Qaradawi now – who next? February 16, 2008
Posted by Mujahid Mustaqim in Homosexualists, Queer Muslims, StraightWay.12 comments
We at the StraightWay Foundation have long taken a keen interest in the controversies built around the person of Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, especially as regards his stated opinions about homosexuality in the light of his understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah – opinions which do not differ from those of the vast majority of Islamic scholars and ordinary Muslims in the West and worldwide, except that in certain respects they are better explained and expressed.
The recent refusal from the UK government to grant him a visa has rightly met with criticism from British Muslims, this article by Abdul-Rehman Malik being a good example. From our perspective, the most worrying thing is where mainstream Muslim views are used as the basis for excluding someone from a country: will they then seek to root out “homophobic imams” and deport them? Find me a non-”homophobic” imam, please, then tell me that Qaradawi’s views are extreme…
You can find numerous articles on this blog discussing his views and statements, including a summary of the Zionist- and homosexualist-led storm surrounding his July 2004 visit to London. This time, however, we decided not to weigh in with any public comments – but would like to extend a word of appreciation to Imaan, a group we have serious disagreements with, for a letter they sent to the Guardian:
We agree with Muslim community leaders concerned at the Home Office decision to ban Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Report, February 8), on the grounds that it won’t “tolerate … those who seek to justify … acts of terrorist violence or express views that could foster inter-community violence”. On the contrary, Qaradawi has condemned the London bombings, the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism, stating these are against Islamic beliefs.
In banning Qaradawi, the Home Office is contributing to a climate of Islamophobia, which will impact on all Muslims, including our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members.
We make clear our disagreements with all faiths that are regressive on homosexuality, and demand that Muslim leaders are treated equally with other faith representatives, who are not generally banned.
If the government is to engage hearts and minds of the Muslim community, it would do well to engage in dialogue with Muslim leaders rather than demonise them or succumb to the calls of politicians whose agenda is motivated by a bias regarding the conflict in the Middle East.
Ubaid-ur Rehman
Secretary, Imaan – the LGBT Muslim’s support group
Even the vile and odious Peter Tatchell stated his disagreement with the banning, even if only to repeat his inaccurate and irrational - and in places downright false and slanderous – criticisms of the Sheikh. And of course most of the commenters after him are just as ready to prove their ignorance!
Disagreement over punishment August 14, 2007
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Media, Shari'ah.15 comments
I just came across this video from MEMRI of a scholar I haven’t previously heard of (Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Qader Shiba Al-Hamad), discussing the historical disagreement between the companions of the Prophet (peace be on him) after he passed away, over how to punish someone guilty of sodomy.
The video features a more detailed explanation than the one given by Sheikh Qaradawi, or Sheikh Alwani, as quoted previously on this blog.
But what comes next? What is this Sheikh’s opinion exactly? The video ends rather abruptly, leaving you wondering how he continued. I hardly expect him to be the most liberal scholar on the planet, but it’s only fair to know how he regards the views he has just listed.
Remember that MEMRI chopped up Qaradawi’s statements to hide the fact that he advocates choosing the least severe option. The result was various Islam-haters pouncing on another ‘Crazed Cleric Calls to Kill Queers’ story.
See also:
Sins, crimes and punishments
Imam Backs Shariah Shock!
This just in… April 17, 2007
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Media.2 comments
Another shock! Pink News has discovered that
London Muslims overwhelmingly oppose gays !
And apparently our views just don’t square with the rest of society. There surely can’t be anyone (say observant religious people who aren’t Moslem fanatics) who would agree with this “anti-gay” stance?
And there’s of course no distinction to be made between considering homosexuality less than “acceptable” and OPPOSING GAYS (as people). Just a matter of semantics, eh? It’s not the media’s job to quibble over such things if it will make those backward Islamo-fascists look bad.
The article takes another bash at Iqbal Sacranie, while admitting that his statement appears to be “in line with the vast majority of Muslim opinion“! Perhaps you could add the same for Yusuf al-Qaradawi? Nah, let’s just quote some MPs to attack Islam as “absurd”, “medieval”, “unacceptable” and ”deplorable” views belonging to ”7th-century Arabia”.
Check out the enlightened comments on the PinkNews site. Makes you just wanna join their chariot of freedom and tolerance, doesn’t it? [Update: the most bigoted comments have now been deleted.]
