India's Supreme Court today has recognized gay sex, and has deemed that it is no longer a "criminal offense". Despite opposition from India's Hindutva movement and religious conservatives, especially in the vast rural heartland, this decision is from the nation's highest court and is the final say on the matter.
As someone who has lived in Canada for the last two decades, and where gay marriage was legalized more than ten years ago, it's interesting to see the evolving nature of how various countries (and communities) deal with homosexuality, from desire to practice. Just this week, in Malaysia two lesbians were caned for engaging in sex in a car in a public space. Meanwhile, there is a huge concentrated push in North American Muslim circles to accept not only feminism, but LGBTQ as legitimate causes to get behind.
While politically this is in large part due to the pro-left stance of many Muslim organizations (especially in the USA), with the right actively demonizing Muslims, but it is also due to general trend in greater acceptance of LGBTQ behaviour and causes. In light of all of this, let's see how it plays out in various angles.
Religion
From a religious point of view it is very clear what is Islam's (and any major religion's) stance on homosexuality. You can "re-interpret" it any way you like, the story of Prophet Lut (known in the Bible as Lot, peace be upon him) is pretty clear. His people were engaged in the sin of homosexuality, and Allah punished the whole community who were engaged in this "evil and unnatural act", sparing only Prophet Lut and his followers. The parable, and the conclusion, is pretty clear.
Or, is it?
Remember, that Islam has a core stance of basic dignity and rights of all peoples, and differentiates it from promoting homosexuality and the actions associated with it. Allah has given humanity a choice, as mentioned many times in the Quran, and man exercises the choice in either following the laws of the Quran or going against them.
So being gay is not a sin in itself. It is a desire of the body, and a temptation of the nafs. What is a sin is when you act on that desire. This is clear from numerous source in religion, and in particular the story of the wife of the soldier during Caliph Umar's time who wanted to commit adultery but didn't. Many other stories and incidents make it clear that desire itself is not a sin. For someone who is gay, we Muslims do not need to debate on nature vs nurture. It is enough to know that you may have these tendencies - it doesn't matter how it developed. What matters is whether you act on it.
And what if you act on it? Again, from numerous source in how Islamic law is applied, especially during the early Caliphate, we know that only public manifestations of the act were punished. What you do in your private space is left between you and Allah, and many times Allah has said He will forgive those sins that the sinner does not publicize. This is the crux of what happened in Malaysia.
So from an Islamic point of view, it is clear: homosexuality (just like incest) is an unnatural desire and should never be acted upon. If someone has those tendencies, they need counselling, love, understanding and guidance. And if they fall into sin, repentance and forgiveness.
Minority and Human Rights in Political Sense
That is theory. Now let's go to the practice.
We are living in Canada. An officially secular state where no religion (in theory) has supremacy (even though Christianity has a privilege) and where same sex marriage is legal and same sex relations are normal. We are expected to support LGBTQ rights around the world and advocate for same sex marriage everywhere. In that scenario, what should our stance be?
To me, people complicate the situation far more than it needs to be.
Weed is becoming legal in Canada soon. It doesn't change the fact I personally will not do it, or that it is haram in Islam, or that I won't encourage my kids to try it, or that I will accept an imam in my community saying it is OK. We have a personal practice of our religion, aided by our community, and then we have a code of conduct in Canada as a whole. it is the same with same sex relations and homosexuality.
We will never advocate violence against those with different beliefs. If tomorrow someone wants to argue that incest should be legalized (it's still a crime), we wouldn't advocate violence against that individual. If that person is our colleague or student, it doesn't change the working nature of that relationship. We still have rights on each other as community members. Just because we do not accept one aspect of that person's sexuality, it doesn't mean we do not love or accept that person for who he or she is.
The Question
Lakum deenukum waliya deen. To you your religion, and to me mine. Live and let live.
I am officially neutral on same sex marriage. I have no strong feelings either way on this. In Canada it's a done deal, a finished debate. But it's not a finished agenda, is it?
Now it has become that if you do not condone, or promote this way of life, you are a bigot. You are someone who promotes hatred. If you do not attend Pride Week you are a hatemonger. Why? Why can't you accept my beliefs on this topic, just as you ask me to accept your way of life?
