Observers of the same-sex marriage debate will have noticed the voice of one particular community has been largely missing from the fray: Muslims.

With few exceptions, including a statement from the National Imams Council, almost all of the talk of religious freedom and opposition to the bill on the grounds of faith has come from Christian leaders, particularly from the Anglican and Catholic Churches.

But now one Muslim leader has offered an explanation.

Last night on ABC's The Drum, Ali Kadri, spokesman for the Islamic Council of Queensland and the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, said his community was stuck with the choice of offending allies or siding with critics, and the result had been silence.

"Unfortunately, in the current climate, the right and conservative side has attacked Muslims as terrorists and extremists, and naturally the left side has been allies in defending us for a long period of time," he said.

"We are afraid if we come out with our opinion then the left may abandon us for going against their view and we can't be friendly with the conservatives because they have been bashing us for 15, 20 years every chance they get … and that includes some Christian sects as well."

Even though it was the Australian Christian Lobby that led the charge against the Safe Schools program, Mr Kadri said Muslims were also deeply concerned about the possible impact of any legislative changes on education.

"A lot of Muslim community are concerned that religious rights will be trampled in Islamic schools [and that they] will have to follow a national curriculum that will teach things that go against the fundamentals of their religion, so they are concerned about it," he said.

"There are people in the Muslim community who want to know the facts.

"Will it have an impact on Safe Schools or not?

"Will it trample on our religious freedom because we are already afraid to build mosques, because we get right wing groups complaining about mosques, so will this have further impact on our rights and freedoms?

"The Muslim community is not speaking because the climate which is created in this country, we are not allowed to speak. We speak up and are called a terrorist, unpatriotic and all those slurs.

"So we are missing out on having our say in this debate and that's the wrong thing."

Men during prayer at the Lakemba Mosque in south west Sydney. ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts, file photo )

Divide emerging between traditional and progressive Muslim leaders

Not all Muslim leaders have shown a reluctance to speak though.

Recently Council of Imams Queensland president Yusuf Peer said gay marriage was unacceptable to Islam, and that Muslims should respect LGBTQI people but "condemn only their actions".

And the statement from the National Imams Council was unambiguous: "Islam places the family unit at the heart of a healthy society, and in this context, the right of children to be cared for and raised by both a mother and father is one that must be protected.

"Islam also explicitly and unambiguously states that marital relationship is only permissible between a man and woman; any other marital relationships are Islamicly impermissible."

But the Muslim community's view is not unanimous.

In recent weeks, strong opposition to the conservative leadership view has begun to emerge.

National Advocacy group Muslims for Progressive Values has expressed support for same-sex marriage and in August, Muslims for Marriage Equality was formed to build support for the Yes vote.

In a press release, Muslims for Marriage Equality spokesman Fahad Ali, former peer educator with the AIDS council of NSW, stated: "There is a diversity in belief and opinion on equal marriage within the Muslim community … there is a strong thread of egalitarianism and social justice within the Koran and we think that it is very applicable to the question of same-sex marriage."

In recognition that many LGBT Muslims — or supporters — may be living with family members who do not support their views, Muslims for Marriage Equality is offering to provide temporary postal addresses for those who cannot have their ballot paper sent to their home addresses.

Consensus 'difficult' to achieve

As Rusi Jaspal, Professor of Psychology & Sexual Health from De Montfort University pointed out, it is difficult to define a single Islamic position on homosexuality, because Islam is diverse, with about 1.6 billion followers across six continents.

After all, while homosexuality is illegal in most Islamic countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is not in others such as Jordan and Turkey.

As Mr Jaspal wrote for The Conversation: "Most Islamic scholars are in agreement that homosexuality is incompatible with Islamic theology.

"They tend to draw on the story of Lot in the Koran [also in the Old Testament] which recounts the destruction of the tribe of Lot allegedly due to their engagement in homosexual acts as 'evidence' for God's condemnation of homosexuality.

"Many scholars also cite the Ahadith [statements attributed to the Prophet Muhammed] that are condemnatory of homosexuality."

But not everyone agrees with these scholars.

La Trobe university lecturer Yassir Morsi said there have been "massive debates in the community" about a "Muslim position" on same-sex marriage.

"Our debates reflects broader society's contests between queer activists and conservatives, as well as dealing with the added pressure of how to navigate Islamophobia," he said.

Sydney lawyer Lydia Shelly dismissed Mr Kadri's suggestion that the Muslim community is scared of offending the left.

She claimed the debate is a lot more nuanced.

"Firstly, Muslim communities react with varying degrees with respect to homosexuality," she said.

"There are many, many gay Muslims — some whom practice, some who do not.

"The issue of same-sex marriage and the support of it varies depending on age, class and nationality."

Many LGBTI Muslims live in fear of violence from family members, according to some experts. ( ABC News: Briana Shepherd )

But Ms Shelly said the reason around the relative silence on same-sex marriage is simple: power.

"The biggest reason why we don't vocally contribute to the public 'debate' is not only is it harmful to our same-sex attracted brothers and sisters, but because Australian Muslims hold no power in this debate," she said.

"Whether the Yes or No campaign is successful depends on the power of politicians and that is it.

"It would be an illusion to believe otherwise and that we, as Muslims, hold the power to influence that decision.

"Further, why would we be part of a 'debate', which is not a debate but a thinly veiled hate campaign, that is incredibly harmful to the LGBTQI community?

"That is the biggest reason that keeps popping up with my colleagues and I."

Yet the question of Safe Schools education does not bother her at all.

"There are many of us who, whilst believing that the act of homosexuality is forbidden, understand that we cannot judge someone and that the issue of religion is separate from the civil laws that should be passed to ensure equality before the law," she said.

"The majority of people who object to the Safe Schools program have no understanding of what is actually taught and could distinguish between hyperbole and fact.

"Education on consent, safe sex and healthy relationships shouldn't be viewed as controversial."

'Many gay Muslims live in fear'

Mr Ali said he is aware that his views are in the minority in the Muslim community, and that a lot of LGBTI Muslims struggle to find a place in their community of faith.

Many live in fear, he said, and have to "endure violence from their families".

Australia's first — and only — openly gay imam, Melbourne's Nur Warsame, received death threats after coming out and establishing an LGBT friendly mosque.

He recently told the ABC: "I want to be known as an independent Imam who is sympathetic.

"My calling in this lifetime is to help young, gay Muslims who have been traumatised by the Muslim leaders in Australia."