Sexuality in Islamic Societies

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Sexuality in Islamic Societies

• From Advancing Sexuality Studies a short course
  on sexuality theory and research methodologies

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Schedule
Learning Activity Time allowed
Course introduction, schedule, aims 20 mins
Session 1. Challenging stereotypes Quiz and discussion 75 mins
Session 2. The social regulation of sexuality in Islamic societies Pre-reading review Lecture and discussions 35 mins 190 mins
Session 3. Engaging in research and debate on sexuality within Islamic societies Optional activities. Participants will choose to either Run panel discussions on selected topics or Develop guidelines for ethical research within Islamic communities 65 mins
Conclusion 15 mins
Total time 400 mins ( just over 6.5 hours) Total time 400 mins ( just over 6.5 hours)
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Module aims

• To
• Encourage students to challenge popular myths and
  negative attitudes towards sexuality in Islamic
  societies
• Provide an overview of the social regulation of
  sexuality in Islamic societies
• Take into account historical, cultural and
  textual influences

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Participants will

• Engage with a range of issues that feature in
  contemporary debates on Islam and sexuality
• Undertake cross-cultural comparisons in relation
  to these issues and develop their critical
  thinking skills in relation to this topic
• Engage in active learning through participation
  in module activities

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Module scope

• This module
• Does not focus on Islamic jurisprudence
• Does not take a legalistic approach
• Does not support purely textual approaches to
  understanding Islam that posit that religion
  should be interpreted in an ahistorical manner
• Such approaches require a significant amount of
  expert knowledge of the Quran, hadith and Arabic

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• This module will focus on topics related to
  sexuality and Islam that engage with five key
  human rights issues
• Female veiling and Islam
• Polygamy in Islamic societies
• Sex education for Muslim youth
• Homosexuality and Islam
• Female circumcision and Islam

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Session 1.Challenging stereotypes
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Quiz

• Do you agree or disagree with the following
  statements?
• Female circumcision is a religious requirement
  for Muslim women
• A person cannot be both Muslim and homosexual
• The veiling of Muslim women amounts to sexual
  oppression
• Because Muslims are required to abstain from sex
  before marriage, sex education is irrelevant and
  dangerous for Muslim youth
• Muslim women have no choice but to accept
  polygamy if their husbands wish is to have
  multiple wives
• cont.

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Quiz (cont.)

• 6. Human sexual relations are viewed as innately
  sinful in the Quran
• 7. The sexual defamation of women and the making
  of unfounded accusations that illicit sex (zina)
  has occurred constitute crimes under Islamic law
• 8. Illicit sex (zina) is only a crime for women
  under Islamic law
• 9. The sexual oppression of Muslim women stems
  from the poor treatment by the Prophet Mohammed
  of his wives
• 10. The hadith (utterances of the Prophet) are
  not open to interpretation in relation to matters
  of gender and sexuality

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Responses

• Female circumcision
• Cultural practice, not religious requirement
• Fewer Islamic cultures practise this than do not
  practise it
• A person cannot be both Muslim and homosexual
• No reference in the Quran or hadith saying that
  homosexuality is impossible for Muslims
• Numerous rich traditions of homosexuality and
  transgender identities in multiple Islamic
  societies
• The veiling of Muslim women amounts to sexual
  oppression
• Important right for Muslim women to choose (many
  Muslim women value their head dress for reasons
  of religious practice and identity)

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• Sex education
• Access to sex education both delays the age of
  sexual initiation and reduces the incidence of
  unwanted premarital sex (WHO, 1997)
• Sex education for Muslim (all) youth prevents
  them from having sex prior to marriage without
  adequate knowledge
• Polygamy
• Muslim men are not allowed to take more than one
  wife if the first or subsequent wives do not
  consent to the proposed marriage
• A man may not take an additional wife if he is
  unable to support all wives equally in terms of
  both economic emotional and social requirements
• Human sexual relations
• Innately positive and sacred not seen as
  original sin

