DialoguePerspectives | Retrospect Workshop “Safe(r) Space for Queer Muslims – Connecting and Empowering”

On Saturday 13 July 2024, the workshop “Safe(r) Space for Queer Muslims – Connecting and Empowering” took place with a focus on networking and empowering queer Muslim people. The workshop was organised by a former participant of DialoguePerspectives Atahan Demirel.

Impressions and insights from the workshop:

It is important that queer Muslims have a place where they can network and get support from like-minded people. Queer Muslim people often do not have a community where they can be free from discrimination. In addition to discrimination in so-called mainstream German society, they also experience anti-Muslim racism in some queer communities and queerphobia in some Muslim circles. This project and workshop aimed to alleviate this situation through networking and empowerment work and, in the best case, to pave the way for the creation of a sustainable community.

For the workshop, the speaker prepared various measures that were tailored to the needs and concerns of queer-Muslim people. The aim of the workshop was to build confidence, promote sharing and networking, as well as healing in a supportive community and planning for the future. After a welcome and introduction, there were exercises to find and strengthen identity, with many personal experiences shared in a diversity-sensitive way. This was followed by community building exercises, some of which focused on finding a common vision.

In addition to the speaker and the project manager, ten participants took part in the workshop, all of whom identified as queer-Muslim. During the event, it quickly became clear that the discrimination experienced had left many traumas and that collective healing was made possible as part of the development of the exercises. Through sharing, it quickly became clear that there were similarities and parallels in the discrimination experienced. This realisation was a form of healing for everyone as it became explicit that those involved were not alone with their problems and thus commonalities were identified in the group. In general, the event was also emotional for the participants in a beautiful and healing way, as some very personal experiences were shared. It soon became noticeable that the workshop had to be dynamically adapted to the needs and requirements of the participants and could not be conducted in a stoic and rigid manner, as the focus was also on the elaboration of emotions. The private nature of the event and the opportunity to take refreshments and snacks contributed to its success.

In the end, there was a desire for more networking and empowerment meetings to follow. This is a goal the group has set for itself.

Finally, it should be emphasised that for reasons of protection, no names have been mentioned and no faces are shown in the pictures, as those affected unfortunately have to fear for their safety.

Text and Pictures: Atahan Demirel