“Homosexuality, Bestiality, Lesbianism, Adultery And Fornication: The Deadly Diseases”. This is the title of a leaflet produced by Al-Muhajiroun, a controversial British Muslim group, condemning what it calls these “crimes against humanity”. It is easy to dismiss such hysteria as the ravings of a lunatic fringe, and Al-Muhajiroun are regarded even by many Muslims as extreme.
Unfortunately for sexual minorities, whatever Al-Muhajiroun’s views may be on other Islamic matters, when it comes to their attitudes towards homosexuals they are definitely mainstream. Similar intolerant pronouncements can be found emanating from almost any Muslim organisation, government or apologist. Thus:
“Homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption.” – Dr Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North America.
Homosexuality “is utterly contrary to every natural law of human and animal life.” – Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Canada.
“Homosexuality is unlawful in Islam. It is neither accepted by the state nor by the Islamic Society. Quran clearly states that it is unjust, un-natural, transgression, ignorant, criminal and corrupt. [...] Muslim Jurist agree that, if proven of guilt, both of them should be killed.” – Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.
On what basis do Muslims make such statements? The primary sources for Islamic belief and law are the Qur’an (Koran) and the Hadith. The former purports to be the word of Allah (God) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Tradition has it that it was compiled shortly after the prophet’s death from notes taken during his life, although scholars dispute this. The Hadith are collections of traditions about the prophet’s life and teachings. The vast majority are fabrications, concocted to resolve legal, theological or political disputes long after Muhammad died, although Muslims often view them as being almost as authoritative as the Qur’an.
Like the Bible, whenever the Qur’an explicitly mentions homosexuality it is condemnatory. For example:
“If two men among you commit indecency, punish them both.” – 4:16. This follows a possible reference to lesbians who are to be confined for life.
“You lust after men instead of women. Truly, you are a degenerate people.” – 7:81.
“Do you commit indecency with your eyes open, lustfully seeking men instead of women? Surely you are an ignorant people.” – 27:54-55.
Although the Qur’an is ambiguous about the exact punishment, the death penalty may be inferred as those guilty of homosexuality in the last two references above were destroyed by rain (see also 26:165-173). The Hadith are much more explicit about what should be done. A few examples:
“Kill the one who sodomises and the one who lets it be done to him.” – Tirmidhi.
“Lesbianism by women is adultery between them.” – Tabarani. (Consider that death is the penalty for adultery.)
“If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death.” – Sunan Abu Dawud, 38:4448.
With statements like these it is little wonder that life can be grim – and short – for homosexuals in Muslim countries. Apologists like to point to the apparent acceptance of homosexual behaviour in some Muslim societies. Paradoxically, there have indeed been times and places where it was tolerated. However, whenever and wherever the religion has been taken seriously by the authorities, and its laws enforced, the results for sexual minorities have been dire.
Homosexuality is illegal in most Muslim countries and punishable by death in several. Amnesty International, Homan (an exiled Iranian group) and other human rights groups regularly report shocking abuses and crimes against homosexuals. For example, in April 2001, nine gay men were given prison terms of 4 to 5 years with 2400 to 2600 lashes in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Sami (18) and Bismillah (22) were killed by the Taliban by having a wall toppled on them in 1998. In 2001, 52 men were arrested following a party on a river boat and charged with “immoral behaviour” and “contempt of religion” in Egypt (a supposedly “moderate” Islamic country). Many were given prison sentences with hard labour.
Iran has been particularly enthusiastic in its persecution of homosexuals. Estimates of the numbers of gay and lesbian people this evil regime has murdered range from hundreds to thousands but, as many executions are not public, and bereaved families may cover up the reasons out of shame, the higher estimates are plausible. Those cases that have been publicised include three gay men and two lesbians beheaded in January 1990, and 70 people executed in the early 1980s for trying to set up a lesbian and gay organisation. The Iranian Chief Justice, Morteza Moghtadai, justified the 1990 beheadings by saying, “The religious punishment for the despicable act of homosexuality is death for both parties.” False, trumped-up charges of homosexuality are also used to suppress political opponents, as happened to Dr Ali Mozaffarian, a Sunni Muslim leader executed in Shiraz in 1992.
Like its sister religions Judaism and Christianity, Islam is inherently homophobic, and when its teachings are put into practice it is viciously so. Al-Fatiha (The Opening), an organisation for gay and lesbian Muslims, is bravely trying to challenge Islamic homophobia. Predictably it has encountered hostility, vilification and fatwas. Sadly, with such explicit condemnations in the Qur’an and Hadith it has little hope of success until such time as these writings are themselves openly challenged, criticised and publicly discredited in Muslim countries. In view of the tendency of Muslims to scream “blasphemy” at the slightest criticism of their prophet, or his supposed “revelations”, this time may be a long way off. In the meantime life for sexual minorities in Muslim countries will continue to be miserable.