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• Sexual defamation and unfounded accusations
• Punishment for unfounded, defamatory sexual
  gossip should be greater than that set out for
  sexual indiscretions
• Illicit sex (zina)
• Of equal significance for women and men
• Often only women who are punished in highly
  conservative regimes that do not follow the
  Quranic principles of gender equality and
  non-violence
• The Prophet and his wives
• Deep commitment to womens rights and improving
  their status
• Interpretation of hadith (utterances of the
  Prophet)
• Long and rich tradition of interpeting hadith
  related to gender and sexuality
• Among the most highly contested fields of study

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Session 2.The social regulation of sexuality in
Islamic societies
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Pre-reading review

• Bennett, L. R. 2005. Islam as a medium for
  promoting reproductive rights, in Women, Islam
  and Modernity Single Women, Sexuality and
  Reproductive Health in Contemporary Indonesia.
  London/New York Routledge/Curzon, Chapter 6
  pages 145-150
• Boellstorff, T. 2005 Between Religion and
  Desire being Muslim and Gay in Indonesia,
  American Anthropologist, 107 (4), 575-585
• Othman, N. 2000 Sexuality and gender rights A
  sociological perspective, in Z. Anwar and R.
  Abdullah eds. Islam, Reproductive Health and
  Womens Rights. Kuala Lumpur Sisters in Islam,
  77-105 (read only pages 86-105)
• Focus question
• How is the social regulation of sexuality
  apparent in the pre-readings for this module?
  (15 mins)
• Feedback and wrap-up
  (20 mins)

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Question and answer session

• What do we mean by sexuality?
• Biological sex and behaviour, beliefs, values and
  norms
• Incorporates sexual desire, knowledge, techniques
  and experience, identities and orientation
• Sexuality and gender distinct, not synonymous
• What do we mean by the social regulation of
  sexuality?
• Every society (Muslim or non-Muslim) regulates
  sexuality
• Age of consent, certain sexual practices illegal
  (e.g. sex between siblings)

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• How is sexuality conceptualised in Islamic
  societies?
• No one set of sexual ideals and beliefs, but
  common or popular ways of understanding sexuality
• Sex positive approach (enjoyment of sex not
  inherently sinful)
• Sensual modesty (Bennett, 2005)
• Double theory of female sexuality explicit /
  implicit (Mernissi 1985)
• Explicit passivity, female sexual subjugation
  to men
• Implicit active and dangerous, has to be
  restrained
• Can lead to control under the guise of
  protection
• Heterosexuality viewed as natural

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• Where do the varied understandings of sexuality
  in Islamic societies stem from?
• Interpretations of the Quran, hadith (utterances
  of the Prophet) and sunnah (the example and
  customary practice of the Prophet)
• Localised teachings of Islamic clerics
• Local practices of Islamic cultures, both
  historical and contemporary
• Shariah courts or law, both through their
  legislation and operation
• State laws
• Mass media publications
• Including prayer books, television, radio, and
  popular Islamic music
• cont.

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• Contemporary Islamic movements and their
  teachings (including revivalist and reform
  movements)
• Islamic scholars (including feminist and human
  rights scholars)
• Islamic activists (particularly in the fields of
  reproductive rights and sexuality e.g. Sisters
  in Islam)
• Islamic peer groups and prayer groups and
  distinct Islamic subcultures

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• Homosexuality and Islam
• Widely believed that homosexuality is forbidden
  in Islam but term homosexuality does not exist in
  the Quran
• Most understandings based on the story of Lut
• Some Islamic scholars challenge heterosexism of
  mainstream interpretations of the Quran
• Words often taken to refer to homosexuality
  include
• Al Fahisha (e.g. in 780 2754) Atrocity or
  gruesome deeds
• Al Khabaidh (e.g. in 2174) Improper or unseemly
  things
• Al Munkar (e.g. in 2929) That which is
  reprehensible
• As Sayyi'aat (e.g. in 1178) Bad or evil deeds
• http//www.safraproject.org/sgi-malesexualityandis
  lam.htm

