ILGA-July06-Religions.pdf

Said and heard at

ILGA’s preconference on Religions

Islam and Homosexuality

by Imam Muhsin Hendricks, President

The Inner Circle – South Africa

Islam’s Shariah law is based on

Quranic text and the teachings and

actions of the Prophet Muhammad

(peace be upon him) collected in

books called Hadith. In both these

sources reference is made to the

story of Sodom and Gomorrah

which forms the basis for the law

and the blanket condemnation of

Homosexuality in Islam. The ana-

logical reasoning (qiyaas) and the

consensus of the scholars (ijma’)

are all based on the former two

texts and their own interpretation of

the text. What is required of con-

temporary Muslim scholars is to

revisit those texts and the context

in which it was revealed or written

and see how it relates to homosex-

uality in both Western and Eastern modern contexts

as well as contemporary Islamic contexts. This can

be done through the

process of independent

reasoning (Ijtihad)

which is an aspect of

Islamic thought and

legal reform that has

been effaced and long

forgotten.

Imam Muhsin Hendricks. Picture: Collectif Item. www.collectifitem.com

M ukhannathun fully represents modern g ay men, as

they were involved in practices not common to con-

temporary gay men. The

prophet went as far as prohibit-

ing some of them to work in the

women’s chambers of the

Muslim homes and banishing

some of them out of Medina.

These were all done on the

basis of their immoral and irre-

ligious actions, but never on the

basis of sexual orientation.

“The prophet Muhammad

(pbuh) never dealt with

homosexuality in a direct way.

Neither did he call for the

punishment or persecution of

homosexuals on the basis of

sexual orientation. ”

The prophet

Muhammad (pbuh)

never dealt with homo-

sexuality in a direct

way. Neither did he call

for the punishment or persecution of homosexuals

on the basis of sexual orientation. The prophet

Muhammad did deal with a group of effeminate men

in Medina called “Mukhannathun”. However, while

this group of Mukhannathun did possess qualities of

modern gay men, it cannot be said that the

This attitude towards the

“Mukhannathun” and other

effeminate men spilt over into

the Umayyad (661 – 750) and Abbasid (758-1258)

periods, for approximately 600 years after the demise

of the Prophet Muhammad. Hence we find a tolerant

attitude towards homosexuality in these periods.

Homosexual poetry like those written by the homo-

sexual Abu Nawas (813), flourished during this >

ILGA July 06 Campaigning N° 121

Said and heard at

ILGA’s preconference on Religions

Imam Muhsin Hendricks > period and in the

reign of the Caliph Haroon Ar-Rashid.

being shared with outsiders. This act of anal sex

without consent, a disgrace to a straight man, was

finally attested by God when He sent His two angels

disguised as young men to visit Lot as guests. When

the news reached the community, they rushed to

Lot’s house to demand the surrender of these men to

them. It was then when the angels revealed that by

morning Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed

and that Lot should prepare himself and his family

for the exodus before dawn.

Without the story of Sodom & Gomorrah, which is

believed to refer to “the evil homosexuality”, it would

be difficult for Muslims to formulate an opinion about

homosexuality. If it can be proven beyond doubt that

this story refers to male-to-male rape or anal sex

without consent, then the argument that homosexu-

als deserves the same punishment as that of Sodom

and Gomorrah, will fall flat on its face.

From the research information we have it is clear

that the nature of the sexual atrocity committed was

not one of mutual consent or homosexuality,

although the latter might have been practiced, but

rather an abuse of sexual power that could be

described as male-to-male rape.

The oft-repeated story in the

Quran about the angels appearing

as handsome young men to test

the people of Lot, is indicative of

the fact that the sexual interaction

was not of mutual consent, but of

rape.

In a Hadith by Abu Hurairah

recorded by Abu Dawood…..One

day a Mukannath, who was a

practicing Muslim but who was obviously dressed in

woman’s clothes and had henna paintings on his

hands, was brought to the Prophet and the compan-

ions asked the Prophet’s permission to kill him but

the Prophet refused saying: “I was forbidden to kill

those who pray”, instead he was banished to Al-

Naqi, a few miles outside Medina. Even after his ban-

ishment the Prophet allowed him to enter Medina

once a week for his personal needs. This Hadith

should be taken into consideration by those who feel

it justified to kill homosexuals or even transgender

persons.

In my research over the last eight years I have pieced

together the archeological findings of researchers

such as Ron Wyatt and the traditions of the Old and

New Testament to give us a clearer picture of the

social, political and religious

structure of Sodom and

Gomorrah. With this informa-

tion the story, as related in the

Quran became clearer.

