Taha (Shia cleric)

{{Short description|Iranian gay mullah}}

{{Notability|1=Biographies|date=February 2025}}

Mullah Taha is a Shia gay cleric{{Cite web |date=2016-06-09 |title=Gay Mullah Who Conducted Same-Sex Weddings Flees Iran Because Of Death Threats: VIDEO - Towleroad Gay News |url=https://www.towleroad.com/2016/06/gay-mullah-who-conducted-same-sex-weddings-flees-iran-because-of-death-threats-video/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |language=en-US}} from Iran.{{Cite news |date=8 June 2016 |title=Gay mullah flees Iran over secret same-sex weddings |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-36276965 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250226114518/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-36276965 |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=BBC News}} The son of a cleric, he attended Islamic school at the age of 15{{Cite news |date=9 June 2016 |title=Gay mullah flees Iran for conducting same-sex weddings |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gay-mullah-flees-iran-for-conducting-samesex-weddings-a7073301.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250226115550/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gay-mullah-flees-iran-for-conducting-samesex-weddings-a7073301.html |archive-date=26 February 2025 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Independent}} where he attained the rank of Hujjat al-Islam.{{Cite news |date=12 June 2016 |title=Gay mullah flees Iran over secret same-sex weddings |url=https://en.azvision.az/news/40110/gay-mullah-flees-iran-over-secret-same-sex-weddings-video.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250226120609/https://en.azvision.az/news/40110/gay-mullah-flees-iran-over-secret-same-sex-weddings-video.html |archive-date=26 February 2025 |access-date=26 February 2025}} After officiating gay marriages,{{Cite web |title=Meet the Gay Muslim Cleric Fleeing Iran for Performing Secret Same-Sex Weddings |url=https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2016/6/08/meet-gay-muslim-cleric-fleeing-iran-performing-secret-same-sex-weddings |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=www.out.com |language=en}} he was forced by Iranian authorities to flee to Turkey,{{Cite web |title=El mulá gay Taha, que casaba a parejas del mismo sexo en secreto, huye de Irán por las amenazas de muerte de otros clérigos musulmanes |url=https://www.dosmanzanas.com/2016/06/el-mula-gay-taha-que-casaba-a-parejas-del-mismo-sexo-en-secreto-se-ve-obligado-a-huir-de-iran-por-las-amenazas-de-muerte-de-otros-clerigos-musulmanes.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=dosmanzanas - La web de noticias LGTB |language=es}} where he has lived since 2016.{{Cite news |title=Muslim cleric forced to flee Iran after conducting same sex marriages |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/muslim-cleric-forced-flee-iran-conducting-sex-marriages-10002?srsltid=AfmBOorszV1shtpqKr19y8WB_gSKH3aAXAF2ZnHsn5sF6j0aOm5X4sS- |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2016 |title=Meet Iran's gay mullah forced to flee the country |url=https://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2016/06/meet-irans-gay-mullah-forced-to-flee.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250226122256/https://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2016/06/meet-irans-gay-mullah-forced-to-flee.html |archive-date=26 February 2025 |access-date=26 February 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Gay Mullah Flees Iran After Marrying Same-Sex Couples |url=https://ednews.net/en/news/society/40530-gay-mullah-flees-iran-after-marrying-same-sex-couples |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=EDNEWS |language=en}}