‘We want to influence them via Islam’: Malaysian university’s gay conversion contest sparks anger
Muslim Students Association called for participants to create videos and posters as part of a campaign called ‘Back to Nature’
A contest at a leading Malaysian university seeking ideas to “convert” gay students sparked anger on Wednesday, with activists warning it could drive people in the Muslim-majority country to suicide.
It was the latest example of what rights groups say is growing intolerance towards Malaysia’s gay community as religious fundamentalism increases, eroding the multi-ethnic country’s traditionally moderate Islam.
The contest organised by the Muslim Students Association at publicly-owned Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) called for participants to create videos and posters as part of a campaign called “Back to Nature”.
Amirah Sulaiman, a 22-year-old association member, told AFP the programme was a “soft approach” to return members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] community to the “natural path”.
“We will work hard to convert them,” she said. “LGBT is like smoking – it is bad for health.”
“We want to be close to LGBT people and influence them via Islam,” she added.