Imaan Gay.com feature February 8, 2007
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Media, Queer Muslims, Responses.6 comments
An interview with Farzana, chair of Imaan, appeared on Gay.com a few days ago. It is by Hassan Mirza (yep, him again) and includes a photo of Imaan at Europride. They’ve blurred the faces, but the one on the right is of course none other than Out-n-Proud Pav. At the bottom of the feature, this blog gets a mention! Here’s the link to read it, and of course it won’t escape my comments…
MIRZA: And there’s even more to say about the Gay Muslims, who to the casual observer may seem particularly self-hating – in light of violence-preaching Imams (some fanatic ones who preach the death of gays) displayed in popular British media.
To Deenport friends January 24, 2007
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Responses, StraightWay.28 comments
Brothers and sisters at the popular Deenport site recently discussed the problem of a sister who is worried she may be a “lesbian”. We pray that she is relieved of her worries. She might consider getting in touch with the StraightWay Foundation’s support group if sharing her feelings would help.
I would offer the following clarifications though. The identity of this blog’s authors, and of the officials of StraightWay, is not solely people who experience same-sex attractions themselves. Actually some do, some did and some don’t and never have. We consider this pretty much irrelevant to the arguments put forth, as our only concern is to promote a true understanding of the religion and what it requires of us all. We certainly aren’t an ”ex-gay” institution, as one commenter stated.
Referring to the Qaradawi controversy where StraightWay weighed in back in 2004, a brother stated:
As support groups go there are roughly two types. On the one hand there are those who have a leftist inclination where as others have a right-wing inclination. If you read the report published by London Mayor Ken Livingstone following the condemnation he suffered for inviting Shaykh Qardhawi, he mentions a Gay/Lesbian group that had signed the Jewish Board of Deputies’ petition. He then identified another group which supported him. At the time I researched both groups and corresponded with both finding one to be very anti-Islamic whereas the other was pro-Islamic. The pro-Islamic one somehow found justification for their orientation in Islam.
I don’t know whether he was in touch with Mujahid, but the brother has apparently misunderstood StraightWay’s point, which is of course my point too. There is nothing in having an “orientation” to justify. If we buy into that way of speaking, then it’s not a matter of choice. But if we discuss the matter more properly in terms of feelings and temptations, then again, we don’t talk about “justifying” these because they are internal and not acted upon. There is nothing sinful in experiencing these feelings, even if for the whole of one’s life. The point is what you do with them.
NY Times: “Prisoners of Sex” December 8, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Media, Responses, Shari'ah.8 comments
The New York Times Magazine ran an article last weekend by Negar Azimi about homosexuality in the Arab world, particularly Egypt, called “Prisoners of Sex“. It discusses various political aspects, but I quote here only what pertains to the religious question. Yet again, an attempt to make the matter more misty than it actually is…
On my second visit to Tanta, in August, I sat down for a lunch of kapsa, a sweet Saudi rice specialty, with Hassan and Mo, a slight student of English literature at Tanta University. The discussion turned to Islam and homosexuality. Both of them considered themselves practicing Muslims. Mo has combed the Internet for signs as to whether homosexuality is at odds with Islam. He said he had browsed the popular Egyptian lay preacher Ahmed Khaled’s Web site and found nothing. But he did see that Sheik Yussuf Al-Qaradawi had called homosexuals “perverts.” Al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric generally considered a liberal, is best known for his television program “Shariah and Life” on the satellite channel Al Jazeera, and for his Web site, Islamonline.
She must mean Amr Khaled. I browsed his site just now and found this (albeit in English). And of course there is plenty on the Internet about Islam’s prohibition of homosexual activity, even if there is a lack of depth and quality in how it is discussed (I hope we can count this blog as an exception). Where did Mo see this thing about Qaradawi calling homosexuals “perverts“? If that is all he saw, then he must have got it from MEMRI or one of the sites that love all their output. Anyone who watched the Shariah and Life programme itself, or read his fatwas on his site or Islam Online, would better realise what he says – i.e. much the same as all Islamic scholars.
It goes on…
Sins, crimes and punishments November 7, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Responses, Shari'ah.5 comments
I’ve been having a little discussion with someone on the comments thread following an article about Yusuf Islam, by Inayat Bunglawala. The thread had nothing to do with homosexuality, until Peter Tatchell popped up to call Yusuf “a self-proclaimed homophobic bigot” and “vicious hate-monger” who “was preaching the same kind of homophobic scare-mongering and hatred as the neo-Nazi BNP”, with his “sick, nasty and evil” comments. That’s a lot of adjectives, I must say!
