many who approve and support the move.