It’s not easy being a gay Muslim, in Turkey or SA
HOMOSEXUALITY is a taboo in Islam and Muslims from the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community are forced to hide their sexuality, for fear of reprisal or to avoid embarrassment to their families.
And while the vibrant Turkish city of Istanbul became the first and only Muslim-dominated city to host a Gay Pride march in 2003, the patriarchal attitudes in that society still remain, despite its perceived liberal image. And, as one who has experienced this, Chehan (as he is known) says living as a gay Muslim can be a lonely and frightening existence.
“I am 33 years old and work as a successful urban designer in Istanbul. I am Muslim, I believe in God and the Qur’an and I love my country. But, my country does not love me. As a Muslim gay person living in Turkey I feel very stigmatised, even though we do not have any laws discriminating against us. The biggest problem we face is the mindset in our community. People are not open to homosexuality or anything that doesn’t fit society’s expectations.
“People will say they are open and that they don’t have a problem with gays and will even befriend me. But, only as long as their child or their family member is not gay. It is a hypocritical attitude,” explains Chehan.
Turkey’s secular approach and its Islamic cultural values may appear to be working in tandem, but there is growing concern that the latent cracks as a result of a growing clash of the two approaches is deepening – and so is the social divide.
While the country openly flouts bars and in some areas of Istanbul, prostitution strips, the country’s army does not tolerate gays within its ranks. In a recent survey to the Turkish army, more than 95% of respondents said homosexuals should not be allowed to serve in the country’ military. Currently, homosexuality in Turkey remains grounds for expulsion for commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and military students under the Turkish Armed Forces Discipline Law.
While both Islam and Christianity generally forbid and condemn homosexuality, the pressure to conform to religious values is often greater in Muslim societies, which explains why being gay and Muslim is often severely frowned upon – and in some Islamic countries where Islamic law is often misinterpreted, homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, lashes, stoning or even execution by being being thrown from high buildings.
Risk
“Like most Muslim gay men, I don’t display any femininity even if I wanted to, because I know the risk. It took me 18 years to finally let my family know, and while I have their support, I know being gay is not something they would prefer me to be. The pressure in a Muslim family to adhere to the stereotype – marry, have children – is huge, especially in Turkish culture,” he said. “And while we cannot be discriminated against, it is there. If you are seen to be gay in your job, you risk being fired over a trivial matter, because legally you may not be dismissed for being gay. Muslim gay men are increasing all over the world and are prevalent in many A rab states, but still fear being open about themselves,” Chehan added.
This sentiment is echoed by several Muslim gay men in South Africa, including the country’s first, controversial Cape Town-based imam, Muhsin Hendricks who has been living under an Islamic ruling (fatwa) proclaiming him to be out of the fold of Islam, given by the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) since 2007.
“On the one hand we are very lucky to be living under the constitution, which protects LGBT rights in South Africa, and I feel very privileged to be able to do so as I would not be able to carry out my work as a gay imam anywhere else in the world,” he said.
“But the stigma from Muslim communities remain s high regardless of this and is the same the world over. I continue to live under the fatwa but our mosque, The Inner Circle, has been growing since opening our doors in 2009. I have performed more than 20 same sex marriages among Muslims in South Africa since then and we continue our work despite the love/hate relationship within the community, where we are listened to but kept at bay by other Islamic leaders,” explained Hendricks, who is a gay activist himself.
For Chehan, the fear of being attacked is constant, yet, like Hendricks, he feels passionately about his country and so chooses to stay. He is concerned at what he describes as “Turkey regressing in social developement“and a sense that his government is moving towards a more Islamic system of governance, but Chehan blames social media for his being single for the past nine years.
“I yearn for love. I want a relationship. But, today, because of social media, everything is quick and people are only interested in casual sex. I don’t want that.”