Prolific Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho, once wrote, “Human beings can withstand a week without water, two weeks without food, many years of homelessness, but not loneliness. It is the worst of all tortures, the worst of all sufferings.” If there is something like ‘the biggest truth of life’ than this thought is it. It’s written in the human template that we are social creatures who cannot stand loneliness and alienation. We formulate societies and develop relationships just to satiate our basic instinctual drive to socialize and bond. That’s why we want to be loved, cared and consoled as we are emotional beings with hearts that feel and minds that imagine. Therefore, relationships either the ones we are born with or the ones we choose to develop and further extend, are crucial for the proper development of one’s personality.
Although life isn’t easy for anyone and everyone has to bear his or her share of toils and good tidings, it’s incredibly difficult for homosexuals to express their romantic and sexual preferences because they are regarded as mere filthy perverted souls who are doomed to end up in hell. Torn between the social pressures and religious dogmas, most of them remain conflicted and never reconcile with their true nature and self. Due to this discrimination and stigmatization, there many instances of excommunication, verbal threats, bullying, physical abuse and even suicide in this vulnerable minority.
In Pakistan, homosexuality is regarded as a taboo issue and people generally avoid talking about it. But if someone dares to talk about it, he is targeted as a pervert himself who is intoxicating the impressionable virgin minds of the common man. No one seems seriously interested in addressing and discussing the issue. Religious scholars either pronounce capital punishment for homosexuals or lifetime celibacy. Psychiatrists and medical practitioners, who otherwise blindly approve of every single western piece of information or research in their field, have serious doubts regarding the authenticity of evidences declaring homosexuality a natural phenomenon and not a disorder or disease. Social workers and civil society are busy raising slogans for judges, women’s and children’s rights while completely over looking this issue.
For the most part, people disregard homosexuality as immoral while completely ignoring the suffering and pain of homosexuals, who are denied their basic human rights to affectionate relationships because the heteronormative majority disapproves of such relations. Society accepts them so long as they are marrying, procreating and fulfilling the responsibilities of their families; after that they are free to do whatever they want. But leading this dual life is hardly a solution and it’s high time that we addressed this issue and tried to develop an alternative framework as traditional Judaism and Christianity have done. Therefore, Muslim societies need to seek alternative interpretations of scriptures and available scientific research evidences to develop a rational and considerate stance regarding homosexuality.
As far as scientific front is concerned, in 1999 a constellation of prestigious organizations – the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers and National Education Association – jointly issued a document entitled, "Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation,” which clearly stated that homosexuality is not a matter of choice and it cannot be changed. But such research evidences seems to fall on deaf ears as in developing countries like Pakistan, homosexuals are still ridiculed and discriminated against, with a complete absence of any religious, social or legal protection and support.
Arguments for the innateness of homosexuality may even be deduced from the verse 30:22 of the Qur’an put forward by famous Canadian journalist and intellectual Irshad Manji, who stated that God made nothing in vain. She questioned that if God has created diversity in nature, personality, color and race of human beings than how can He simply have discarded sexual orientation? As the verse states:
“And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors; most surely there are signs in this for the learned.”
Renowned American scholar Scott Siraj ul Haqq Kugle had pointed out that the Qur’an certainly implies that some people are different in their sexual desires than others when it mentions “men who are not in need of women” (Verse 24:30). The reason for no sexual desire can be due to old age, illness or self-control that involves an inner disposition that could be characterized as “asexual” or due to different sexual orientation. This suggestion from Qur'an is suggestive not indicative.
Homosexual behavior is natural in the sense that it is extensively found in nature. It has been observed in antelopes, boars, bulls, chimpanzees, cows, ducks, cats, dogs, fruit flies, geese, gorillas, gulls, horses, humans, langurs, rams, sheep, macaques, monkeys, turkeys and vervets. Bruce Bagemihl, a biologist from Seattle, Washington, USA, has even prepared an encyclopedia of homosexual and transgender behavior among animals which lists more than 190 species, including butterflies and other insects.
One can then make the argument that if homosexuality is an unnatural perversion how come the Almighty created gay animals, who certainly do not exercise a choice in the matter? Thus, if God has created various varieties of fruits, exotic types of species, different kinds of human beings, each with separate physical, mental and emotional attributes, then how is it possible that the Almighty overlooked sexuality, which is one of the essential components of a human being?
Sexual diversity can also be understood in terms of personality types. For instance, there are some people who are born extroverts and some are introverts by their natural inclination. It is neither possible nor does it seem to be the purpose of God to artificially change the personalities of human beings as they are operating in accordance to their innate predispositions. Therefore, this diversity in human personality is God’s will and we should respect it instead of damaging it with our self-centered views. One can only come up with the best of his/her potential if one is given enough space to act in accordance with what one actually is.
Hence, it will be a great contribution towards society if everyone starts understanding and giving respect to the human dignity and personhood of sexual minorities. As the writer Pamela Taylor put it, “The Prophet said we are not true believers until we want for our brothers and sisters what we want for ourselves. I want a satisfying, committed, loving relationship with my spouse. How could I want to deny that to anyone?”
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Dear Mr Shehzad
First of all, thank you very much for your feedback and secondly do excuse me for replying you back so late. I appreciate your impressions and comments regarding the article and want you to know that I consciously develop the case for the innateness of homosexuality in reference to Islam because in Pakistan, day bay day, religion is becoming the only important issue, with the expanding insurgence of Talibans all over so, people are reinventing their religious identities and affiliations. So, keeping this in mind, I tend to quote just a mere few alternative comments and remarks. It is said that master narratives, even the contested ones are deeper than conscious thought and we have just started to argue with a 1400 years old thought process which is not even contested one. Its just a start, let's hope for the best. And moreover, we humans can think and that's what I am trying to do and all I need is your feedback and best wishes.