“It is evident that the

inmates of Sodom and

Gomorrah were not

homosexuals as we

understand the

phenomenon today ”

It is evident that the inmates

of Sodom and Gomorrah were

not homosexuals as we

understand the phenomenon

today, but rather aristocratic

heterosexual men who had

similar sexual freedoms as heterosexual men in 5th

century Athens and 7th century Arabia; such free-

doms that served the selfish and power needs of the

patriarchy; freedoms that would allow them to have

sexual encounters with a wide spectrum of individu-

als from animals to the right of a man to rape a

woman, to the right of having sex with an under-aged

boy, while at the same time having contracted a mar-

riage with an aristocratic woman who could bear

legitimate children and protect the lineage.

It was within such freedoms that anal sex was prac-

ticed in Sodom and Gomorrah on men who were not

necessarily from the community, but were foreigners

and guests whom they were compelled to show hos-

pitality to by the law of Prophet Abraham. Initially

this act was to humiliate them, to show dominance

over them and to prevent them from re-entering their

cities which they felt had resources not worthy of

We also note in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,

which are regarded as the most authentic compila-

tions of the sayings and actions of the Prophet, do not

condemn this particular group of Khannaath at all.

The only reference made to same sex sexual

encounters is that of the People of Lot which we >

ILGA July 06 Campaigning N° 121

Said and heard at

ILGA’s preconference on Religions

Imam Muhsin Hendricks > now

know had to do with the grievous sin

of abusing sexual power and male-

to-male rape and not the condemna-

tion of a homosexual orientation and

identity which has been a natural

phenomena since time immemorial.

Dalai Lama Expresses Support for

LGBT Human Rights

Participants at the XXIII World Conference of the

International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)

Welcome Message of Support. By www.temenos.net

Dalai Lama Expresses Support for LGBT Human Rights

Participants at the XXIII World Conference of the International Lesbian

and Gay Association (ILGA) Welcome Message of Support

In conclusion I would call upon the

Muslim Theologians to review their

attitude towards this diversity within

humanity and amend Shariah laws

to include the protection and rights of

this diverse group of people.

Participants at the World Conference of the International Lesbian and

Gay Association received a special message of support from His

Holiness the Dalai Lama. The

statement expresses the Dalai

Lama's concern at "reports of

violence and discrimination

against gay, lesbian, bisexual

and transgender people" and

"urges respect, tolerance and

the full recognition of human

rights for all."

God says in the Quran:

49:13

O humankind! We have created you

out of the paring of a male and a

female, and have made you into

nations and tribes (Shu-ub also

means off-shoots, sects or divisions

and Qabeel also means different

kinds or species), so that you might

come to know one another. Verily, the

noblest of you in the sight of God is

the one who is most deeply con-

scious of God and who practice self-

restraint. Truly God is all-knowing,

all-aware.

"We are deeply grateful for the

support expressed by His

Holiness the Dalai Lama for

human rights based on sexual

orientation and gender identi-

ty", said Rosanna Flamer-

Caldera and Philip Braun, Co-

Secretaries-General of ILGA.

17:84

Say: “Everyone acts according to his

own “shakl” (disposition, specimen

or make-up or fashioning) and God

knows best who is guided along the

way. <

"In a world where the human

rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual

and transgender people are

regularly violated, His Holiness'

message of support is a bea-

con of hope and respect. We

urge other world religious

leaders to join with His

Holiness the Dalai Lama in

opposing violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and

gender identity, and demonstrate a similar commitment to respect for

the human rights." >

ILGA July 06 Campaigning N° 121

Said and heard at

ILGA’s preconference on Religions

> Dalai Lama The statement is welcome

news for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-

gender (LGBT) Buddhists in the United

States. It does not however, represent the

views of all Buddhists. Roger Corless, a

scholar of Buddhism and Professor of

Religion Emeritus at Duke University, stated

"I think it's important to understand that

whatever His Holiness the Dalai Lama has

to say carries great weight and is to be

treated with respect but it is not to be

understand as the exclusive Buddhist posi-

tion or necessarily reflect the belief of the

majority of Buddhists."

must adhere, Buddhism is more like a set of tools that can be

used and adapted over time in many different cultures and

communities. Embracing change is an essential aspect of

Buddhist thought." <

Statement From the Tibet Bureau,

Office of the Representative of H.H.

the Dalai Lama

Geneva, March 30th, 2006

"I am pleased to bring you greetings from His Holiness the

Dalai Lama on the occasion of the XXIII World Conference of

the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

Corless cites many Buddhist traditions,

including some that have been welcoming

to LGBT Buddhists for many years.

