The Straight Struggle

Identifying a "Homosexual"
Philosophical Perspectives on Language and Science
Mujahid Mustaqim

How often do we hear people say, "So-and-So is a homosexual", or "She's a bisexual" or simply "I'm a heterosexual"? People use these terms without realising the problems with the words and the concepts behind them. When Muslims use them, they are falling for a clever trick: to use the terminology created by people who reject Islamic philosophy. Islam is not just a list of dogmas and rules. It is also a philosophy: an outlook on life, the world and the purpose of existence.

THE POWER OF LANGUAGE!

One field in which Muslims really must wisen up is the Politics of Language. By creating words within their own framework of thought, critics of Islam and enemies of Muslims can put us in awkward positions. By way of illustration, these are some questions that are often asked in one form or another:

"Do you condone terrorism?"
"Are you a fundamentalist?"
"Should Muslims integrate into Western society?"
"Do you believe in modernising Islam?"

To all of these questions, a simple YES-or-NO answer is likely to allow the questioner to keep whatever misconceptions he already had or chooses to have. His definition of "terrorism" might include some struggles you hold to be legitimate struggles for freedom. While you might believe in sticking to the basics of your faith, to him a "fundamentalist" might mean a rigid rejector of reason. Whereas you encourage adoption of acceptable Western norms, the questioner might use "integration" as a synonym for "assimilation". Lastly, his definition of "modernising" Islam might be to forget its true sources and follow the popular whims of the day, rather than applying its eternal principles to modern situations with proper knowledge of both aspects.

Faced by such questions, the best strategy for a representative of Islam is to present what Islam says about the issue, in its own words. He or she must not feel obliged to answer the question directly, especially if it is loaded to the hilt with un-Islamic assumptions. When looking for what Islam says, the answer might be clear from the Qur'an and Sunnah, but often qualified scholars will be required to derive the usool al-fiqh: the principles by which Islam is understood.

To illustrate using our above examples, we should look, respectively at what Islam says about justice, jihaad and the limits and conditions of war; what Islam says about Divine revelation and its relevance and application; what Islam says about interaction with non-Muslims, especially in minority situation; and what Islam says about its flexibility and boundaries.

OBSERVATIONS DEPEND ON THEORIES HELD

A common understanding of how we formulate theories and beliefs is that we make observations, and then draw conclusions from them. However, the case is not as simple as that! With a little thought, it is clear that forming any statement of observation (e.g. "I saw a woman.") will involve the ideas and assumptions already held by the observer.

How is this relevant to "homosexuality"? One of the categories of the theory-ladenness (or theory-dependence) of observation is meaning dependence. To say that a particular word in a statement is meaning dependent on a theory is to say that it is that theory that gives the word its meaning.

Whenever someone utters the statement "I am a homosexual", they are making an observation statement. The same applies when they are talking about someone else, or when they use similar loaded terms like "bisexual", "lesbian" or "queer". What they might not realise is that for anyone to agree with their statement, they must agree with the theory. Additionally, for the statement to be correct, the theory must be correct too!

SO WHAT IS THIS HIDDEN THEORY?

In order to understand what people mean when they say "homosexual"/"gay" and related words, we must look beyond to the assumptions held by the user of the word. I call this philosophy "orientationism".

Orientationism classifies people according to "sexual orientations". Most are heterosexual, but some are homosexual or bisexual. Homosexuality is characterised by having a stronger attraction to members of the same sex rather than the opposite. Bisexuality is characterised by equal, or near-equal, attraction to both sexes.

A person's "orientation" is considered to be a basic feature of who they are. Most orientationist thinkers believe that orientation is determined from the time of birth (i.e. it is a genetic trait). Most reject the idea that orientation can be changed through effort.

Does this seem simple? Does it all sound obvious? Does it sound acceptable? Most people nowadays accept all this as obvious truth - but orientationism is not an Islamic viewpoint! It is one way of explaining the facts on which we agree, but it is not the only way. Remember that Islam is its own philosophy, so a Muslim derives his understanding of the world from the authentic sources.

Therefore, like we should do on being asked about "terrorism", "fundamentalism", "integration" and "modernisation", our best strategy in tackling questions on "homosexuality" is to reject the loaded terminology and look instead at what Islam says.

ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY

It is inaccurate to say that "Islam forbids homosexuality" because Islam does not recognise that concept, belonging as it does to an alien philosophy. Instead, there are at least three main concepts related to "homosexuality" that we can evaluate in the light of the Shari'ah (Islamic law based on the Qur'an and Sunnah):

1.  Sexual attraction to members of the same sex.
2.  Sodomy and other sexual acts between members of the same sex.
3.  Gender-blurring lifestyles, e.g. effeminate men.

Therefore, we should discuss whether a person is held accountable for the attractions they are faced with, and if so, which attractions are acceptable. We should discuss whether sexually-charged acts, such as passionate kissing or anal intercourse, are permissible between members of the same sex. We should discuss how a man should behave and how a woman should behave, for example in dress. There are also related issues that could be addressed.

Orientationism is a categorisation of people according to the feelings they hold. Muslims, on the other hand, believe that feelings themselves have no bearing on one's destiny - it is only the submission to, or suppression of, these urges and desires that makes someone what they are. In other words, what you feel tempted to do - whether it is to steal something, hurt someone, or be with someone of either sex - does not define who you are!

I call on Muslims to reject the false, orientationist terminology that has become entrenched into society via the media and campaigning on the part of special-interest groups. Never identify someone as "homosexual"/"bisexual" etc., but say what you mean. Evaluate every idea in the light of Islam, not by the twisted agenda of campaigners who wish perversion to become accepted, or even the norm. It is time to reclaim our own way of thinking, following the guidance of Allah.