A Muslim mother named Siddika - who also happens to be the secretary general of an Islamic faith organization - was recently forced to resign from her job after attending the wedding ceremony of her gay son.
Ali Reza - a gay Muslim man - married his partner Paul in Vancouver, Canada.
Following the ceremony, a petition was launched calling on Reza's mother to resign from her position at NASIMCO, The Organization of North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities, according to The Independent.
The petition read:
"Traditionally, a wedding is a public demonstration of a relationship. This sin was not done in private, but rather was publicly celebrated and promoted. It goes against the legitimate majoritarian interpretations of Jaffari fiqh, which NASIMCO must uphold."
The petition garnered nearly 1,000 signatures but has since been taken down.
Siddika penned a resignation letter following the online outrage
"Today, as a Muslim and a devoted mother who has had the privilege to serve our community institutions, I am being forced to resign by NASIMCO… for the sole reason that my son has married a man, which I would like to point out is legal in Canada," Siddika wrote in an open letter.
She continues:
"In moments of darkness, I realized that the only way for Ali to live an authentic life and not have to hide and fear rejection was to give him space to reach his human potential as God’s creation. After that God knows best. The only person to judge my son would be God on the Day of Judgment. If a compassionate God provides sustenance to every human being, who am I to deprive my son of that sustenance?"
The letter ends with an open-ended question: "If Ali Reza was your son, what would you do?"
Soon after, NASIMCO publicly announced via its Twitter account that its president Mohamed A Dewji and VP Sukaina Sumar Ebrahim had resigned.
It is unclear whether or not this is linked to the outrage the organization received following the news.
"NASIMCO strongly rejects recent allegations that suggest the organisation condones and advocates for behavior that is considered to be un-Islamic," Dewji said in a statement, according to The Independent.
"We strive to uphold and promote the values, ideals and practices of the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri faith. Any information to the contrary is false and misleading."
The news comes after the 'first' gay Muslim marriage was held in the UK
Earlier this month, Jahed Choudhury - whose parents hail from Bangladesh - >married Sean Rogan in a low-key service at the Walsall registry office, wearing traditional Asian wedding attire.
"We're going to show the whole world that you can be gay and Muslim," Choudhury said, according to the Express & Star.
Same-sex marriages are considered taboo by many Muslims and Christians in the UK.
The Muslim Council of Britain, which represents more than 500 organizations and mosques, and the Church of England, both opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in England and Wales in 2013.
Despite religious opposition from Christians and Muslims, same-sex marriages are legal in England, Wales, and Scotland, while they remain illegal in Northern Ireland.
Even though same-sex unions remain controversial among many religious groups, Muslim leaders in the West have shown significant support for the LGBTQ community in recent years.