‘Zayna’ grew up in Pakistan (Picture: MEN)

A Muslim woman has described how hard it was growing up as a lesbian in Pakistan, where homosexuality is illegal.

‘Zayna’, 40, who moved to the UK in 2010, said she was discriminated against because of her sexuality but always stayed true to herself.

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She had to leave both her PHD course at university and teaching position at an Islamic school because people felt threatened by her.

But Zayna, from Longsight, Manchester, has now chosen to speak out about her ordeal to help others who are going through the same situation.


She was also adamant she could be a Muslim and lesbian despite what some ‘scholars’ had told her and believed certain ‘anti-gay’ passages in the Koran have been misinterpreted.



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Zayna wants to speak out to help other Muslim lesbians (Picture: MEN)

She was discriminated against in Pakistan because she was gay (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I was born a Muslim and I want to die a Muslim. But if someone wants to kill me then why? Just because I’m lesbian?,’ she told Manchester Evening News.

‘I am a strong brave person but so many people like me don’t have that courage. I realised I need to come out and tell everyone about my story.’

Zayna also said her parents were upset when they found out she was attracted to women.

This was despite them being respectful to people of other religions and races.

Her father even hit her once because he thought she had been seeing men when she was actually with another teenage girl.

Zayna’s parents are now both dead.

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She moved to the UK in 2010 (Picture: MEN)

Zayna thinks anti-gay passages in the Koran are being misinterpreted (Picture: Getty Images)

She had realised she was lesbian on her 13th birthday.

Zayna added a relationship she had with a female teacher when she was older led her colleagues to threaten they would tell police she was a prostitute if she did not end it.

But she is now living a happy life in the UK and works for a management company.

She is part of LGBT groups Finding A Voice and LGBT International.

Homosexuality in Pakistan is punishable by a fine or/and two years in prison.

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