Iraqi cleric urges tolerance toward LGBT people

[Renaissance_Man]

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/homosexuality-lgbt-iraq-iran-muqtada-sadr.html

 

BAGHDAD – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has praised Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for publicly advocating a humanitarian stance toward the LGBT community, saying they should not be subjected to violence. Last month, Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said, “His statement represents an important change in the right direction and should be followed by concrete actions to protect LGBT people from violence.”

 

In a rare, unexpected statement on July 7 about the LGBT community, the leader of the Sadrist movement declared, “[You] must disassociate from them and provide them advice [but] not attack them.” His comment was in response to a letter by a Sadrist supporter who complained about men “acting like women” and “suspicious relations between people of the same gender,” referring to homosexual relationships.

HRW has documented “serious abuses” by various Iraqi groups, including Sadrists, against LGBT people, who have become a social community in the country. The human rights organization said, “We hope this [new stance by Sadr] will change behavior in successors to the Mahdi Army and other ranks and spur the government to hold accountable those who commit these crimes.”

The issue has grabbed the attention of Iraqi and Arab media. Sadr’s statement has generated controversy because it contrasts with the positions of other clerics and religious institutions, namely, other Shiite scholars in Iraq as well as in Iran. While clerics in both states preach that Islam forbids homosexuality, the difference lies in the way to address it.

Sheikh Hussein al-Hashan, a Lebanese Islamic scholar, said in a paper published in the electronic magazine Bayynat, “Forbidding homosexuality in Islamic law is unquestionable as stipulated in many Quranic verses.” Instead of dealing with homosexual behavior as a punishable offense, however, Hashan believes it should be approached as a treatable mental and physical issue. “Treating” people for homosexuality is a common perspective in Islam, but one challenged by the medical community, which considers sexuality an innate characteristic, not a condition in need of being “cured.”

In Iraq and Lebanon punishment for homosexuality is not stipulated by the law. The situation in Iran, however, is different. Iran's Sharia-based constitution holds homosexuality to be a crime punishable by death. Lesbians, however, can be punished with 100 lashes under Iranian law.

Commenting on the reasons behind the differing attitudes toward punishment between Iraq and Iran although both countries follow Twelver Shiism, Najaf Hussein al-Khoshaimi, a cleric and Islamic scholar, told Al-Monitor, “The judicial system in Iran is based on the velayet-e faqih [guardianship of jurists], by which Sharia is incorporated into the state. In [Iraq], however, the rules of Islam are separate from the democratic system.” In short, he explained, the two approach Shiite principles on the implementation of Islamic punishments from different perspectives. In Iraqi Shiite thought, Islamic punishments cannot be meted out until the 12th imam returns to create an Islamic state.

Although homosexuals in Iran face harsh conditions and punishment, the first supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, left a door open for transsexuals by issuing a fatwa in 1986 allowing sex reassignment surgeries. In fact, such procedures are subsidized by the state.

Ali Murad, a political analyst, told Al-Monitor, “Clerics in Iraq are the most prominent and influential players in opinion making, influencing and orienting opinions. They have the moral right to interfere in all of the state's affairs and the smallest details of the people’s social life.”

The political author and analyst Hamza Genahee agreed, telling Al-Monitor, “Clerics have a role in Iraqi political and social life.” He added, however, “The religious authority in Najaf only interferes to regulate social affairs, and many of its fatwas are mere responses and answers to the people’s questions.”

Religiosity is widespread in Iraq, which has contributed to a social culture that requires people to essentially abide by the teachings of Islam. Thus wearing the hijab, for example, has become widespread, and other signs of religious commitment are visible everywhere. This in part stems from the efforts of Islamic preachers.

Such influence is perhaps why in June the Najaf police reportedly arrested two gay men celebrating their informal marriage. The men defended themselves by pointing to an unidentified fatwa to claim that their marriage did not contradict Sharia.

Mithal al-Alusi of the Civil Democratic Alliance told Al-Monitor, “Muqtada al-Sadr's position is in line with the stance of most Iraqis rejecting all forms of violence, be it against homosexuals or others,” calling Sadr's position a “message of tolerance.” Hassan Kallabi, a social researcher and health worker at the Hamza al-Gharbi Hospital, in part views the situation similarly. According to him, “The majority in Iraq renounces homosexuality but does not support violence against homosexuals.”

 

 

 

[Tofe]

what !!!

