An interesting feature of the recent wave of Pro-Hamas protests sweeping the globe is the presence of a group calling itself ‘Queers for Palestine’. As Yoda might have said: ‘The cognitive dissonance is strong with this one’. The reality is that there is one place in the Middle East where gay people are free to be themselves, and it is most definitely on the other side of the fence. Gay people would have been totally safe at the Luna Festival in Southern Israel, until they were attacked (along with others) on the 7th of October. An attack carried out by people who hate them with every fibre in their beings.
Yet, it is HAMAS who is being celebrated! One must wonder at the depths of self-loathing and denial of reality that would make such an idea even remotely possible.
The brute fact is that, beyond HAMAS lies the teachings of Islam. Teachings that are not remotely as friendly towards ‘queers’ as they now seem to be towards it.
Homosexuality is seen not only as morally reprehensible by Islamic law, but as a very serious crime that should be severely punished. The four Sunni and the Shi'a legal schools differ in terms of the exact nature of this punishment, but none of them propose a tolerant ‘live and let live’ attitude. It is, in fact, difficult to see how devout Muslims could ever come to a place of acceptance and tolerance given the vigorously homophobic attitudes expressed in the Qur'an and hadiths. A representative sample of verses in which such attitudes are expressed will be presented below:
• If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (Qur'an 4:16)
• We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women : ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds. And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind. And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): Then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime! (Qur'an 7:80) This is one of four occasions in the Qur'an where the story of Lut (Lot) is recounted. Each time the sin of the people of Lot's city is identified as homosexuality, and each time we are reminded that Allah punished them for this homosexuality by raining fire and brimstone on their city, utterly destroying it.
• The Prophet cursed effeminate men, those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." The Prophet turned out such-and-such man, and 'Umar turned out such-and-such woman. (Sahih Bukhari 7:72:774)
• Narrated By Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done. (Abu Dawud 38:4447)
• Narrated By Abdullah ibn Abbas: If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death. (Abu Dawud 38:4448)
These Qur'anic verses and Hadiths go a long way to explain why it is incredibly difficult to be a homosexual person in an Islamic society, including in Gaza. Gay people must live in an environment where their actions are not only viewed as morally wrong but where simply being who they are can be regarded as a serious crime, often attracting the full force of the law.
Those on the political left have long been acting as if support for LGBT rights and cheerleading for Islam are totally compatible activities. "‘Gays for Palestine” may have done us all a service in exposing the fallaciousness of this position. However, a serious debate can only occur if we constantly point to the root cause.
In a word, it is Islam.
For an in-depth investigation of the truth-claims of Islam, please see my book ‘Questioning Islam - Tough Questions and Honest Answers About the Muslim Religion’
Kind regards,
Peter
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