Gay Muslim influencer in Berlin hosts inclusive Ramadan Iftar

Ali Darwich, a gay Muslim influencer in Berlin, hosted an inclusive Ramadan iftar that he used to push for acceptance across faiths and sexual orientations, according to the Associated Press. Darwich, who goes by @alifragt on Instagram and is also known as “Ali asks,” spoke to a group gathered to break the fast as the sun set over Berlin.

In remarks during the meal, Darwich said the group wanted “to send a message that no matter where a person comes from, no matter who that person loves, no matter how queer that person is, they cannot be too queer … because they are exactly as they should be,” the AP reported. He described the table as diverse, with Muslims and Christians, Germans and immigrants, and gay and straight people sharing the Ramadan meal.

Darwich also said he is a believer and that he finds Islam beautiful “just like Christianity or Judaism and many other religions,” according to the AP. At the same time, he said acceptance is not always easy for homosexuals, describing difficulties not only for gay Muslims but also for queer Christians and believers of other religions.

The AP report tied the message to a wider environment in Germany where the outlet said attacks against LGBTQ+ people and gay-friendly establishments are rising, including in Berlin. It cited 2024 figures from the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence that showed a 40% increase in violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in 12 of Germany’s 16 federal states compared with 2023.

In an Instagram video described by the AP, Darwich spoke about the loneliness some Muslim homosexuals face when their families shun them, saying it is especially hard during holidays that are often centered on togetherness. He said he was calling on people to open their hearts and doors to queer Muslims so they do not have to be alone for Iftar.

For his gay followers, Darwich posted a message on Instagram, saying “You deserve to break your fast surrounded by people who accept you — fully and without conditions,” the AP reported. The AP also said Darwich came out a few years ago and described the impact within his family, including a period when he said he was no longer invited to Ramadan or family celebrations.

Darwich told the AP in an interview that when he told his mother about his sexuality, she did not want to believe him at first and later cried; the AP said they then did not talk for half a year. He added that “From one day to the next, I was no longer invited. Not only to Ramadan, but also to family celebrations,” describing a difficult time, the AP reported.

While Darwich said his family situation improved later, the AP reported that he said it helped him when friends stepped up and became “a kind of family.” For this week’s “real life” iftar in Berlin, the AP said his friend Randa Weiser opened her home for Ali and his and her friends.

Weiser, described by the AP as a 40-year-old German-Palestinian influencer who shares everyday life with three kids and her husband under the handle @randa_and_the_gang, cooked a meal that included freekeh soup, yellow rice with almonds, raisins and cardamom, grilled chicken drumsticks, and sweets for dessert. Weiser told the AP: “It’s an absolute colorful mix tonight,” as she described the crowd around the table.

The AP said the group included people whose families came from places including Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Chechnya and Syria, Iran and Peru, alongside Germans. Weiser said she got “some hate” on Instagram when she announced she was hosting an inclusive iftar, but that most of her followers agree, she said, “you can be Muslim and gay or lesbian.”

As participants ate and recorded each other, the AP reported, the gathering also included Haidar Darwish, a belly dancer and artist who the AP said came from Syria in 2016 and dressed for the occasion in a red fez and a white, gold-embroidered gallabiyah. Darwish, who goes by @thedarvishofficial on Instagram, told the AP that “The hate and crimes against women, Muslim people, Jewish people also, and queers and trans siblings of mine have increased.”

Darwish added that even if others show hate, he said, “we can show more love only if we are believing in ourselves,” according to the AP. He also said the group would be fine if they had “the help of our allies and friends and people that have our backs.”