[CreepingSharia]

good for him, another reason why i like shi'a school of thought

[Guest silasun]

Retarded and incompetent government.... ISIS.... bomb  lasts..... and now gay marriage?

Sorry Iraq, I ain't coming back any time soon.....

Btw dudes, you need to stop reading Al-Monitor. It's a load of garbage.

[Noah-]

Iraq has a secular government and everybody should respect the law. I don't know why these groups even try to judge ppl or even have their own trials for x-group or y-group... whatever the government reserved for such groups should implement and all citizens should respect.

Shia groups, including Sadr group should be supportive to the government in Baghdad and be friendly with instead of creating headaches and causing more challenges. Sunni Arabs, mainly former Baathist already doing that, to weaken the government and they tried many times in the past, including helping and organizing terrorist groups and finally empowering ISIS. All these useless protests and chanting slogans by Sadr and his supporters only cause division and problems for Iraqis, mainly Shia Iraqis... They cannot fight corruption or bring reform with such actions or try to own their owns of judging ppl on the street and implement their own group rules on the streets.

 

[Guest silasun]

1 minute ago, Noah- said:

Iraq has a secular government and everybody should respect the law. I don't know why these groups even try to judge ppl or even have their own trials for x-group or y-group... whatever the government reserved for such groups should implement and all citizens should respect.

Shia groups, including Sadr group should be supportive to the government in Baghdad and be friendly with instead of creating headaches and causing more challenges. Sunni Arabs, mainly former Baathist already doing that, to weaken the government and they tried many times in the past, including helping and organizing terrorist groups and finally empowering ISIS. All these useless protests and chanting slogans by Sadr and his supporters only cause division and problems for Iraqis, mainly Shia Iraqis... They cannot fight corruption or bring reform with such actions or try to own their owns of judging ppl on the street and implement their own group rules on the streets.

 

I know right, Iraq should just become the Middle East hub of gay nightclubs instead. It has a secular government after all....................

[Noah-]

10 minutes ago, silasun said:

I know right, Iraq should just become the Middle East hub of gay nightclubs instead. It has a secular government after all....................

Well, that is that. Can you implement Sharia?

Why you want to mix stuffs?

They call it a Shia government, but there you have no Islamic laws... Have you read Iraqi constitution?

And yes, it is a secular government, unless I am mistaken.

Lastly, you didn't get my point. I mean the government should DO THE JOB ... whatever it wants to do with such groups, not individuals, not groups, not independent organizations. Nobody wish for Iraq to become hub of gay nightclubs.

 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Noah-

[Sumerian]

He didn't say support them - all he said is that they shouldn't be attacked because that is the Law of the Land.

He said we should disaccociate from them which is correct. 

We have to realise Iraq is a secular country with some Islamic Laws. Unless Sharia is installed in Iraq - no one can really do anything about it.

[Mansur Bakhtiari]

Salam

Kitab al Kafi Volume 7 Chapter 21 Hadith 8

Imam Jafar Sadigh  (alaihe salam) is reported to have said "The penalty for the sodomist is the same for adultery."

Does this only apply to lesbians?

On 12/09/2016 at 11:34 AM, Renaissance_Man said:

Iraq and Lebanon punishment for homosexuality is not stipulated by the law. The situation in Iran, however, is different. Iran's Sharia-based constitution holds homosexuality to be a crime punishable by death. Lesbians, however, can be punished with 100 lashes under Iranian law.

 

[Sumerian]

On 19/11/2016 at 5:38 AM, Mansur Bakhtiari said:

Salam

Kitab al Kafi Volume 7 Chapter 21 Hadith 8

Imam Jafar Sadigh  (alaihe salam) is reported to have said "The penalty for the sodomist is the same for adultery."

Does this only apply to lesbians?

 

The ulama have differed where some have sad that the penetrator is only put to death if he is married. So they say he is to be lashed instead. 

Others have said that he is put to death whether he is married or not.

However there seems to be an agreement regarding the one who gets penetrated, that the penalty is death whether he is married or not.

Edited April 4, 2017 by E.L King

[DigitalUmmah]

I dont think vigilante killings or mob executions of anyone should be allowed just because the people being killed are LGBT. even in cases of murder there are legal routes like referring to local magistrates and so on in our fiqh. the impression I get from OP is that this is what Sadr is referring to.  

[Ali-F]

How can anyone say "what?!" and insinuate that it is okay to abuse the LGBT-community? Amazing. You don't even need a fatwa' to tell you that it is not allowed to abuse LGBT-members.