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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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X+j = hehe (not verified) — Thu, 06/26/2008 - 2:23pm
imagine..the first people in this world became homosexual based,more than 8.000.000.000 people in today will nothing after adam and hawa dead.there is no baby born, there is no homo peoples like you
Aslam (not verified) — Wed, 06/25/2008 - 11:08pm
Homosexuality is Satanic, its Satans way of keeping people away from namaaz, and their beliefs, thus its haraam, not to be tolerated, not excepted.
People with no imaan turn to homosexuality and other nonsense or vices to satisfy their inner desires.
As a muslim the first Jihad is within ones self, and you have to fight this scourge from within.
So, those muslims that justify homos; "Can a homosexual man, who continuesly is involved in sodomy, lead the Friday or any other Prayer?"
Most definately not, thus how could be tolerate such satanic behaviour. Our prophet never even stepped on the ground that sodomy was practised.
To conclude homosexuality is a dirty horrible satan crime in Islam, and is punishable by death: period
Ira (not verified) — Tue, 06/24/2008 - 11:35am
I am now studying at one of the grad schools in Canada. Most of my classmates are gays. I am a minority here and thank God they all do not treat me differently just because I am not one of them. Instead, they are so caring and kind.
Ozboy (not verified) — Mon, 06/23/2008 - 2:34pm
If you can't solve the homosexual's problem then don't judge. Mind your own business. I'm straight and my best buddy is gay. I respect what she does in the relationship and she's doing better things than the sleazy straight people.
Karl Karnadi (not verified) — Sat, 06/21/2008 - 12:58am
Do you want to know what is homosexuality?.
Read the comments from the homosexuals below. Learn how they live their life.
Homosexuality could be healed?.
Just image yourself live in a homosexual's world, and your heterosexuality must be healed. In other words, u must change your sexual orientation to become homosexuals. Is that possible?. So is it possible to "heal" homosexuality?
I'm straight, but i don't need to become a gay to be able to respect them as a person, as a part of our society.
Ketti (not verified) — Fri, 06/20/2008 - 11:50am
Homosexual is such a desease. This desease might be caused of bad social living or physical abnormality that bring into the mental ill to the patients. The only way is to bring them back to the right path through any methods such as mentoring, rehabilitation and family guidance. Parents are the main actors who create their children to be the right persons or not to be. Thus, parents together with public figures such as MUI and other leaders of religions have responsibility for bringing them back to the normal life.
Mo (not verified) — Fri, 06/20/2008 - 6:43am
hey
I use to have the same views as many of you above when I was a kid,but then I realized I was a gay.
I don't blame you for your views but being gay IS NOT A CHOICE. I would do anything to be straight and have even considered taking my own life just to make all the pain go away.
However, I'm going to carry on with my life and still (hopefully) be a very successful man. I have three brothers who are all straight so please don't blame parenting!
Godfy (not verified) — Thu, 06/19/2008 - 7:23pm
to Tata,Chika ,Jaka and all the others who think they know it best!!!
45 years ago i've been born out of the most loving and warm parents.
I had a wonderful childhood and education.They gave us the freedom to believe and practice religion or not.
I've never been beaten up or raped.
And still when i was 15yr old i discovered i was homosexual.
After discovering you realize that you've always been gay but you were to young to know.
Disappointment in the family in the beginning,later there was understanding and support ,which i needed because this was the start of a life i didn't know of and wasn't all that easy.
The last 30 years i 've had the most wonderful life ,full of happiness and wonderful friends, gay, straight, men ,women.
Never ever it came up to me to wish to be different and I think if I had to choose again,I would choose to have the same life as the one I had.
And then I have to read (in many cases)about what awful,horrible,filthy monstrosities we are!!
And this from people who oppress their women,beat them as if it is natural,beat young girls just by assuming she has lost her virginity,marry off young girls almost children to an older man in a forced marriage.
People who live by rules out of a book once written many centuries ago!!
Knowing that a very large percentage of those people in third world countries are still illiterate.
(so what do they know what is in the book except for what's been preached to them, and that can be anything)
So is life as a muslim so natural.Is it natural to check girls's virginity ,is it natural to rape young boys,beat up wives ,stone and burn criminals or wives from who is thaught she did wrong,destroy and kill people who are not thinking like yourselves.....all in the name of ALLAH ??
Thank you all very much you opened my eyes once more ,I'm gay and I don't believe so I'm free in my head,I'm a happy person and I make people around me also happy and not because I'm gay but because they see me as the person I am.
So wake up ,trow your bloody carpet over the wall and start living.Thank you.
Asae (not verified) — Tue, 06/17/2008 - 2:43pm
That's not correct....She quoted the Qur'an partially only.....
Please note that she is not moderate but Liberal...be careful with her statements....Liberals always try to throw away the Qur'an and Hadits from our life....
chika (not verified) — Mon, 06/16/2008 - 11:06am
The statement of Siti Musdah above which is said that people become homosexual are natural, that i am really not agree. People become homosexual are not natural (or created by God just like that!). Homosexual based on nurture, it's not nature.
I think that's wrong to consider that homosexual is created by God. People become homosexual because they'd had wrong sexual orientation, and that because they have had bad parenting style when they were kid. It's not just like that baby was born and then he/she likes the same sex. It's because their orientation, their judgment about what've they got from their parents treatment. However, maybe become homosexual is not that homosexual person fault, it's their parents fault. And their parents are humans. And so it means: That's not God fault, That's human fault! Don't blame God and try to defend ourself as a human with saying Homosexual is natural, bla, bla, dont! It's human own fault. Admit it!