Two Extreme Positions – A Gender Studies Approach to Homosexuality in Islam

Abstract: In this thesis I compare two anti-gay fatwas by the Muslim scholar Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid with the book Homosexuality in Islam by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, who is a professor at Emory University. The aim is to analyze how al-Munajjid and Kugle use the story of Lot in order to unpack and present two divergent readings of homosexuality. This thesis offers a comparative analysis between these two extreme positions, through a gender analysis perspective. It considers the Muslim communities as largely patriarchal societies which extol hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987). The results showcase that considerable groups of heteronormative Muslims are more concerned with maintaining a status quo which favours their privileged and dominant position in society, even through murderous means, rather than attempting to truly decipher what the sacred scriptures meant in their whole given context. Furthermore, they often do not even listen nor acknowledge perspectives other than their own. This is oppressive for both women and gender nonconforming men (homosexuals) leading to the latter being forced to abandon the Muslim heartlands to avoid punishment and persecution.