Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

Students and Parents Dealing with LGBTQ Pressure | Episode 7

What religious rights are students entitled to in schools? It’s one thing to be able to opt out of a single class that doesn’t align with Islamic morality, but how can students and parents successfully navigate an environment where LGBTQ ideas are presented in math problems, showcased in libraries, and plastered in hallways?

Sh. Ahmad Saleem joins Imam Tom Facchine to discuss the prevalence of LGBTQ ideologies in public school systems, the impact of this ideology on children, and Muslim students’ rights to freedom of religion.

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Tom Facchine

Tom Facchine

Tom Facchine (pronounced fa-KEEN-ee) converted to Islam in 2010 as he was finishing his BA in Political Science. For the next few years he studied Islam and Arabic with local teachers while working with Muslim youth, founding and directing youth groups in two different communities. In 2015 he was accepted into the University of Madinah and is now close to completing a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law. In addition to youth group activities, for the past two years Tom has directed an after school program for young Muslims called the Ramadan Academy, which operates out of the GCLEA mosque in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Tom’s academic and personal background brings a unique dual ability to relate to mainstream Western cultural norms and engage them from a traditional Islamic perspective. His unique teaching style is highly interactive and brings high-level concepts to a level that even children can understand. He is passionate about building relationships with Muslim youth and giving them the tools and confidence to live as observant, well-adjusted people of faith in our times.