Homophobism and Lesbianism: The Overview - By Alima Ali

Salam! I pray that you are all in the best of health. Before i explain the meaning behind the title of this article, I’d first like to inform you all of my new blog. A few of you emailed me asking whether i have a blog where i post my articles. I didn’t at the time but i quickly one that now contains all my articles. I shall continue to email them to you but if you would like to read over any previous articles, they can be found at: http://a-muslimahs-blog.blogspot.com/
I would also like to give a quick shout out to Zahra. I always seem to forget but Alhumdilillah i remembered this time round. I decided to place the shout out at the beginning as knowing me, i would have forgotten by the time i had finished writing this article. :D

A few months ago, one of the most controversial story lines appeared on our television screens. The kiss shared between the two characters Syed and Christian in EastEnders was described as being a "traditional love affair, albeit with a modern multicultural twist". Having wanted to write this article for some time, i hopped onto the internet in order to conduct a bit of research and to my upmost horror, i came across a website called Al-Fatiha which is a ‘An international organisation for Gay Muslims’ and it run by Brother Adnan Ali who refers to himself as being ‘A Muslim who is Gay’. He says that the website

‘is dedicated to Muslims of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and questioning or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (LGBTIQQ), and their families, friends and allies’ (http://www.al-fatiha.org/index.htm)

Now, can any of you spot the key words in the quotation illustrated above? Well let me point it out to you – ‘Gay’ and ‘Muslim’ – ‘You cannot be Gay and call yourself a Muslim’ (Quote by Hajirah). This is reinforced by the following hadith which discusses liwat (sexual intercourse between males):

"When a man mounts another man, the throne of God shakes." (http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/homosexuality.htm)

So my question is, where did Brother Adnan get the idea about Homosexuality being allowed in Islam? His website is currently under construction and I am unable to contact him. However, as soon contact details have been updated, I shall be putting the above question to him via email and I Inshallah shall keep you all posted.

It was about eight years ago when the song ‘All the things you said’ was released by the pop duo ‘T.A.T.U’ who were famously known for their homosexual behavior. I must have been about nine years old when I first saw their performance on ‘Top of the Pops’. Having learnt of their homosexual status some years later, I had formed a rather blunt opinion: That Gay people were Freaks.

I am now much older and ‘mature’ than I was back then (Feel free to disagree: D) and I can honestly say that I now feel ashamed and almost embarrassed for thinking what I did. I had formed a rather negative opinion of two people who I had never met before. We are unfortunately living in an opinionated society where one is judged through the representation of gender, appearance and behavior.

I think what many of us fail to fail to remember is that no-one is perfect. We all have our faults and that coming from different ethnic backgrounds or coming from a rich/poor family doesn’t make one better that another and the same goes for sexual orientation. In front of Allah (swt) we are equal and it doesn’t matter what is on the outside, it is what is on the inside that really counts. Like they say, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ so in this case ‘Don’t judge a person by their cover’ I am not in any way encouraging homosexuality nor am I approving of it.

I have had this discussion of homosexuality with a few friends of mine from sixth form and I found myself fighting, single handedly may I add what could only be described as being a lost battle. One of my friends said in so many words that homosexuals are not in a mental state. Isn’t that a form of prejudgment?

From an Islamic point of view, ‘Homosexuality is seen by scholars to be a sinful and perverted deviation’. Any forms of homosexual acts are considered to be unlawful and this view is shared by all Islamic schools of thought. I can understand why homosexuality is forbidden in Islam and I can also understand the means of punishment used as belief in homosexuality goes against the whole concept of Adam and Hawa (Adam and Eve) which also explains why it is forbidden in Christianity.

However, what we must understand that not everyone shares the same beliefs. To us the reasons and punishments behind homosexuality may be obvious but to others it may not. We are in no position to judge and we are certainly in no position to differentiate the ‘good’ from the bad’

I knew that it was going to be difficult to discuss such a controversial and sensitive issue without being bias from a Muslims point of view. I did have doubts about writing this article but alhumdilllah it has now been written and I must say I am relieved. May Allah swt guide us all on the right path and put Imaan into our hearts as without our religion and without the remembrance of our creator, we are nothing. Until next time, Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.