That is now the next question.
As someone who has lived in Canada for the last two decades, and where gay marriage was legalized more than ten years ago, it's interesting to see the evolving nature of how various countries (and communities) deal with homosexuality, from desire to practice. Just this week, in Malaysia two lesbians were caned for engaging in sex in a car in a public space. Meanwhile, there is a huge concentrated push in North American Muslim circles to accept not only feminism, but LGBTQ as legitimate causes to get behind.
While politically this is in large part due to the pro-left stance of many Muslim organizations (especially in the USA), with the right actively demonizing Muslims, but it is also due to general trend in greater acceptance of LGBTQ behaviour and causes. In light of all of this, let's see how it plays out in various angles.
Religion
From a religious point of view it is very clear what is Islam's (and any major religion's) stance on homosexuality. You can "re-interpret" it any way you like, the story of Prophet Lut (known in the Bible as Lot, peace be upon him) is pretty clear. His people were engaged in the sin of homosexuality, and Allah punished the whole community who were engaged in this "evil and unnatural act", sparing only Prophet Lut and his followers. The parable, and the conclusion, is pretty clear.
Or, is it?
Remember, that Islam has a core stance of basic dignity and rights of all peoples, and differentiates it from promoting homosexuality and the actions associated with it. Allah has given humanity a choice, as mentioned many times in the Quran, and man exercises the choice in either following the laws of the Quran or going against them.
So being gay is not a sin in itself. It is a desire of the body, and a temptation of the nafs. What is a sin is when you act on that desire. This is clear from numerous source in religion, and in particular the story of the wife of the soldier during Caliph Umar's time who wanted to commit adultery but didn't. Many other stories and incidents make it clear that desire itself is not a sin. For someone who is gay, we Muslims do not need to debate on nature vs nurture. It is enough to know that you may have these tendencies - it doesn't matter how it developed. What matters is whether you act on it.
And what if you act on it? Again, from numerous source in how Islamic law is applied, especially during the early Caliphate, we know that only public manifestations of the act were punished. What you do in your private space is left between you and Allah, and many times Allah has said He will forgive those sins that the sinner does not publicize. This is the crux of what happened in Malaysia.
So from an Islamic point of view, it is clear: homosexuality (just like incest) is an unnatural desire and should never be acted upon. If someone has those tendencies, they need counselling, love, understanding and guidance. And if they fall into sin, repentance and forgiveness.
Minority and Human Rights in Political Sense
That is theory. Now let's go to the practice.
We are living in Canada. An officially secular state where no religion (in theory) has supremacy (even though Christianity has a privilege) and where same sex marriage is legal and same sex relations are normal. We are expected to support LGBTQ rights around the world and advocate for same sex marriage everywhere. In that scenario, what should our stance be?
To me, people complicate the situation far more than it needs to be.
Weed is becoming legal in Canada soon. It doesn't change the fact I personally will not do it, or that it is haram in Islam, or that I won't encourage my kids to try it, or that I will accept an imam in my community saying it is OK. We have a personal practice of our religion, aided by our community, and then we have a code of conduct in Canada as a whole. it is the same with same sex relations and homosexuality.
We will never advocate violence against those with different beliefs. If tomorrow someone wants to argue that incest should be legalized (it's still a crime), we wouldn't advocate violence against that individual. If that person is our colleague or student, it doesn't change the working nature of that relationship. We still have rights on each other as community members. Just because we do not accept one aspect of that person's sexuality, it doesn't mean we do not love or accept that person for who he or she is.
The Question
Lakum deenukum waliya deen. To you your religion, and to me mine. Live and let live.
I am officially neutral on same sex marriage. I have no strong feelings either way on this. In Canada it's a done deal, a finished debate. But it's not a finished agenda, is it?
Now it has become that if you do not condone, or promote this way of life, you are a bigot. You are someone who promotes hatred. If you do not attend Pride Week you are a hatemonger. Why? Why can't you accept my beliefs on this topic, just as you ask me to accept your way of life?
That is now the next question.
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