Buddhist texts do not specifically address

the matter of same-sex relationships, and

beliefs vary among the various schools and

sects.

His Holiness welcomes the special attention given at this

conference to religious tolerance and respect for diversity.

His Holiness is greatly concerned by reports of violence and

discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgen-

der people.

Tibetan Buddhism is the best known school

in the United States however, and the Dalai

Lama their best known leader. Tibetan

Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama to be the

present incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the

bodhisattva of compassion.

His Holiness opposes violence and discrimination based on

sexual orientation and gender identity and urges respect,

tolerance, and the full recognition of human rights for all.

Finally, he expresses his best wishes for a successful con-

ference.

The announcement from the Dalai Lama is

a departure from earlier statements. In a

1997 press conference the Dalia Lama stat-

ed “from a Buddhist point of view [lesbian

and gay sex] is generally considered sexual

misconduct.” This prompted a meeting with

representatives of the LGBT community, in

which the Dalai Lama is said to have

expressed an interest in the current

research and clinical understanding of sex-

ual orientation.

The Dalai Lama's position appears to have

changed and evolved over time, which

Corless states is an essential aspect of

Buddhism: "There is no single Buddhist

creed with a list of doctrines to which one

ILGA July 06 Campaigning N° 121

Said and heard at

ILGA’s preconference on Religions

On March 28, before the main ILGA conference, a pre-conference dealt with Religion and Sexual

Orientation and Gender Identity. “Religion pre-conferences have been held for a number of years

before ILGA World Conferences” says activist Douglas Sanders, “but Muslim participation has

never been as extensive as it was at the Geneva events”.

On April 1, the conference featured a plenary panel of LGBT Muslims, with speakers from Bosnia

Herzegovina, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Panelists described the

International Initiative for Queer Muslim Visibility begun in Bosnia, and Inner Circle, a national

umbrella organisation for LGBT Muslims now operating in South Africa. Participants later on

launched the following

Initiative for the Advocacy of Gender, Sexuality and Human

Rights in Muslim Communities

Geneva, 02 April 2006 - We, the undersigned participants of the 23rd ILGA World Conference in Geneva, have

had the opportunity to meet with each other to discuss issues related to Islam, gender, sexuality and human

rights in Muslim communities. As activists and scholars from a wide range of Muslim contexts, we have

shared different perspectives and strategies on our work. It is abundantly clear that there is a huge range of

diversity among different Muslim contexts – at the levels of experience, discourse and strategies.

This is made even more complex against a backdrop of:

- escalating hostility towards human rights in many Muslim contexts,

- escalating Islamophobia in a post-9/11 world,

- escalating religious fundamentalisms worldwide in general.

In this light, we would like to thank ILGA for providing us the platform and space to share these issues and

strategies together, and also to form these new and valuable networks with each other. In addition to this, we

have also been able to share the peculiarities and specific vulnerabilities that affect advocates of gender, sex-

uality and human rights in Muslim communities.

Out of these discussions, both during and outside formal sessions, we found that there are many unexplored

avenues for further cooperation and advancement of our work. It is also evident that in framing responses

and strategies, that the diversity among Muslim contexts, as well as the specific vulnerabilities of advocates

working in these contexts, are taken into consideration.

We feel that there are several important dimensions and strategies that need to be addressed and considered:

· We need to strengthen and expand the network of activists, scholars and stakeholders working in Muslim

contexts. This includes developing and exchanging research and scholarship on Islam, gender, sexuality and

human rights.

· We recommend that ILGA extend its support to this initiative in order to build capacities to respond to

issues of gender, sexuality and human rights in Muslim contexts. This can be achieved by facilitating the nec-

essary resources and platforms for mutual engagement to ensure that Muslim voices are fairly represented.

· It is imperative for ILGA to be mindful of the larger socio-political dynamics when responding to violations

of human rights of LGBTIQ persons in Muslim contexts.

This has been an empowering coming together of minds and experiences in the spirit of ijtihad, or employing

independent reasoning. Not only have we succeeded in forging a working relationship to take this work fur-

ther, but we have also formed close ties with each other. We are committed to taking this initiative further, and

trust that ILGA will support us.

ILGA July 06 Campaigning N° 121

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