When you’re living in the most terrifying place in the world to be gay, a place where Islamic extremists will murder you, it would be easy to not do anything out of fear of attention.

Hussein Sabat, and four other men, staged an incredible act of bravery by holding a Mr Gay competition.

He said: ‘I want to show that Syrian gays are not just bodies thrown off buildings by ISIS. We have dreams and ideas and we want to live our lives.

‘Of course we were nervous but we we’re excited – we all wanted to be Mr Gay Syria to do something empowering.’

The event was held after the 24-year-old’s boyfriend, Zakaria, was beheaded by ISIS in northern Aleppo three years ago. For four years they had been together, and hoped to run away to start a new life.

‘They sent the execution video to his family – his mother almost went crazy and I couldn’t speak for a month.’

During the competition, they wanted to show a different side of LGBTI people. One contestant went playful, wearing fetish wear and Minnie Mouse ears.

Sabat was chosen as the winner.

While Sabat, who told the Mail, said: ‘I played a character speaking to his mother at her grave about the difficulties of being gay. I just wore trousers and a t-shirt – the only thing that was missing was the hijab.’

He left Syria two years ago when ISIS began shelling his hometown of Afrin in Northern Aleppo, and had fled to Istanbul, Turkey.

‘Everyone is scared of ISIS but it doesn’t stop me from living my life,’ he said. ‘I won’t let them be a barrier and I hate them more than I’m scared.’