Hotel employee berates gay Muslim conference

Southern Voice ^ | 09/08/05 | STEVE KOVAL

[Pikamax]

Filmmaker Parvez Sharma found more drama at an international conference for gay Muslims over Labor Day weekend than he had anticipated.

Sharma, who is filming a documentary on gay Muslims titled "In the Name of Allah," attended the conference hosted by Al-Fatiha, the nation’s only organization dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed and questioning Muslims.

The event was held at the Holiday Inn Select in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, Ga. On the final evening of the event, a hotel employee interrupted the group's awards dinner by entering the meeting room and shouting insults at the attendees.

Those present said the employee, an African-American woman wearing a traditional Muslim head covering, yelled at and berated them. The woman said it was not possible to be gay and Muslim, and that the attendees would burn in hell, witnesses said.

When she left the meeting room, the woman went into the hotel's kitchen. Hotel security was called, and subsequently it was determined that the woman actually worked for the hotel.

Moid, an attendee who declined to provide his last name, said that some of those attending the dinner were upset and scared by the outburst.

"At first I was really disturbed by the incident because people were crying. But one thing that was very interesting to me was that we, the gay Muslims, were in the majority at this meeting, and she was in the minority," he said.

Moid also said that as the incident occurred he was concerned because he feared the woman might be part of a larger protest group. "Our sense of security was really shattered," he said.

Lisa Castagna, general manager of the hotel, confirmed the incident, and said Wednesday that the employee had been terminated. Castagna said the hotel was still investigating the matter and had not yet met with a leader of the group.

"This is between us and the group,” Castagna said. “We're planning to talk to them." She anticipated meeting with the group before the end of the week.

The hotel is owned by Bask Decatur LLC.

Unrelated to the incident at the hotel, Faisal Alam, the founder and former president of Al-Fatiha, announced at the conference that he would step down from his position on the Al-Fatiha board of directors.

Alam did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

[1rudeboy]

All right, I'm stumped. What entails being "intersexed?

[PeterPrinciple]

"......and questioning Muslims. "


Now there is an interesting catagory.

[TexasCajun]

The event was held at the Holiday Inn Select in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, Ga.

Ahhhh That explains why they are alive.

[RichInOC]

Gay Muslims? I thought Islam expressly forbade pork.

[velocityguy]

Ah, I am excited about this news. I wonder which side CAIR will take.

[ncountylee]

"The woman said it was not possible to be gay and Muslim, and that the attendees would burn in hell, witnesses said."

Did she mention the arab slave traders and their treatment of blacks? Oh...LOL...she's a convert...LOL.

[crazyhorse691]

"At first I was really disturbed by the incident because people were crying.

---

Oh, stop it. I am going to have tears in my eyes any second now...from laughing so hard at the image of one lady scaring a room full of wonderer's to tears.

[GoldCountryRedneck]

...What entails being "intersexed?

...maybe entails somethin' 'bout in-tails????

[Windsong]

Well its a step up from goats..

[Ignatius J Reilly]

"Did she mention the arab slave traders and their treatment of blacks? Oh...LOL...she's a convert...LOL."

Of course there were never ANY christian slave traders or owners.

[DoraC]

Oh, stop it. I am going to have tears in my eyes any second now...from laughing so hard at the image of one lady scaring a room full of wonderer's to tears.

Don't think that muslims are like Christians, peaceful in their opposition. No, that sweet lady could have detonated a bomb or something.

[DoraC]

Of course there were never ANY christian slave traders or owners.

Jesus never approved slavery, unlike Mein Koran, the supposedly holy book of the muslims. Christians spend their time fighting for justice, muslims spend their time fighting justice (in an explosive sense).

[ncountylee]

Few traders but many owners. the owners renounced the practice while the arab slave trade exists today.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

awards dinner?

And now, in the category "Biggest Muslim Rectal Pore"...

[ElkGroveDan]

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed and questioning Muslims.

So what reward do these folks get in the afterlife when they commit murder and mayhem? 72 sex toys with fresh batteries?

[NormB]

two people in one burka?

[Recovering_Democrat]

LOL! Can you imagine pulling up to the Holiday Inn you've booked for a night's rest, and seeing the marquee out front:

WELCOME GAY MUSLIM ASSOCIATION

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I'd turn around and stay someplace a few blocks away...you're just askin' for trouble!!

[SunnySide]

"gay Muslims" ?!


Isn't that an oxy-moron

[oh8eleven]

But one thing that was very interesting to me was that we, the gay Muslims, were in the majority at this meeting, and she was in the minority," he said.
Far-f*ckin'-out. The times they are a changin'. LOL ...