Homosexuality In Muslim Culture

Homosexuality is a controversial issue in many religious traditions. In the early stages of coming out, rejection of religious tradition is common; but in later stages, when identity acceptance and pride are reached, the need to integrate one’s homosexual and religious identities can became paramount. Sexuality and spirituality are intricately linked. A positive appreciation of one’s sexual orientation is essential to spiritual and psychosocial development. Despite contemporary perceptions that homosexuality is a western phenomenon, same-sex dynamics of many varieties are an integral part of Islamic history and culture (Woodford, Michael R., N. Eugene Walls, and Denise L. Levy. 2012). Contemporary Muslim scholars contend that all humans are …show more content…
R. Simon Rosser, Jamie Feldman, and Christine Varga. 2005). This distinctive separation of the Muslim society complicates the views of the same Islamic culture. This culture includes their viewpoints on homosexuality and gay identity; coming out as gay, marriage expectations, impact on sister’s marriage potential, and physical damage. When talking about homosexuality and the gay identity, differences in culture determines how, to them, homo-sociality is constructed, expressed, and understood. When talking about the act of coming out as gay, Muslims coming from Muslim nations have a hard time comprehending why the western society has to put labels on everyone. The placement of a label on individuals that fall under outside of the general norm makes them more isolated and distance from society for something that god has given them. It is because of this labeling that the gender binary system is so harshly used to put people into groups to make them socially accepted (Omar Minwalla, B. R. Simon Rosser, Jamie Feldman, and Christine Varga. 2005). Why does even have to be the case? The western society has placed standards as to ones gender. They have stated that the point of life is to reproduce and continue life. This is done through heterosexual desire. Based on popular ideals of the western culture, this idea of homosexuality, is thus, and frowned upon. For this reason, eastern culture emphasizes these marriage expectations forcing many homosexuals into heterosexual marriages. Those not doing such denounce the family name, thus making it harder for the sister in the family to receive marriage proposal (Omar Minwalla, B. R. Simon Rosser, Jamie Feldman, and Christine Varga. 2005). This is because, in Muslim nations, arranged marriages are based upon