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Islam 'recognizes homosexuality'
Abdul Khalik , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 03/28/2008 1:38 AM | Headlines
Homosexuals and homosexuality are natural and created by God, thus permissible within Islam, a discussion concluded here Thursday.
Moderate Muslim scholars said there were no reasons to reject homosexuals under Islam, and that the condemnation of homosexuals and homosexuality by mainstream ulema and many other Muslims was based on narrow-minded interpretations of Islamic teachings.
Siti Musdah Mulia of the Indonesia Conference of Religions and Peace cited the Koran's al-Hujurat (49:3) that one of the blessings for human beings was that all men and women are equal, regardless of ethnicity, wealth, social positions or even sexual orientation.
"There is no difference between lesbians and nonlesbians. In the eyes of God, people are valued based on their piety," she told the discussion organized by nongovernmental organization Arus Pelangi.
"And talking about piety is God's prerogative to judge," she added.
"The essence of the religion (Islam) is to humanize humans, respect and dignify them."
Musdah said homosexuality was from God and should be considered natural, adding it was not pushed only by passion.
Mata Air magazine managing editor Soffa Ihsan said Islam's acknowledgement of heterogeneity should also include homosexuality.
He said Muslims needed to continue to embrace ijtihad (the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the Koran and the Sunnah) to avoid being stuck in the old paradigm without developing open-minded interpretations.
Another speaker at the discussion, Nurofiah of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said the dominant notion of heterogeneity was a social construction, leading to the banning of homosexuality by the majority.
"Like gender bias or patriarchy, heterogeneity bias is socially constructed. It would be totally different if the ruling group was homosexuals," she said.
Other speakers said the magnificence of Islam was that it could be blended and integrated into local culture.
"In fact, Indonesia's culture has accepted homosexuality. The homosexual group in Bugis-Makassar tradition called Bissu is respected and given a high position in the kingdom.
"Also, we know that in Ponorogo (East Java) there has been acknowledgement of homosexuality," Arus Pelangi head Rido Triawan said.
Condemnation of homosexuality was voiced by two conservative Muslim groups, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and Hizbut Thahir Indonesia (HTI).
"It's a sin. We will not consider homosexuals an enemy, but we will make them aware that what they are doing is wrong," MUI deputy chairman Amir Syarifuddin said.
Rokhmat, of the hardline HTI, several times asked homosexual participants in attendance to repent and force themselves to gradually return to the right path.
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Ronggowarsito (not verified) — Thu, 08/21/2008 - 2:11pm
It's crazy.. Please learn Al Qura'an again and if you understand, you can speak again
Rosa Nugraha (not verified) — Sun, 08/17/2008 - 8:09am
Please learn the translation of quran in a compact method.
We can't find true answers of human problems by using only one article.
For this topic quran has several articles that devined the consequences of being homosexual.
Since God that merciful, we had been given our freedom to choose. But later on, God always had gived us a rule either it's called Taurat, Zabur, Bible and last Quran.
In the end, God will keep our mouth to shut and let other part of bodies speak and give the detail report of every action that we have done.
When the time comes, we must deal with the consequences.
Since God had given us brain to think and heart to colored our life.
There can be only one truth and the truth only saves our soul. Let God be our honest supreme judge.
See you guys in the next live :)
Joseph Hellweg (not verified) — Sat, 08/09/2008 - 1:43am
[kindly post this version of my comments. thanks.]
i am a roman catholic and appreciate soffa ihsan's reference above to the principle of "'ijtihad' (the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the Koran and the Sunnah) to avoid being stuck in the old paradigm without developing open-minded interpretations." to me this resembles the interpretive principle of discernment with an informed conscience that stands at the root of ethical decision-making in catholic theology. here, islam and catholicism complement each other.
scripture may not change, but people's responses to it do. the qur'an and the bible have both justified slavery, for instance, and no one today, to my knowledge, argues that those who fail to practice it have somehow betrayed their faith.
islam and christianity institutionalized slavery for centuries, using scriptural passages to legitimize it. will God punish us for no longer sustaining the african slave trade? for no longer capturing and subjugating africans to arbitrary domination? does our refusal to do so make us unfaithful to scripture, to God's word? i think not. in fact, the situation is just the opposite. scripture's former approval of slavery reminds us that we do evolve spiritually. those passages mark how far we have come. they provoke us to consider the contemporary sex trade and rising credit card debt as NEW forms of slavery that we must eradicate IN SPITE of scripture's one-time approval of slavery. if this is the case, then our refusal to persecute people who love those of the same gender should not merit God's condemnation either, in spite of scripture's apparent condemnations, at one time, of same-gendered love.