That aside, “scotslune” posed a question to Inayat, and I decided to share some points in response. Here I reproduce our discussion (which might continue in the comments section here if you’re interested!)…
Imam Backs Shariah Shock! October 22, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Media, Shari'ah.17 comments
From an OutRage press release:
Killing gays is OK, says Muslim Imam
Manchester Imam defends execution of gay people
20 October 2006Manchester’s leading Imam has confirmed that he thinks the execution of sexually active gay men is justified. Mr. Arshad Misbahi, who is based at the Manchester Central Mosque, confirmed his views in a conversation to Dr John Casson, a local psychotherapist.
Dr Casson said: “I asked him if the execution of gay Muslims in Iran and Iraq was an acceptable punishment in Sharia law, or the result of culture, not religion. He told me that in a true Islamic state, such punishments were part of Islam: if the person had had a trial, at which four witnesses testified that they had seen the actual homosexual acts.”
“I asked him what would be the British Muslim view? He repeated that in an Islamic state these punishments were justified. They might result in the deaths of thousands but if this deterred millions from having sex, and spreading disease, then it was worthwhile to protect the wider community.”
“I checked again that this was not a matter of tradition, culture or local prejudice. ‘No,’ he said, ‘It is part of the central tenets of Islam: that sex outside marriage is forbidden; this is stated in the Koran and the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had stated that these punishments were due to such behaviours.’”
“He told me that no Muslim would have spoken to him as I had done – they would have been too afraid, ashamed or inhibited: he admired my courage and openness.”
Commenting on Imam Arshad Misbahi’s views, Dr John Casson said:
Some highlights so far July 14, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Uncategorized.2 comments
I’m amazed to see that since I launched this blog less than 6 months ago, there are now 85 posts – most of which are quite substantial, including some detailed articles. All praise is due to Allah.
I rather wish there were a bar on the side of this template for highlight posts, or recommended reading… but in the absence of that, here is a list to guide new visitors who want to dive into our way of thinking! I have loosely categorised them to make browsing that bit easier.
Religious guidance:
Muslim Before Anything Else
“Are we going to Hell?”
Actions, Attractions and Personal Responsibility
Concepts (religious & philosophical):
L, G, B and T
Gay + Muslim = Gay Muslim?
We’re not “ex-gay”
The Dangers of Denial
Genetics and Morality
Gay Muslims (sociology & religion):
The C4 documentary (I)
The C4 documentary (II)
The Queer Muslim Movement:
The role of the “scholars” (also follow links at bottom of post)
Daayiee vs. the “rabid homophobes”
Interview with Adnan Ali
The power of wishful thinking
Imaan and Pride
Current affairs and controversies:
That storm in a teacup
Are gays perverts? (MEMRI & Qaradawi)
MCB to fight homophobia?
When Muslims are brick walls
MEMRI & Qaradawi: the main point June 30, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Media, Responses, Shari'ah.8 comments
In my lengthy post earlier about Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s recent comments on homosexuality, the most important point may have been missed by many readers in amongst the various notes on language.
“The Elephant” at the Middle East Gay Journal acknowledged my findings but doesn’t seem apologetic about laying into Qaradawi for supposedly “calling for punishment” (as opposed to reiterating established scholarly views), as have all the other agenda-driven bloggers - who, at least, have the excuse of not understanding Arabic.
Brian Whitaker noted in an e-mail exchange that “The trouble with MEMRI is that it’s only interested in highlighting the bits that make Qaradawi look bad; it’s not concerned with the detailed arguments.” Brian has, of course, taken on MEMRI before. However, I am not convinced that he has understood Qaradawi either, and we are still discussing this.
So here is the most important point again. MEMRI (in their edited video and transcript) chose to quote the Sheikh when he mentioned the various scholarly views on punishment for a man who commits sodomy (MEMRI just said “homosexual”!), but chose to delete a few sentences in amongst that in which he stated his preference to select the least severe view for our times.
So while Islam-haters reproduced this MEMRI propaganda with glee, they failed to realise, let alone acknowledge, that Sheikh al-Qaradawi was not advocating all those “gruesome” punishments, but is of the view that the widespread nature of this sin (i.e. sodomy) calls for a lightening of the punishment to be applied.
I am by no means saying this is a “gay-friendly” view (as if that is something we as sincere Muslims need to prioritise!), but I firmly believe that honest people should acknowledge somebody’s true opinion if they are going to indulge in debate, let alone condemnation and mockery.
So to make this clearer, I am going to present the relevant part, with MEMRI translation compared to mine.
