Adnan Ali, a Pakistani gay activist who started a gay-muslim social support group in the UK gives an insight on being a muslim homosexual
The issue about accepting homosexuality has existed for centuries now. I got married three years back to a guy called Eric whom I love.
Since my country, like many others, does not have a legal provision for homosexuals, I got married in England where the law allows homosexual existence. In Iran and Saudi Arabia one might be put behind the bars, or even thrown out of the country for being a homosexual because the law of the land does not allow such an existence. The acceptance of homosexuality does not necessarily pertain to religious beliefs. It also depends on what the law of the land says. In Turkey, as far as the law is concerned, it is legal to be homosexual, but that does not mean that the mainstream Turkish society accepts it. They too look down upon homosexuality. Whereas, in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is a crime that can invite capital punishment. In Pakistan, socially, the idea of being gay is acceptable, but politically, not quite! I did not really come out and reveal my sexuality. My liking for boys over girls went around like a joke in my family. But ‘gay’ was an alien word! A big problem is that these terminologies have never been explained or told about. In our language (Urdu and Hindi), we are called g@%$#; people are not familiar with the term ‘gay’. In some languages, the terminology for homosexuality does not even exist. For e.g, a lesbian Palestinian friend of mine did not know how to tell her parents about being homosexual, because there does not exist any term for it in the Arabic language. And therefore, the ignorance and lack of acceptance.
Talking about how homosexuality is perceived among the Muslims, the answer is that it is not acceptable at all. It is believed to be unnatural. A Muslim gay or a lesbian finds it more difficult to be accepted than those from other religions. Social stigma is another aspect. In Pakistan, my home, it is accepted that I like men, but then, I am also expected to follow the usual tradition of getting married to a woman. I’ve been told by my family to not announce my sexuality. When I told my mother that I am a gay, she obviously showed signs of discomfort but it was more to do with what the society would say, than what the Quran or Islam says. Honestly, religion is not a problem, the compromise of masculinity is. It is time that steps are taken to change the existing mindset and create awareness. It is important to tell people that this is not unnatural. Nowhere does the Quran talk about homosexuality being a crime. It does not say, 'kill the homosexuals.' The story goes that angels had come to visit the Prophet but were raped by the men of the Prophet’s land. The scholars in the eighth and ninth century denigrated homosexuals because the men had raped the angels, a sexual act which was a crime. The Quran had been written in Arabic years ago and today, the language is spoken by only 13 per cent of the population. The rest are not well versed with it, which is why the Quran is misinterpreted. According to the Quran, nikaah is a meeting of two souls. If the two souls (be it a man-man or a woman-woman) want to stay together forever, I don’t think anyone should have a problem with it. According to what has been said in the Quran about nikaah (marriage), I’ve had a gay nikaah! I would appeal to all the homosexual Muslims of the world to come out and say, with your real name and real faith, that you exist.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
The issue about accepting homosexuality has existed for centuries now. I got married three years back to a guy called Eric whom I love.
Since my country, like many others, does not have a legal provision for homosexuals, I got married in England where the law allows homosexual existence. In Iran and Saudi Arabia one might be put behind the bars, or even thrown out of the country for being a homosexual because the law of the land does not allow such an existence. The acceptance of homosexuality does not necessarily pertain to religious beliefs. It also depends on what the law of the land says. In Turkey, as far as the law is concerned, it is legal to be homosexual, but that does not mean that the mainstream Turkish society accepts it. They too look down upon homosexuality. Whereas, in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is a crime that can invite capital punishment. In Pakistan, socially, the idea of being gay is acceptable, but politically, not quite! I did not really come out and reveal my sexuality. My liking for boys over girls went around like a joke in my family. But ‘gay’ was an alien word! A big problem is that these terminologies have never been explained or told about. In our language (Urdu and Hindi), we are called g@%$#; people are not familiar with the term ‘gay’. In some languages, the terminology for homosexuality does not even exist. For e.g, a lesbian Palestinian friend of mine did not know how to tell her parents about being homosexual, because there does not exist any term for it in the Arabic language. And therefore, the ignorance and lack of acceptance.Talking about how homosexuality is perceived among the Muslims, the answer is that it is not acceptable at all. It is believed to be unnatural. A Muslim gay or a lesbian finds it more difficult to be accepted than those from other religions. Social stigma is another aspect. In Pakistan, my home, it is accepted that I like men, but then, I am also expected to follow the usual tradition of getting married to a woman. I’ve been told by my family to not announce my sexuality. When I told my mother that I am a gay, she obviously showed signs of discomfort but it was more to do with what the society would say, than what the Quran or Islam says. Honestly, religion is not a problem, the compromise of masculinity is. It is time that steps are taken to change the existing mindset and create awareness. It is important to tell people that this is not unnatural. Nowhere does the Quran talk about homosexuality being a crime. It does not say, 'kill the homosexuals.' The story goes that angels had come to visit the Prophet but were raped by the men of the Prophet’s land. The scholars in the eighth and ninth century denigrated homosexuals because the men had raped the angels, a sexual act which was a crime. The Quran had been written in Arabic years ago and today, the language is spoken by only 13 per cent of the population. The rest are not well versed with it, which is why the Quran is misinterpreted. According to the Quran, nikaah is a meeting of two souls. If the two souls (be it a man-man or a woman-woman) want to stay together forever, I don’t think anyone should have a problem with it. According to what has been said in the Quran about nikaah (marriage), I’ve had a gay nikaah! I would appeal to all the homosexual Muslims of the world to come out and say, with your real name and real faith, that you exist.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
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