the self-styled "orthodox" will say that the analogy is a false one, that the emancipation of slaves was a good thing, but homosexuality will always be bad. if so, then, where is the consistency in such a position that the critics of homosexuality want from muslim lesbians and gays? such critics demand that lesbians and gays adopt a literal, unchanging inflexible approach to scriptural hermeneutics, but they themselves are fine with contradicting scripture on one point but not another, and they fume when others appear to do so. such self-righteousness deserves closer scrutiny.
the better use of scripture is as a provocation to enhance human freedom and dignity. rather than ask, "will i go to hell for no longer imitating scripture's example of slavery?" which appears absurd, one should ask, what forms of slavery or homophobia am i engaged in today which might displease God?
in addition, much has been written on the sin of sodom and gomorrah as being one of inhospitality rather than homosexuality--of the threats of homosexual rape toward lot's guests as an affront to civilized decorum and ritual purity. these were expressions of violence, not love. to confound rape and homosexuality is careless, vicious rhetoric, but it is exactly what those who use the story of sodom and gomorrah to condemn lesbians and gays do.
moreover, to call such acts unnatural is quite appropriate. but it is the desire to offend someone sexually, rather than to love them erotically, that merits condemnation here. the erotic love of same-gendered persons for whom such love is NATURAL merits NO condemnation and goes unreferenced in scripture. just as the idea of the emancipation of slaves did not exist at the time, nor did the understanding that some people might naturally love people of the same gender. one's faith must grow through time, or it withers, becoming a twisted, hateful caricature of itself.
those who have decided for themselves that God hates lesbian and gay people will hear none of this. they have determined that they are God's mouthpieces on earth and will brook no disagreement. what we really need today, in both islam and catholicism, is a broad theological conversation about the more relevant sin in this case: blasphemy.
Agus saliim (not verified) — Fri, 08/08/2008 - 4:25pm
It's stranger opinion but interesting. Homosexuality is including an abuse in sex. if someone burnt have two sex, they must choose one. but if someone like someone else in the same sex, so it's an abuse. they must be aware.
Jackey (not verified) — Sun, 08/03/2008 - 12:39pm
Agree with Chi.
sin is just about rule of engangement :)
Man and Woman born with strength and weakness.
we were born unfaithful, hypocrite, potential to be gay, tend to be opportunist, thief and else..you name it.
life is about to fight them within ourselves.
I feel, it's easier to be unfaithful than to be faithful.
at work it's so easy to be reach by corruption than by working lawfuly.
All dirty things in us are not sin as long as we keep them in our mind..
Success or not success to fight them..
it's a different story.
it's depend in many factors...and self-willingness looks like the big one!
keep fighting, guys
Nate (not verified) — Wed, 07/30/2008 - 5:31pm
This is good news .. never expected this in indonesia so soon :)
Being gay is nature not nurture. Islam says to love each other. .. so make love not war.
x
a gay muslim woman
CC (not verified) — Fri, 07/25/2008 - 3:10am
I am signing under these words...i am glad that i am not alone...and if you Dasch happen to come here back, contact me pls tryingnewnow@yahoo.com
Dasch (not verified) — Sun, 07/06/2008 - 1:10pm
I am not a straight guy and happen to be a muslim. God, please forgive me of my sins and help me to end this wrongdoing. Many people might not believe it but I truly acknowledge that homosexuality is a condemned act in Islam. I believe in Allah and I believe that gay people will be punished in Akhirah.
However, don't you think that it's unfair to blame gay, queer and bi people of something that they don't want? I don't want to be like this and I'm still trying to change my sexual preference but apparently, I still cannot change it. put yourselves in our shoes.. it's easy to say it because you are hetero and you know that your preference is in line with Islamic teaching and please, instead of cursing and condemning non-straight people, you should be thankful and glad because you're straight. guide us, help us to be the good muslim ummah as you are.
As cited in our Holy Koran:
"For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women : ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." - Dear Allah, I am scared and intimidated with your punishment, and please help us to follow the right path. divert this unwanted feeling so that we can serve you as the khalifah on this earth.
To all the heteros out there, change your perception towards the gays, bisexuals and lesbians. profanity and vulgar words towards us will only add to your sins.. and remember this, not all of us want to live this kind of unwanted life.. it's painful deep inside to be as who i am now. Dear Allah, I plead for your forgiveness..
Rusdy (not verified) — Thu, 07/24/2008 - 3:00pm
God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Chi (not verified) — Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:04pm
In the Catholic faith, homosexuality is not a sin. It is the homosexual ACT like engaging in sex, that is sinful. If you are born gay, you can't be blamed for that. But the moment you engage in sex, that's the sinful part. Same divine law applies to heterosexuals. If a heterosexual engages in sex outside marriage, it's an offense against God and therefore sinful.
A knock of reality (not verified) — Fri, 07/18/2008 - 8:01am
no one is born a homosexual.. that's for sure. It is your society, or probably yourself, that mold you to be a homosexual. Homosexuality should not be allowed for it's corrupting young children's mind of what supposed to be taboo.