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!
Tatchell talk February 1, 2007
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists.add a comment
Readers of this blog will know that we’re no fans of Peter Tatchell, and have had cause to mention his odious name more often than we’d care to. Perhaps our writing has paid off, because a young man who attended a talk by Tatchell in Edinburgh reports the following:
It was an imformative and very well attended evening, approximately 120-140 people, ending on a slightly tense note. The final question accepted from the audience was from a person who is obviously very informed about Tatchell’s work and in particular his views on the Muslim faith and it’s stance against homosexuality. This man made quite a speech, mostly in opposition of Tatchell’s views. Unfortunately we were out of time for there to be any real debate and Tatchell was only able to give a short reply.
If we can’t claim the credit for him being “very informed”, maybe Islamophobia Watch can.
Lock, Imaan and Islamophobia December 8, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Responses.11 comments
You may remember the latest OutRage “Imam Backs Shariah Shock” and the interesting developments in terms of the British “gay Muslim” group Imaan (formerly Al-Fatiha UK) calling Peter Tatchell an Islamophobe. I’m of a similar opinion, as I expressed along with others on their forum discussion.
Now Brett Lock has written an opinion piece in the magazine he edits, namely the Gay Humanist Quarterly (full PDF available there - see p.13). Entitled “Submission & Denial”, the article criticises Imaan for complaining about Tatchell & Co. singling out Islam:
If some of Imaan’s leaders feel Islam is being unfairly singled out as “uniquely reactionary”, perhaps they should ask themselves when they last heard a priest or rabbi in Britain defending the death penalty for homosexuality.
Heba Kotb goes global December 6, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Concepts, Islam, Responses.11 comments
A while ago, I mentioned a thesis we came across by Dr. Heba Kotb, who now has her own website and satellite television show. The AP report about this show was picked up by numerous newspapers around the world, indicating a great interest in this woman giving sex advice on Arab TV.
On her show, “Big Talk,” Kotb answers questions from Muslims all over the Middle East about the most intimate bedroom issues with an openness that is shocking and revolutionary in a society where discussing the subject is taboo.
“How do I talk about these issues? Very seriously,” the Egyptian sexologist says. “I put on a mask-like face and make sure I speak in the right tone of voice.” She also does it by talking about sex in an Islamic light, arguing that the faith is in favor of pleasure for both men and women, with one important caveat – that it be only in the context of marriage.
[...]
Kotb, 39 and married with three daughters, studied sexology with Maimonides University, a private school in Florida, and combined it with her own knowledge of her religion to produce a dissertation titled “Sexuality in Islam.” She opened a sexology clinic in Cairo in 2002, wrote sex advice columns in newspapers, appeared on talk shows and answered questions on an Arabic Web site. She started “Big Talk” on the independent Egyptian satellite channel El-Mehwar more than two months ago.
Much of her advice is straight biology – laying out facts rarely aired elsewhere. Nothing is too sensitive. She discusses sexual positions, female orgasm, oral sex (allowed, “since there is no religious text banning it”), even masturbation (frowned upon but at least preferable to unmarried or adulterous sex, which is “haram,” meaning forbidden by religion). She takes a strict Islamic line on homosexuality – she calls it a disease.
I have a few comments on that.
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:
Mufti leading the homophobia? May 26, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Islam, Religion.1 comment so far
Islamophobia Watch has noted that Peter Tatchell, in his latest article, has apparently magnified the role of Muslims in leading the negative reactions to Russia's Gay Pride parade.
What caught my eye were his quotes from the Mufti:
"Sexual minorities have no rights, because they have crossed the line. Alternative sexuality is a crime against God."
It's strange to see someone who is so opposed to homosexuality using terminology that affirms its status as a "sexual minority" and "alternative sexuality". I wonder what he said in his own language, and how accurate the English rendering is.
Anyone?
Close encounters May 21, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Queer Muslims.add a comment
Yusuf Smith got back safely on Friday night from a meeting addressed by Peter Tatchell, Ali Hilli (both OutRageous) and Houzan Mahmoud.
I haven't commented on the Sistani fatwa issue before now, mainly because – like many things coming from Iraq – it's rather hard to ascertain the exact reality unless you have contacts who can help, and I am extremely wary of any "information" coming from OutRage, especially where quoting or interpreting scholars' edicts is concerned. Remember Qaradawi?
But for what it's worth, I agree with Yusuf when he says: "…of course, as Muslims, we don't condone homosexual behaviour, but we absolutely condemn gangsterism, kidnapping, blackmail, armed thugs presuming to be moral vigilantes, and the threatening of families for one member's deeds."
This caught my weary eye:
She asked if gay organisations had tried to contact trade unions, to which Ali Hilli replied that they had not, but were trying, and that they presently numbered only thirty people who were presently involved in a media campaign against homophobic fatwas.
I wish people could respect the difference between the worlds of media, politics and religious teachings/judgement, despite whatever overlaps exist. This is a theme I will be labouring on a bit in my forthcoming (promised) response to Brian Whitaker's blog.
Fatwa: Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf April 10, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Shari'ah.4 comments
EDIT: It was inappropriate for us to post this "fatwa" online in the absence of information about the issuing scholar. We did so after checking that its contents were acceptable according to mainstream scholarship, and also wrote the provisos you see below, not endorsing the scholar since we don't know him. However, until this matter is cleared up, we have removed the document in question.
We received the below-linked fatwa* by e-mail, but unfortunately there wasn't much information about the scholar issuing it. His name is Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf, and I assume that it's not the same one mentioned here earlier. In fact, the signature at the end says (in Arabic): Muhammad Yusuf al-Husayni. If anyone has information about him, please do inform us.
Fatwa Concerning the Sanctity of Family in Islam [removed temporarily]
Poor reactions April 7, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Homosexualists, Responses.2 comments
Some comments have eventually emerged with regards to my thoughts on "Pavgate", over at EdNet. It's a shame that they're not particularly insightful. For all that homophobia is considered such a cardinal sin in this lovely movement, could people not perhaps ponder over the points presented, and offer reflections on how we can solve these issues of tension? By all means critique me, but at least do so intelligently.
I've also been mentioned by Brett Lock of OutRage:
The blog run by the bizarre ‘StraightWay Foundation’ (that group of ‘ex-gay’ Muslims who supported Ken Livingstone’s drooling over Qaradawi) put Ms Hearn in her place.
He obviously didn't read my two posts following the one he quoted from, where I explained why We’re not “ex-gay” and also approvingly linked to Hearn's Response to Tatchell. Or maybe he did, I don't know.
EDIT: Brett Lock has now described the StraightWay Foundation as "a Muslim version of NARTH". I have nothing against NARTH, but just take a look at their site and you will find that this comparison is completely ignorant. NARTH investigate the issue from a scientific perspective, while StraightWay is about explaining the Islamic position and offering simple advice to people trying to live up to it. Brett, in his hatred of "ex-gays", seems unable even to appreciate these entirely different approaches.
See Mujahid's summary of the history of clashes between StraightWay and Lock/OutRage, including StraightWay's responses to their ignorant mis-characterisations:
