Fridae

The Al-Fatiha Foundation, an international organisation dedicated to gay, lesbian and transgendered Muslims will be keeping a low profile at San Francisco Pride this weekend, for fear of retaliation, reports Agence-France Presse.

The group will however keep the location of its Second North American Conference for GLBT Muslims secret due to security and safety concerns as members have received death threats.

The conference is expected to attract 100 participants and delegates from across North Amercica, Mexico, Bangladesh, Belgium, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

While media coverage is expected, photography and filming is not permitted. Participants at the conference and workshops this weekend will have to carry security passes as well.

There will be a procession and candlelight vigil on Friday in the Castro District to honor the lives of Muslims who have been tortured or killed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The candlelight vigil will also remember the Muslims who have died from the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

A small number of the Al-Fatiha conference participants will openly march in the 31st Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco's on June 24.

Although the Koran doesn't outlaw homosexuality, it is generally condemned under Islam.

The foundation, which started as an email discussion group in November 1997, has six chapters across the US in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington DC and one in London, UK. Plans are underway to establish more chapters in North America and eventually across the world.

Conference information, including registration can now be downloaded via the web. Get the latest conference updates @ http://www.egroups.com/list/al-fatiha-news