Defeating Homophobia Within Islam, Islamophobia Among LGBTs

 

We have recently come together with other associations to set up a new project in Paris. Our aim is to open the first « Inclusive Center » in Europe (which might even be a world first !). The center will stand for an inclusive and progressive place, not limited to a prayer and worship area. We will also provide for trainings, Arabic language lessons, seminars, HIV/AIDS prevention activities, friendly gatherings etc.

We have proposed the project for our Inclusive Center to quite a few institutions, some of them have shown sincere interest for it and are willing to help. The only thing left for us is to find the place where to settle the Center. Actually, we are also looking for premises for both HM2F and MPF associations. This is the kind of help we need, practical, material assistance. To find premises stands for one of our main difficulties since we face reluctancies within most spheres. Muslims tell us « oh no, you aren’t Muslims ! », progressives say « you’re far too Muslim ! » and some LGBTs would even call us « homophobes » !

 

(He laughs) It’s a « virus » indeed !  

 

HM2F once wished to become part of  the French Inter-LGBT but some of its members have openly argued  « you are Muslims, Muslims have a doublespeak and, as such, you cannot be trusted ». We also used to have our premises at Paris Inter-LGBT Center, but there we’ve been implicitly informed that we shall not mention too much about  Islam. As you may guess, it is quite tricky to make no mention of Islam when identifying and advocating as « gay Muslims » !

 

Having said that, it doesn’t make us proselytes. It is not about « Islam » that we want to talk, it is about Muslims, those are two very different things. Every single individual joining HM2F has his/her own personal history and background. All those individuals are very distinct from each other but they all share common needs : think upon discriminations, sufferings and – last but not least – break free from any form of dogmatism. These are the reasons why we’ve built such an association : combat homophobia within Islam, combat Islamophobia and racism among LGBTs.

 

 

Homonationalism is not exclusive to Northern Europe or Israel. It is clearly spreading worldwide. In France for instance, Inter-LGBT has recently hold a conference called « Fleeing Homophobia ». Such a conference had primarily occured in the Netherlands, one of the cradle of homonationalism in Europe. It’s not any coincidence.

 

These conferences are dedicated to issues faced by LGBT refugees that have « escaped » Muslim countries. Obviously, those problematics are of primary importance and making them known is essential. More troublesome is the way of doing so. Currently, victimisation of LGBT refugees is the prevalent prospect. Victimisation though – whatever the shape and no matter how benevolent intentions are – is always dangerous. The logic that stands behind leads to excluding people and breeding nationalism. This is not better than an explicit racist speech, it is even harder to dismantle.

 

In France, there is a growing number of such events with people coming from abroad to expose oppression they have suffered through religious dogma.  In people’s mind it fosters the amalgam : « refugees flee Muslim countries because these people are ‘barbarian’ ».

 

 

To make it short, it must be said that this term « homosexuality » has been invented at a time of growing categorization of individuals regarding their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and so on. At the time though, « homophobia » had not much to do with the Arabo-Islamic civilisation. It is in the West that people having same-sex relations were condemned and burned to death in public (1750s in France, 1830s in Great Britain for instance), whereas homoerotism was not a problem in the Ottoman Empire. Literature inherited from the Ottoman era, most likely poetry, is filled with homoerotic references. At the time, Westerns were calling « homosexuality » the « Turkish vice »!

 

As such, the situation was totally inverted – as if looked at through a mirror – from the one we face in contemporary society (where Western countries are, supposedly, a haven of peace for sexual minorities). Following colonization and decolonization periods, changes led to the situation we are now witnessing. That has nothing to do with Islam or « culture » ! At that time, Arabo-Muslim world felt threatened and responded by turning in on itself, promoting machism/virilism related values and targetting scapegoats. It is a common phenomenon to be understood through social psychology: whenever a group feels endangered it strengthens borders that seperate its members from the exogroup, scapegoating members of the endogroup (among which women or sexual minorities).

 

 

It has consequences of course, but none of which favoring LGBTs or equality of rights. It rather favors what Caroline Fourest calls « gay culture ». The problem regarding development of such a « culture » is that it welcomes this Arab who « excites » (by these words I am refering to Djalill Djellad’s book) but it rejects individuals wishing to claim their religious believes and to deal with the related specific LGBT issues. It conveys the idea that Islam and same-sex relationships are absolutetly incompatible and provides the entire community with a single identity. This is fascism.

 

Careful here, don’t misunderstand my words.  I am not calling LGBT community a fascist one! I just wish to highlight that LGBT dogmatics are as dangerous as religious dogmatics. Having said that, discriminations among LGBTs are not limited to targetting Muslim individuals and go far beyong the French or European borders. For two or three years, we have also witnessed this trend to political misuse from the side of Arabo-Muslim LGBTs, for anti-Sionist and Pan-Arabic purposes.

 

 

Of course they do! Everywhere mentalities are changing. Everywhere people start to understand that essentialism is nothing but politics. After years of hard work, we have pretty much expanded our network in France and Northern Africa, for instance. We have built parterships with some other associations and organisations (providing help for refugees is one of our joint actions), we take part in conferences abroad, we organise spiritual retreats in Fez (Morocco) etc.

 

In France, media organs have started to wonder about us and have developed some interest to understand and show how one could be gay and Muslim at a time! They were curious about this, it seemed a bit peculiar, groundbreaking !

 

Not so much. « Islamophobia », the word itself seems to be banned from terminologies in use among ministries.  No doubt that leftwing is way more receptive to LGBT issues than rightwing! However, Islamophobic racism remains anchored in society and it is clear that the socialist party remains a little queasy regarding Islam-related topics. Rightly or wrongly, our governing leaders are still reluctant to tackle head-on such issues for fear of upsetting their electorate.  

 

Not to generalize though, I must add that we have received more and more direct support from elected political figures. Things are changing.

 

 

My partner and I are already married. We have celebrated our civil union, a few years ago, in Northern Africa but this union had no value regarding French Law. This situation was really hard to stand because of visa issues implied for my husband (who is South African). The legal recognition of our marriage in France will stand for a new start, we’ll eventually have a chance to live as any married couple. We are so very happy !

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