Ibrahim Abdurrahman Farajajé
Dr. Ibrahim Abdurrahman Farajajé (December 19, 1952 – February 9, 2016), formerly known as Elias Frajajé-Jones, was a
Farajajé was raised in
Early life
This biographical section is written encyclopedic . (January 2022) |
Farajajé grew up in a progressive, racially, and economically mixed neighborhood. His extended and immediate family was said to be religiously and ethnically mixed. He credits his parents for his knowledge on the importance of advocacy and social justice. Growing up, Farajajé had tutors for school to stay ahead and a second language tutor and learnt many languages like Spanish and French during this time. He is the first of his biological and adopted siblings. He credits his upbringing for his educational excellency, leadership skills, public speaking skills and his sense of social responsibility.[5]
Early activism
Farajajé grew up exposed to many religions like various forms of Christianity, Protestant, Roman Catholic and Judaism. At age 13 he was exposed to Islam while attending
Farajajé credits his high school education for exposing him to
Beliefs and activist work
Farajajé religion was Islamic
In 1987, Farajajé was the host the co-director of a TV series for Howard University and their affiliate Howard University Mass Media, TV-32, Washington, D.C. (WHMM). During his time at Howard University, in 1988 Farajajé co-directed "Conviction: A Healing Stream", a performance that spoke on the black religious communities and their unwillingness to bury HIV/Aids victims.[9] Farajajé organized the healing service in Washington D.C. with different churches and HIV agency groups coming together for this service. This performance was based on the story of Antigone. The performance was about a woman who had to negotiate with a pastor so she could bury her son who was a victim of HIV. At the end of the performance/service there was a fake funeral in which the audience was asked to view the “body” which turned out to be a mirror, so when the audience members approached the casket they saw themselves, communicating that the victims of HIV/AIDS could be anyone.[5]
After this performance, Farajajé developed a course in which he framed sexuality in the context of imperialism, colonialism and racism. The course, called “Sociology of Hetero Patriarchy”, looked at the connection and intersections between different modes and tools of oppression. Farajajé made it a requirement for the students of this class to spend time in the queer community to understand oppression from their point of view.[5] He became a faculty advisor for an LGBT group at Howard University, legitimizing the existing LGBT group that existed at Howard University. The group looked into African traditional religions and derived their name “Oxala” from an African Yoruba deity that combined genders.[5]
In 1986, Farajajé received his doctorate in theology. By 1993 Farajajé was in his fight as an activist for HIV/AIDS, sacred sex and eroticism of black males. He believed these issues encompassed the word “queer”.[2] In Black Theology: A Documentary History (Vol 2), Farajajé wrote “Breaking Silence: An In-the-Life Theology”, in this he speaks on ending homophobia and biphobia in society, in the “black church” and in the context of black theology.[4] In his Breaking Silence essay, Farajajé speaks on homophobia and biphobia particularly how queer liberation theology should acknowledge that queer black people face oppression from white people and black heterosexual communities. He also argued that the black church community forces black queer people to keep their sexuality hidden. Farajajé also states that this treatment of the black queer community is used to foster self-hatred in the black queer community, and is one of the main reasons why society, specifically the United States of America, was not more vigilant in dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. This essay argued that being forced to keep their identities a secret leads to more unsafe decisions that lead to the rise of HIV/AIDS. Farajajé main resolution for this issue was to engage in theology that reduces the isolation of black queer people from the black community.[2]
In 1990 Farajajé wrote In Search of Zion: The Spiritual Significance of Africa for Three Black Religious Movements.[10][9] The book studies the religious and theological roots of Afrocentrism. It touches on the African American reinterpretations of Christianity. The context behind the book was the separation of African American communities in the 19th and 20th century.
Politically, Farajajé described himself as an anarchist.[5] In D.C he was very active in the “ACT UP” group and was arrested for civil disobedience around HIV activism. He was also on a chair of political action committee for the D.C Black Queer Coalition, where he made TV appearances.
Early works
- "Other Voices" (1987)
- "Conviction: A Healing Stream.” (1988)
- African Creative Expressions (1991)
- In Search of Zion: Spiritual Significance of Africa in Black Religious Movements (1990)
- "Breaking Silence: an in-the-life theology"[4] (Published in Black Theology: A Documentary History Vol 2 1980-1992) (1992)
- Piercing analysis/ or In-to-body Travel/ or What is All that Piercing Stuff?” (1995)
References
- ^ Cherry, Kittredge. "Ibrahim Farajajé: Queer theologian, AIDS activist, interfaith scholar, spiritual leader". qspirit.net. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ S2CID 229399847.
- ISBN 978-1-57-075159-2.
- ^ ISBN 0883448688.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ibrahim Farajajé". LGBTQ Religious Archives Network. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- OCLC 1035770692.
- ^ "Why We Must Remember This Prophetic Sexual Outlaw". www.advocate.com. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ISBN 978-0334043553.
- ^ a b c "Ibrahim Abdurrahman Farajajé - Starr King for the Ministry". Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ISBN 9783261043108.