Regards
HH
Thank you, brother Hadi, for a very well thought out article.
In your comment, you mention the 1400-year-old master narrative, but as I understand even that is not so simple. There have historically been times and places in Islamic cultures where loving relationships among men, or among women, have been accepted. Evidence may be vague because "close friendships" were accepted and the personal details were considered private and unremarkable. The most famous case, perhaps is that of Rumi and Shams. Were they? Weren't they? Can anyone know? Should it matter? Ironically the argument that it shouldn't matter is used mostly by people who want to deny that they were lovers, to brush the entire issue under the rug, but if it didn't matter for them, why should it matter now if two men or two women love each other?
Anti-gay laws now in Muslim countries are largely a legacy of colonial powers. The laws in India and Malaysia, for example, were imposed by the British.
The historical narrative is now mostly monopolized, but it is not entirely uncontested, and there is evidence in literature of a range of attitudes regarding same-sex love.
Dear Mr Jack
I appreciate the time you have rendered in reading the article and related comments in detail. By '1400 years old master narrative', I were actually refering to the bulk of predominant religious literature (Quran, Hadith and Jurisprudential) instead of any Muslim cultural or social set up. Yes, I agree that there are many evidences regarding same sex love in Muslim history. You might be aware of the fact that throughout the Muslim history, many sufi saints and poets were supposedly or allegedlly regarded as homosexuals. You have mentioned Rumi and Tabrez and I can name Madho Lal and Shah Hussain (Sufi saints buried in Lahore, Pakistan), Sarmad (Sufi saint buried in Delhi, India) to name a few.
Along with these refernces, I would also like to share some anthropological evidences of Muslim societies with you, for instance the openly gay culture at "Dargh Quli Khan" in Delhi during the Mughal Muslim rule where poets, writers and gay men of every walk of life used to hang out and the cultural sanction for the same sex marraige in Siwa Valley, Libya, and the openly gay Arabic poet Abu Nawas with all his homoerotic poetry generated during Abbaisad Caliphate and the tolerance for same sex relationship during the Muslim rule in Spain and during Ottomon Caplihate.
There was even a time when the rectors at Al- Azhar in Cairo, Egypt used to hold discussions regarding the sanction of homosexulaity in paradise. Indeed we have regressed a lot. You are right while refering to the colonial laws and interestingly they only address 'sodomy' and a specific sexual act which most of the homosexuals don't even practise and its inappropriate to apply them to the gays and lesbians of the 21 century because the concept has changed immensly. Once again, thank you very much for your valuable comment and I really look forward to your comments in future.
Regards
HH
I have studied in a cadet college in Pakistan. Major expulsions from the college were related to boys have sexual relationships with one another. The college however did not want to make it public, because it would ruin the image of the college. The students would have been jailed also if the police found out. There were even homosexual gang rapes. The senior students would force junior students to endure. There was one student who did the incredible. He was unashamed about his homosexuality and got all the boys in dormitory to get involved in a full scale gay orgy. He was expelled as expected but that expulsion was temporary, because he had connections in the government of the time and came back
Homosexuality is real and there is nothing wrong with it. So much fuss is being made about it. If people like people of the same sex what is wrong with that. They are sexually oriented like that. It is not something unnatural, it is perfectly natural and there should be no law against it.
i want to leave it at any cost..no matter what chritians or jews say...!!! plz help me out
@ Jeddy: Thanks for sharing your experience and for your support. I guess, we as a nation need to address our piegon syndrome and accept this fact that same sex relations do exist in this land of pure and the social, political and religious bigwigs need to tackle this in a practical way otherwise as far as i can see, we are heading towards sexual anarchy.
@ Flex: Dear, you do need to change your perspective, not for any social/religious/political cause but for your own well being. That's the most important thing. Start empathisizing with yourself and listen to your heart. I think you will get your answer.
People have such strong and wrong views about us that it's hopeless to argue against them! All we are conceived as are sex starved individuals....they refuse to look beyond this one single point....and that's the reason we are having the problem of stereotyping regarding ourselves!!
If people start viewing us as individuals with feelings and emotions who want companionship as much as our straight peers, our lives may turn for the better...but no matter how liberal a person maybe, when it comes to sexuality everyone who's straight is homophobic on large parts of their mindsets! They don't see anything beyond it!
Dear Hadi,
I am impressed and delighted for the following reasons; your article is very challenging and well written. You must be very brave person to write this article being in a Islamic country. You are very libral and open to accept people with different views and orientations. That is excellent!
I am glad that you have challenge to think that in Islam we have to begin to make room for homosexuals because it is practiced very much in Pakistan, as is clear from Jeddy's experience. It is good start and best of luck!
My only concern would be that will there be people like you and many who have commented that will accept and give the homosexuals their rights?
Thanks Phunk Factor & Mr Bhatti. Mr Bhatti, in response to your question, i will definitely reply in affirmative because, being a humanist above all, i strongly believe that every individual has should be getting rights on equal basis. And there are several other individuals like me who are of this approach and trying to make this country of our more than a hub of extremists and bigots. togter we can and we will bring a positive change in society. For further queries you can always inbox me at< This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >