This article was sent to me via e-mail and I enjoyed reading it as it really hits important points. I think that as the gay community is often bullied by religious fundamentalism, it tends to react by bulling back. I think that we could (as Tariq mentioned) live harmoniously with religious people, it is just easier said than done. What is also important here is the context because Europe, America, the gay community and others, cannot expect people to change their religious beliefs, but people should respect ”others” as people regardless of belief or “lifestyle”.

Tariq Ramadan: Islam and Homosexuality

 

All the worlds’ major religions and spiritual traditions—from the majority view in Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism to Christianity and Islam—condemn and forbid homosexuality. The great majority of rabbis hold the same position, as do the Pope and the Dalaï Lama, notes Tariq Ramadan.

 

Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology, Oxford University. He is also president of the think tank European Muslim Network in Brussels. This article appeared in his website TariqRamadan.com.

 

Middle East Online    First Published 2009-07-29

The Islamic position on homosexuality has become one of the most sensitive issues facing Muslims living in the West, particularly in Europe. It is being held up as the key to any eventual “integration” of Muslims into Western culture, as if European culture and values could be reduced to the simple fact of accepting homosexuality. The contours of this de facto European culture is in a state of constant flux, shifting according to the topic of the day. Just as some insist, as do the Pope and certain intellectuals—often dogmatic and exclusivist defenders of the Enlightenment—that Europe’s roots are Greek and Christian (thus excluding Muslims), so several homosexual spokesman and the politicians who support them are now declaring (with an identical rejection of Muslims) that the “integration of Muslims” depends on their acceptance of homosexuality. The contradiction is a serious one: does Christianity, which forms the root structure of European culture, and which purports to embody European values and identity, not condemn homosexuality? A curious marriage. Unless the contradiction is intended to stigmatize Islam and Muslims by presenting them as “the Other”… without fear of self-contradiction.

 

We must reiterate, as does Isabelle Levy in “Soins et croyances” [1] that all the worlds’ major religions and spiritual traditions—from the majority view in Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism to Christianity and Islam—condemn and forbid homosexuality. The great majority of rabbis hold the same position, as do the Pope and the Dalaï Lama, who condemns homosexuality. For these traditions, as for Freud (who speaks of “perversion”), homosexuality is considered to be “against nature,” an “expression of disequilibrium” in the growth of a person. The moral condemnation of homosexuality remains the majority opinion of all religions, and Islam is no exception. It would be senseless to wish to deny the facts, to contradict the textual sources and to force believers to perform intellectual contortions so that they can prove they are in tune with the times.

 

But the question is not whether one agrees with the religious texts, the beliefs and the convictions espoused by individuals. It is to determe what is appropriate behavior in the societies in which we live together. For more than twenty years I have been insisting—and drawing sharp criticism from some Muslim groups—that homosexuality is forbidden in Islam, but that we must avoid condemning or rejecting individuals. It is quite possible to disagree with a person’s behavior (public or private), while respecting that person as an individual. This I have continued to affirm, and gone further still: a person who pronounces the attestation of Islamic faith becomes a Muslim; if that person engages in homosexual practices, no one has the right to drive him or her out of Islam. Behavior considered reprehensible under the rules of morality cannot justify excommunication. There is no ambiguity, and ample clarity: European Muslims have the right to express their convictions while at the same time respecting the humanity and rights of individuals. If we are to be consistent, we must respect this attitude of faith and openness.

 

Today we are witnessing an upsurge of unhealthy, ideology-driven movements. To affirm one’s convictions and respect others is no longer sufficient. Muslims are now being called upon to condemn the Qur’an, and to accept and promote homosexuality to gain entry into the modern world. Not only is such an attitude doomed to fail (the majority trends in both traditional and reformist Islam, as in other religions, will never waver on this question) but it also reveals a new dogmatism—and a whiff of colonialism, not to mention xenophobia—at the heart of so-called modern, progressive thought. Certain prominent intellectuals and lobbies have ordained a new form of political correctness; they would like to force everyone to be “open” or “liberal” in the same way. At first glance, this open, liberal thought would seem to warrant respect; but it reveals a troubling tendency to impose its own dogmas, leaving little or no room for the convictions of traditional philosophical, spiritual or religious world-views. Betraying the ultimate goal of modernity, which should help us manage freedom and diversity, we are now told that there is only one way to be free and modern. Both dogmatic and dogmatizing, this trend, in the name of liberal thought, is a dangerous one, and should alarm all women and all men, whether atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians or Muslims. It strikes at the very heart of our freedom of thought, of the most intimate aspects of our lives, of the ways we strive for social and intellectual emancipation.

 

Let us not delude ourselves. These developments, along with recent tensions surrounding the return of religion, its accompanying fears, and the social visibility of homosexual “believers” is directly related to the presence and new-found visibility of Muslims in our Western societies. We, as societies, can choose to exacerbate these sensitive issues and to exploit the natural stresses created by the arrival of new immigrants to demonstrate the impossibility of integrating Muslims, and the danger they are said to represent. There are political parties that may win elections by playing on these themes. The long term outcome will be to exacerbate social divisions, and will ultimately prove counterproductive. Social cohesion will become impossible, and daily life will be undermined by mistrust and insecurity. It is time to stop playing this harmful game, and return to a more just and reasonable approach.

 

The good news comes from the younger generation: cultures and religions cannot stop them from getting to know one another, from living together, and from sharing both spaces and hopes. They are the future; there can be no doubt that they will leave our past fears far behind.

 

Source: http://rain.org.za/tariq-ramadan-islam-and-homosexuality/

I fell in love with this poem when I was a kid. I thought wow, what a way to live your life. I have it in my room. Emerson succeeded in his life as we are still reading his poem and it is still influencing the way we (at least some of us) see the world. I just wanted to share it with you.

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

The process of colonization is really multifaceted and has a profound psychological effect on the natives. Fanon (2004:2) theorizes that the colonization process is a violent one and so is the decolonization period. This is evident in South Africa because as soon as the settler arrives there ware a series of wars and mostly about land and live stock. Fanon (2004:3) further explains that the colonized world is divided into two sections and law enforcements are the keepers of the dividing line. Fanon uses the “compartmentalized world” of South Africa as an example as natives exist in their own towns and the Europeans also have separate lives. During the process of decolonization in South Africa, especially after the release of Nelson Mandela, there were endless “peaceful transition” negotiations. This is would have angered Fanon immensely had he been alive. Fanon (2004:8) critics the inferiority complex adopted by the natives because as soon as the natives pose a threat to colonial rule, they are reminded by their colonizers about “Western values”. The colonized is then called upon to be “reasonable” in the decolonization process says Fanon (2004:8). The result is African countries like South Africa begin adopting systems of governance that mimic that of the West because they don’t trust their own systems. The international community also plays a role in terms of coercion and uses “aid” as a threat if Western like systems are not adopted.

The psychological impact of colonization can not be underestimated; it was fabricated as an inevitable consequence that would eventually save the savage native from himself. Fanon (2004:149) affirms that colonization was to remind the indigenous people of their darkness and that if the “colonist were to leave they would regress into barbarism, degradation and bestiality”. For colonizers Africa was nothing but a continent of savages, with no separation of particular countries, the whole continent is just seen a place of darkness writes Fanon (2002:150). This becomes the same view the native intellectual adopts in his decolonization strategies, in that he never fights colonizers under specific country or ethnicity but as an “African”. This is true of the present day discourse in Africa and the world. Fanon (2004: 150) argues “when the black man, who has never felt as much a ‘negro’ as he has under white domination, decides to prove his culture and act as a cultivated person, he realizes that history imposes on him a terrain already mapped out, that history sets him along a very precise path and that he is expected to demonstrate that existence of a ‘negro’ culture”. This depicts the convoluted predicament that the native finds himself, especially the intellectual native. Natives have a need to rehabilitate themselves to shed colonialism; this becomes a near impossible challenge as they only know their native status through the interaction with colonizers.

Quotations taken from : The Wretched of the Earth (2004) by Franz Fannon

I can’t believe it’s been a year and four months since I started my masters program. Today is the last day of school and I have just submitted a Sociology of Religion paper and yesterday I defended my thesis proposal. I am doing a comparative study of the development of the GLBT movement in South Africa and the United States. The proposition 8 debate in the 2008 elections is what triggered my focus. I thought is was interesting that a “third world” nation like South Africa would adopt a gay marriage bill before (arguably) the world’s most progressive country, the United States. GLBT activism in South Africa really becomes a force in the early 1990’s and that time GLBT politics in America were already established as they began with the Stonewall riots in 1969.  GLBT politics in America really shaped the politics of other countries in the world including South Africa, but it is America that ultimately struggles with legalizing same-sex marriage. Obviously there are different social forces at play in both nations and these social forces are what I will be unpacking. I think it’s going to be an interesting study. I have a lot of work ahead for me, but I am looking forward to it.

This is a letter I wrote to a South African newspaper after I received sweet “Thank you” notes from students from a class I had presented to about South Africa. It was really a neat experience and I felt like sharing it with the whole world. So read and enjoy.

 

Dear Editor,

 

I am a South African from KwaZakhele doing a master’s program at St Cloud State University in Minnesota in the United States. I am 23 years of age and I have been here for about a year and three months now.  I was asked to share my experiences of growing up in South Africa by a professor in two of her classes. I was also asked to share a little of history and culture of our beautiful nation. I went to speak to the classes about South Africa. It was really a great experience sharing a bit of myself with people who might not really understand what “Africa” much less South Africa is about. Weeks after the presentation the professor asked for my address to send me something. What I received was Thank You notes from the students I spoke with. They all had taken so much from the little presentation I gave about South Africa and they told me about the uniqueness of our nation. The students were re-telling me of all the things that make them want to visit South Africa. The students took particular interest with South Africa’s inclusive constitution, our three capitals, being known as the rainbow nation, the eleven official languages, same-sex marriage and host of other uniquely South African qualities. I was touched and so humbled by these Thank You notes. These students see a South Africa that even we South Africans sometimes forget (especially us abroad). We forget that South Africa is a place of hope, beauty and humility. A nation born of struggle and came through victoriously. Yes, we have a troubled not so distant past, but we are trying to look beyond that. We are trying to heal and move forward. As we move closer to the first year anniversary of the xenophobic attacks that took place in our beautiful land in May 2008. Let us think of the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters from the neighboring African states. Lets us remember the wise words Nelson Mandela shared with us in 1994 that “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world”. We all have our role to play, no matter how small, to create a country we can all be proud of. How I love you South Africa.

 

St Cloud, MN, United States of America

Lwando Scott

 

ps. The letter was published in The Herald on May 8th 2009. Here is a link http://www.epherald.co.za/opinion/letters/article.aspx?id=418417 .

“Dear Adam and Tony, I am 65, hot and used to be up for a party. But it all seems gone now. When the time comes to go out in the evening, I find myself thinking it would be better just to go to bed. I can go out in my van and score, but it’s cheap and shallow, and most of the time I find it boring. I am fit and still hot enough to score, so I’m told, but it’s all just such a bother. I would rather read some hot stories, get off a couple of times and hit the old waterbed. What to do? Dave”

I found the above letter on Gay.com at http://lifestyle.gay.com/2009/04/age-sex-older-score-old-fantasy.html . This was addressed to life coaches to help this 65 year old man about his issues. There are many responses to his letter. Some positive, some down right mean. Ageing is such a touchy subject and being gay makes it even more complex. I often wonder where I will be at 65. Who will I be with? Will I have kids? What would I have achieved? Will I be satisfied with the outcome of my life? I guess stories like these make you understand that we are not going to be “young” forever. There really is no room for  woulda, shoulda, coulda. We need to create our own destiny’s. With all that said, we cannot avoid the social pressures and structures that guide our decisions in everyday life because they eventually shape the outcome of our lives.

I am seating in my office and I am trying to write a paper on Christian missionaries that converted South Africans. I am also listening to Westlife on youtube. I am so taken by these beautiful love songs with beautiful lyrics sung by these Irish lads. In the past week, my mind has been pre-occupied with my “dream wedding”. I once thought I would never want it. I really want it now. And these songs that I am listening to are not seperate from these marriage thoughts.

The state of Iowa and Vermont recently approved gay marriage in both those states, and I think the uephoria around marriage is really exciting me. I feel so silly, but I have been selecting songs that I would play at my wedding and I have already narrowed it down to about 20 (rough estimate).

This talk about marriage, the love songs and their lyrics speaks of my longing to be in love. To have someone to share my life with. Someone to slow dance with. Someone to go with me to the movies. Someone to fight over the remote with. Someone I can make coffee in the morning. Someone who can order me my Jimmy Jon’s sandwich in my absence and get it right with all my modifications. I am enjoying my single life,  it’s just that I listen to songs like these  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjFfAxw5VRQ&NR=1  once in a while (well for a week now) and they get me thinking about my love life and how I want it to look like.  Here are the lyrics to the first stanza of “The Rose”! Tell me this doesn’t move you?

Some say love it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love it is a flower
And you, it’s only seed

I never used to have conversations about the weather with people until I came to Minnesota. I am South African and I am used to the South African sun even during winter months. It gets cold in South Africa but in the coastal cities where I lived it never really goes below 10 degrees Celsius. Now Minnesota (MN)  where I am currently living is a different story. During winter especially during January it goes way below zero. It gets so cold that you can only be outside for a couple of seconds.

In the winter it snows, heavily. The roads have to be plowed (scrape off the snow from the roads) by big plowing trucks. The snow is placed on the side of the road and some piles are taken away by big trucks and dumped somewhere. So during winter there are mountains of snow erected all round. The ground is covered with ice. The ice gets slippery at times and you will fall. It is colder than your average freezer in this place.

You cannot wear simple shoes in MN you have to wear shoes that are made for this weather. My regular chuck tailors (All Star) are no match for this kind of weather. Your toes will freeze off. You have to wear layer upon layer upon layer of clothing. Jeans alone won’t cut it. You have to wear long underwear (long Jon’s) to keep from freezing. When going somewhere on campus, you literally run from building to building to be outside as little as possible.In the city of Minneapolis the buildings downtown are all connected by sky ways so that you don’t have to walk outside.

Going out and shopping is a nightmare. You want to go out, but you can’t dress to impress because you are trying to be warm, and yes people brave the cold sometimes. You protect yourself by wearing lots and lots of clothes and then when you get where you are going you start to feel hot because the heaters are on and you are inside. You even start to sweat. You are constantly takg your clothes on and off. It irritates me the most when I go shopping for clothes, I spend so much time in the fitting room taking off my clothes to try a t-shirt and then putting my clothes on again. By the time I get to the next shop I don’t want to try anything  because it’s such a hassle.

When you are outside, you can’t breath as the cold air feels like it’s strangling you. The hair inside your nose starts to freeze.  You then start breathing through your mouth and your teeth start to hurt. There is just no winning with this weather. Everybody is always wearing over-sized clothing, and people are also very crabby. And everybody is always complaining about the cold weather. Some people say they are used to it, some people say they will never get used to it. I am sorry, I could never get used to this.

To tick  me off even more, when I went to the mall the other day. The stores have their “spring” collections out. There are swimming costumes everywhere, brights colored t-shirts and shorts. It’s 20 below outside and this is what you see at the shop. I can’t even thing spring right now, I am freezing! You really think I am going to buy a two piece bikini. I still want to buy some gloves and ear muffs, NOT a speedo.

As a South African I really had no concept of what winter was in MN. I mean, I have seen the snow on TV and I have seen people get cold, but it’s nothing like TV. It’s brutal. I think until you live in this weather, you really won’t have a sense of what it means to be cold.