From: ahmed-shakil@CS.YALE.EDU (Shakil Waiz Ahmed)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Re: Our attitude towards homosexuality
Date: 29 Jul 92 21:09:52 GMT
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science


In article <1992Jul29.195318.28398@udel.edu>, kazi@bugs.cis.udel.edu (Zunaid Kazi) writes:

> I hope this thread does not degenerate into another interminable
> religious flame-fest that topics like these are wont to. From the
> Islamic point of view, there are definite strictures against
> homosexuality. For believer's, I suppose, there cannot be any other
> perception than that of the immorality of homosexuality. 
> 
> Leaving religion aside,[I have done that in my life], my attitude 
> is based on the freedom of personal choice. Marriage, and concomitant
> sexual orientation [not attitudes], should be the sole preserve of 
> consenting ADULTS without prevailing social and religious mores weighing 
> down upon them. I haven't had the opportunity of meeting any gay or 
> lesbian persons, but I hope I will interact with them as I would with 
> any other so-called-normal-person-by-the-majority. I would prefer to 
> judge a person, [If I ever have the right to do so], solely on his merits
> as a good human being [my definition: Someone who, at the least, harms 
> no other, and at the best, is doing something beneficial for others.] 


I actually thought I might just be able to survive the whole summer
without getting drawn into another major scb-debate... :)  I guess
it's not going to happen, so here goes:

Your second paragraph on judging a person's merits and contributions
to mankind is well taken.  But I do believe it is an orthogonal issue
to the question of morality.  Islam condemns homosexual *acts* as
immoral.  In much the same way, adultry as well as premarital sex is
prohibited.  Hence, from the Islamic perspective, considering
homosexual *acts* as immoral is no less reasonable than considering
adultry unacceptable.

A lot of people will vehemently oppose any form of adultry as a
distinctly immoral, unacceptable act.  The implication is that people
should *refrain* from engaging in such acts.  But these same people
fail to see why expecting homosexuals to abstain from sexual acts is
not a significantly different issue.  Hence, if we accept
homosexuality and its practice as a freedom of personal choice with no
moral obligations, we should treat adultry in the same vein, right?

There is no provision in Islam for homosexual marriages.  In light of
your friend's comments on homosexual marriages defying evolutionary
goals, one could construct the argument that your definition of good
human beings may look somewhat shaky.  After all, could one not argue
that purposely engaging in acts that are evolutionarily
counter-productive may be construed as harmful to mankind?  I suppose
that would depend on whether you consider continuation of the human
race an important and "good" quest.

Essentially what I'm trying to say is that Islam has a clear position
on homosexuality, namely that homosexual *acts* are sinful.  You may,
of course, choose to distance yourself from that standpoint and
advocate the opposite.  But if you do, then you risk treading on
inconsistent ground unless you also advocate open marriages, adultry,
premarital sex, and whatever else may fall into that category.  If you
do support and believe in all the latter, then your point is well
taken, and I guess we just stand on two completely different sides of
the issue.


-- Shakil Ahmed
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