I have to say thank you as well, I have learned a great deal and appreciate the beauty of Islam more than I had before.  I was so touched by the couple in South Dakota, their story brought me to tears I appreciate so much that they were willing to share their story with you so that you could share it with so many.  I guess my only other thought is that this is a blog and not a class on Islam 101 so I guess I am confused as to why the negative comments.  I understood blogs to be a grocery store approach, take what you want and leave the rest on the shelf.  The stories you shared, including your own, became stories my family and friends would share and discuss before, during, and after iftar during Ramadan.  Thank you so much and please be encouraged even if only one life was touched by what you have done! 

Whether or not you “accepted” or “agreed” with the Gay Imam’s choices is besides the point.  The point is you are indirectly promoting certain behavior which is deemed clearly un-Islamic by presenting it as “normal.”  Promoting and/or practicing open homosexuality and presenting it as normal is a form of extremism.  Just as you wouldn’t interview (and indirectly “normalize”) an individual who engaged in violent extremist behavior, so should you not indirectly promote other extreme behaviors -in this case individuals who claim that engaing homosexual behavior is permissible. 

And come on, you can’t seriously claim to be surprised that you were “thrown under the bus” when covering a topic like this……seems like it was a bit of grandstanding on your part to cover a piece like this.  Perhaps more funding from Western media outlets for next year’s tour as a result?   

The lesson of Lut in the Qur’an has multiple dimensions and the one that strikes a chord here is the lesson of Lut’s wife. Although she herself wasn’t engaged in what God considered an abomination, she was nonetheless considered an accomplice for her sympathies.  

The 30 mosques idea has been a great idea and I have enjoyed most of the posts I have seen. Thank you very much for the innovation and the initiative, may Allah bless you. I should also admit, in a friendly spirit that, the “Gay Imam” post was quite disappointing. Not that you acknowledged that such Muslims exist but it was surprisingly naive and unfair to expect that such a heated issue be treated in a cool headed manner. The idea of “disagree but respect” is simply incredible, it is like trying to bridge across a huge cliff. For, on the one hand, if homosexual attraction is  completely  beyond choice and is something that deserves empathy and respect, I do not see how you disagree with it? One would only get away with such a contradiction only because it is received by pro-gay camp as a step toward full recognition (just as gay marriage is seen as such a symbolic step, for after all marriage is not understood to be a proper venue by many homosexuals in the long run). On the other hand, if it is a situation to be resisted or healed, in light of Quranic principles, then I do not see what it means to respect the conscious insistence on practicing it, any more than you would respect incest, prostitution or any other deviant sexual attraction. It was a good journalism, no doubt at that. I just thought there was a deeper logic and sacred wisdom behind your posts, than a merely journalism, so I was taken aback by the post and your response to the criticism about it as lack of adaab.  I’d take this as a sign to sit and reflect on the overall purpose and engine of this travel. Just meant as a friendly feedback. wassalaam.

certain people are best advised to keep their mouth shut, not because they make perfect sense but on the contrary, when they speak, they bray like a donkey. i think the prophetic idiom of “talking less and listening more” as an adab applies to you my friend, because you haven’t mastered any skill with which the world can benefit from except youself. peace bro.