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• Moves to make Islam more inclusive of same-sex
  relationships
• Homosexuals also created by Allah sinful to lie
  about who they are
• Range of sexual and gender identities and
  practices, existed since the time of the Prophet
• Vast number of same-sex attracted Muslims

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• How does Islam regulate human sexuality?
• All actions (including sexual behaviour) defined
  as either halal (permissible) or haram
  (non-permissible)
• Sexual relations between men and women who are
  married to each other, based on mutual consent
  and do not cause harm halal
• Sexual relations outside of marriage haram.
  Referred to as zina (illicit sex)
• Quran definition

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• Marriage is the most structured and obvious
  mechanism for regulating sexuality in Islam
• Who can marry (and when women can remarry)
• Minimum age
• Who can consent
• Conditions of marriage contract
• Obligations re child support and alimony
• Legality (or otherwise) of polygamy divorce
• Temporary marriage
• Use of contraception
• Punishments regulation of sexual gossip and
  slander

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• Other practices, influences and structures
• Islamic dress codes (which exist for both sexes)
• Restrictions on male and female use of public
  space
• Conventions around prayer and hygiene
• Various forms of female genital cutting
• Censorship and control over knowledge around
  sexuality and reproduction e.g. sex education
  for Muslim youth
• Family planning health promotion policies and
  programs
• Laws to prevent and punish sexual violence
• Punishment of sexual transgressions through
  social exclusion, stigma and violence in extreme
  circumstances

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• Why does Islam regulate sexuality?
• For the protection of the umah (the community of
  Muslims)
• Perceived benefits of this regulation include
• Clarity of paternity
• Ensuring male responsibility for women and their
  children
• Preventing conflict arising from sexual jealousy
• The protection of health
• Preventing sexual violence
• Preventing conflict arising from sexual
  frustration

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Session 3.Engaging in research debate on
sexuality within Islamic societies
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Option 1 Debate

• Five topics to choose from
• Female veiling and Islam
• Polygamy in Islamic societies
• Sex education
• Homosexuality and Islam
• Female circumcision and Islam
• Group preparation / reading
  (30 mins)
• Debate
  
  (20 mins)
• Feedback and wrap-up
  (15 mins)

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Option 2 Research guidelines

• Brainstorm experiences or ideas regarding the
  challenges of undertaking ethical sexuality
  research within Muslim communities
  
  (15 mins)
• Responses?
  (20 mins 5 mins review)
• Possible guidelines?
  (10 mins)

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• 10 key concepts for halal (permissible) research
  (Bennett)
• Human sexuality is not sinful, and can be
  appropriately discussed and debated
• Learning and intellectual inquiry is highly
  valued in Islam and research into human behaviour
  is encouraged
• Discussions and explorations of sexuality among
  Muslims need to be gender appropriate
• Discussions and explorations of sexuality among
  Muslims need to respect personal modesty and
  privacy
• Research should have positive intent it should
  be for the explicit benefit of the umah (Muslim
  community)

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1. Research should involve appropriate dialogue,
   based on the Islamic principle of consultation
2. Avoid causing harm through (possibly unintended
   or unconsidered) sexual stigma
3. Avoid deception, in line with the Islamic
   principle of truth
4. Women research participants should be able to
   consent for themselves, in line with Islamic
   principles of gender equity
5. The religious and cultural diversity of different
   Islamic communities should be understood and
   respected by researchers

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Conclusion

• Relationships between Islamic sexuality,
  reproduction and control of the human body are
  complex and dynamic
• Conflicts of belief, opinions, values, especially
  around
• Sexuality, shame and the value of life
• Islamic fundamentalism
• Circumcision
• Sexual violence
• According to Islam, only Allah knows the true
  intent behind human actions. Only Allah can pass
  moral judgement

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• Module created by
• Dr Linda Rae Bennett, Australian Research Centre
  in Sex, Health and Society
• Short course developed by
• The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and
  Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne,
  Australia
• and
• The International Association for the Study of
  Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS)
• With funding from The Ford Foundation
• Available under an Attribution, Non-Commercial,
  Share Alike licence from Creative Commons