A gay Muslim has claimed he has nowhere to pray right after a sheikh of his mosque condemned his “lifestyle”.

Yusuf Murray – a longtime practising Muslim in Dublin – experienced attended the Islamic Centre of Ireland in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, for numerous years but felt “no extended welcome” immediately after coming out as gay.

Murray says he still left the Irish Muslim Council soon after finding himself without the need of everywhere to pray for anxiety of judgement, telling the Irish Mirror he’s now questioning whether or not he’s welcome amongst Irish Muslims at all.

“I really do not want to reduce my faith,” he explained. “I’ve been introduced up as a Muslim but I truly feel the faith community wishes me to suppress it and I just really do not have an understanding of that.”

Popular sheikh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, who leads the mosque, explained in a speech he considered homosexuality to be contradictory to the Quran.

“You are not able to force me to consider that this way of life is ideal,” he reported. “In my view, in accordance to Islam, this lifestyle, it contradicts the Quran.

“You like anyone from the same gender? Probably which is purely natural, but Islam, it strictly forbids from participating in actual physical sexual exercise with the very same gender. Easy as that,” Al-Qadri continued.

Murray has said this speech is what induced him to concern his location in the group, saying: “Now that he has taken this stance. Wherever am I meant to go and pray now?”

“I never imagine I’m welcome anymore,” Murray continued.

Al-Qadri responded in an interview with the Irish Mirror, stating he is “not homophobic” and that Murray is nonetheless welcome at the centre, including: “The property of God does not shut to his creation.”

Murray also reportedly introduced a screenshot of messages from a WhatsApp group chat where a member of the Muslim neighborhood reportedly responded to a CNN post detailing how monkeypox was on the increase in the gay local community.