Eren Güvercin called on the German-Muslim community to adopt a more critical stance against queerphobia following a deadly attack on the Berlin CSD.
The call for solidarity comes at a time of heightened tension, as leaders within the Muslim community seek to decouple religious faith from violent extremism. By addressing internal prejudices, advocates aim to prevent the instrumentalization of religion to justify hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals.
Güvercin serves as the deputy chairman of the Alhambra Society, a liberal-Muslim organization. He said that "queerphobia is a reality" [1]. He said that solidarity from the broader Muslim community is currently not present [2].
The Alhambra Society is pushing for a shift in perspective, urging the community to take a clear stand against Islamism. This effort focuses on naming the misuse of religion to incite violence and hate, particularly in the wake of the Berlin CSD event [1], [2].
Other organizations have also weighed in on the violence. The Central Council of Muslims addressed the possibility of the attack being driven by extremist ideology. The council said that if the event was indeed an Islamist act, religion had been misused for hate and violence [1].
Güvercin's advocacy highlights a growing divide between liberal interpretations of Islam and extremist ideologies. He said that the community must move beyond silence to protect LGBTQ+ people, and ensure that religious identity is not used as a shield for bigotry [2].
“"Queerphobia is a reality."”
This discourse reflects an internal struggle within the German-Muslim community to balance religious tradition with modern human rights standards. By explicitly linking queerphobia to the mechanisms of Islamism, leaders like Güvercin are attempting to frame the protection of LGBTQ+ rights not as a foreign imposition, but as a necessary step in purging extremist influences from the faith.
