Homophobia controversy
The proposal to bar entrance of homosexuals to Gulf Cooperation Council states sparked controversy regarding the countries' right to take this step. Despite many studies and statistics that indicate that homosexuality is spreading in GCC countries, dealing with this phenomenon often comes from a passive, extremist and impulsive standpoint.
Homophobia refers to unjustified fear from or hatred toward homosexuals. It describes a sentiment that rejects every person with different sexual orientations. Several antigay societies worked to fight homosexuality on the basis that it is 'wrong', 'unnatural' and 'against human instinct'.
On the other hand, scientists discovered that some kinds of homosexual relationships exist within animal communities including monkeys. While international organizations, human rights societies, and some personal status laws reject bias on the basis of sexual orientation, many reject homosexual relationships based on religious contexts that prohibit and criminalize same-sex relationships.
The old rhetoric used to reject homosexual relationships has become unsuitable in a world swept entirely by a revolution for freedoms. It is a true revolution that has already made its way into the Arab and Muslim worlds. The freedom space has became very open today and in a way that veterans who insist on legislating unenforceable laws might not be aware of. The open space of freedom today includes freedom of expression, ideology, belief, as well as religious and political freedom.
In the meantime, many insist to include sexual orientation as an element of personal freedom. The plan to test foreigners for sexual orientation in order to ban entrance of homosexuals into GCC states is silly not only because it goes against the global freedoms revolution, but also because it lacks possible mechanisms that can make this project applicable.
Will Gulf states use the help of technical staff, specialists and doctors in order to apply this idea? And can the idea sustain if it is applied? Freedoms in general remain a thorny and sensitive subject in the Arab and Muslim worlds due to it being closely related to religious references.
Here lies the difficulty in discussing an issue like homosexuality which was addressed in the story of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, yet Islam does not mention specific punishment for gay people the same way it does for fornicators for example.
GCC countries' representatives plan to discuss the project during a meeting in Oman on Nov 11. There is no doubt that this is going to be a tough mission, in terms of discussing, approving or enforcing the project.
Meanwhile, the entire world – not only Amnesty International – will be waiting to see the outcome of this meeting which goes against the freedom revolution and essence of the modern area. — Al-Qabas
By Suad Al-Mojel
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