I have already written on the subject of homosexuality in Saudi Arabia, and I came across another interesting article on homosexuality in Kuwait, so I thought I would write about that.

 

This article was written in 2007 (http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=1478) and is authored by Sumayyah Meehan. The author states that in the Middle East, punishment of homosexuality is often the death penalty. However, this does not stop homosexuals in Kuwait from forming groups and walking in public together. There are physical signs used to tell whether or not they are homosexual. For men, they apply powder to their faces, and wear lipstick. They wear light clothing and shape their eyebrows. Lesbians wear their hair like men. Some politicians want religious police to crack down on the homosexuals, as well as heterosexuals who are displaying lewd behaviour in public places.

 

Of all of the Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon is the most friendly to gay rights. There is even an association, the first of its kind, in the Middle East, and it is referred to as the Helem Foundation. This foundation has as part of its mission statement, according to the founder, to raise awareness of how to prevent AIDS.

 

In Saudi Arabia, homosexuality is also becoming more public, with homosexuals meeting in certain malls and grocery stores. In Jeddah, there is a particular street where prostitutes can advertise for homosexual customers. Saudi officials are cracking down on this activity, arresting men, etc who are caught engaging in this behaviour.

 

The author concludes the article by pointing out that with homosexuality comes certain risks to society. Such risks include the spread of disease, such as AIDS, and the corruption of the family unit, since homosexuals obviously cannot have children. I have heard one argument stating that if everyone were homosexual, the entire human population would be quickly wiped out.

 

I can see both sides when it comes to homosexuality. The Bible refers to it as an abomination. However, homosexuals themselves are not abominations and they should not feel like they are lesser human beings, because God loves everyone equally. Bullying is evil, and should never be tolerated, regardless of the reason for it. I have certain beliefs about homosexuality. When two people are having sex, they are supposed to become one. In other words, when a woman receives a man, they come together as one. This is not possible with two homosexual men, for example, because they would both be facing the same direction, away from each other. When two men have sex, there is absolutely no possibility that a child will result from the union. When a man and a woman have sex, there is no guarantee that a child will result, but biologically speaking, at least the possibility exists on some level for the most part. Will there be homosexuals in heaven? I think so. But I do not think there will be homosexual activity in heaven. Will there be alcoholics in heaven? Yes, I think so. But there will not be heavy drinking in heaven. I think a lot depends on motivation, and a lot depends on a complete overview of one’s life. According to some religions, such as Christianity and Islam, premarital sex or extramarital sex is forbidden. Since homosexuals cannot get married in churches according to the laws of God, it seems as though sex between homosexuals is forbidden just as it is forbidden for a man and a woman outside of marriage to have sex.

 

But imagine the life of loneliness that results for people with homosexual leanings. It’s easy to see that people should not have sex outside of marriage, or that homosexual activity is wrong and homosexuals should not practice it, but how many of us, regardless of what our urges are, can stifle them completely? We need to feel compassion for people who have urges that a lot of society frown upon. We are only human beings, and it is hard to fight what our body tells us it wants. We should not judge, regardless of the sin we are judging.