“Why should I seek? I am the same as he.
His essence speaks through me.
I have been looking for myself.”
--Jalal-Ad-Din Rumi
Even though the manner in which quite a few verses of the Quran address homosexuality is absolutely ruthless, Sufi literature and poetry suggest that there existed noticeable acceptance of alternative sexualities and genders in pre-Islamic and post-Islamic Arabian and Indo-Persian cultures alike.
Generally, only two aspects concerning the history and contemporary state of alternative sexualities and genders in Pakistan are discussed internationally-
One, the kinds of sexual behaviours and acts labelled by Western law as pederasty. Even in the present day, the tradition of keeping a ‘young lover’ belonging to the lower classes (‘have-nots’) by the upper classes (‘haves’) is prevalent in places ranging from Afghanistan and North-West Pakistan to the metropolitan Lahore and Karachi. International literature and discussions conveniently ignore the fact that this tradition, more than anything else, amounts to exploitation of children and that young ‘maids’ working in houses are just as vulnerable to sexual exploitation as the ‘young lovers’. While it is true that Sufi literature and poetry ( like ghazals glorifying the romance between the Sultan of Ghazna and his young slave, etc.) have romanticized the prepubescent male, the strong possibility that this approach has actually passed on from the Grecian times is ignored in the international arena.
Two, that the spotlight is often on people belonging to the sexual/gender minority community leading safe and sound public lives and on factors which on the face of it, suggest ‘tolerance’ of sexual/gender minorities. The need to understand the difference between mere ‘tolerance’ and ‘acceptance’ goes unnoticed along with the continued denial and silence adopted as easy ways.
The demands for gender/sexual minority rights aren’t adequately highlighted on the huge public array of movements in Pakistan. While examples are cited of the transgender or hijra community existing publicly, the fact that they are often used for sexual entertainment of straight males and only form one part of the gender/sexual minority community is not heeded to. The problem is aggravated by the constant conflicts in terms of comprehensive development, westernisation, Islamisation and the questions that remain unanswered by the global Queer Movement itself.
In a slew of occasions, like in case of the UN calling for nations to protect human rights and dignity irrespective of gender and sexuality on the ground that tradition is no excuse for violence and discrimination, Pakistan voted ‘against’. What’s paradoxical? First, the UN asserting itself as an advocate of gender/sexual minority rights and at the same time, overlooking or even perpetuating the hatred and exclusion under the very umbrella of ‘LGBTQI rights’. Second, the attitude of the citizens of Pakistan supporting the stripping of the gender/sexual minority community of human rights despite their rich history concerning the queer culture, often fostered by the fixation of embracing a pan-Arab way of life. Such obsession chooses to ignore facts, such as ‘prospering’ nations excluding and mistreating their gender/sexual minority communities, and that the Mughals in fact appointed transgenders in the royal courts who also served as educators of the young princes, protectors of the women and messengers besides being entitled to public revenue, grants of land and cash and other important rights. The colonial and post-colonial times alike have been witness to systematic exclusion of the gender/sexual minority community through stigmas perpetuated by the imposition of gender-binarism (as in Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code criminalizing homosexual conduct).
There are a plethora of arguable reasons why alternative genders and sexualities were prevalent in the pre-colonial times. The legal system often remained mum in cases concerning sexuality. Although the Shariah law had provisions concerning homosexuality, homosexuals were punished not for homosexuality in particular but for ‘conduct contrary to societal norms’. Moreover, there existed the ‘one sex model’ which prescribed similar standards of beauty for both men and women. For example, paintings portraying men wearing gorgeous gowns, jewellery and make up; women with body hair etc. The standards of beauty glorified youth rather than masculinity or femininity, as opposed to the ‘two sex model’ to which Europe subscribed, which clearly distinguished between femininity and masculinity. Catholicism labelled homosexuality a ‘sin’ while pseudo-rationalism that replaced ‘god’ considered alternative sexualities to be illnesses and abnormalities. As the Muslim societies got exposed to these tendencies of the ‘progressive’ and ‘developed’ Europe, they naturally had the tendency to regard such ‘disorders’ and ‘abnormalities’ as a reason for their fragility in the face of colonialism.
I sure do not intend to eulogize the pre-colonial times in Pakistan in which prevailed patriarchal, hetero-normative evils, by merely putting forth its history of acceptance of alternative genders/sexualities. The need of the hour is to recognize the prevalence of alternative genders and sexualities in contemporary Pakistan without ignoring how the indigenous cultures tolerated or accepted their queer communities.
Many Muslim societies are plagued by hypocrisy and conflict concerning gender and sexuality. An example may be cited of Iran publicly hanging two young men for being gay. Following this, the President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad declared that homosexuals do not exist in Iran. You hanged the young men for something that doesn’t exist, eh? Muslim societies are in a confusion- whether to punish and wipe out homosexuals or to ignore their existence altogether. Moreover, the contemporary Western attitude towards liberalising alternative genders/sexualities is often condemned by the Muslim countries. This seems to be resulting from fear of Western dominance crushing their traditions and religion.
Nevertheless, Pakistan has been slowly experiencing the growth of a ‘queer culture’ through few awareness measures and the contemporary urban homosexual lifestyle including elements such as metrosexuality, colourful attire and clothing such as low waist jeans, also embraced by straight males despite the fact that such elements were once stereotyped as ‘being gay’. There has also been an explosion of events such as ‘gay parties’ in metropolitan cities like Lahore and Karachi in the recent times which on the face of it suggest liberalisation of alternative sexualities; whereas the fact remains that such events are bound to be ‘underground’ even in contemporary Pakistan. The spotlight on the upper class ‘gay celebrations’ casts a shadow on the plight of the majority of the queer community being strangled by socio-economic pressures, physical and sexual exploitation, systematic and structural violence, humiliation, ridicule, patriarchy and a heteronormative approach.
The fact remains that efforts directed towards addressing the issues of a war-waged country are but futile if not inclusive of issues concerning discrimination, violence and denying of human rights and dignity pertaining to sexuality and gender.
Image courtesy: news.nationalpost.com
His essence speaks through me.
I have been looking for myself.”
--Jalal-Ad-Din Rumi
Even though the manner in which quite a few verses of the Quran address homosexuality is absolutely ruthless, Sufi literature and poetry suggest that there existed noticeable acceptance of alternative sexualities and genders in pre-Islamic and post-Islamic Arabian and Indo-Persian cultures alike.
Generally, only two aspects concerning the history and contemporary state of alternative sexualities and genders in Pakistan are discussed internationally-
One, the kinds of sexual behaviours and acts labelled by Western law as pederasty. Even in the present day, the tradition of keeping a ‘young lover’ belonging to the lower classes (‘have-nots’) by the upper classes (‘haves’) is prevalent in places ranging from Afghanistan and North-West Pakistan to the metropolitan Lahore and Karachi. International literature and discussions conveniently ignore the fact that this tradition, more than anything else, amounts to exploitation of children and that young ‘maids’ working in houses are just as vulnerable to sexual exploitation as the ‘young lovers’. While it is true that Sufi literature and poetry ( like ghazals glorifying the romance between the Sultan of Ghazna and his young slave, etc.) have romanticized the prepubescent male, the strong possibility that this approach has actually passed on from the Grecian times is ignored in the international arena.
Two, that the spotlight is often on people belonging to the sexual/gender minority community leading safe and sound public lives and on factors which on the face of it, suggest ‘tolerance’ of sexual/gender minorities. The need to understand the difference between mere ‘tolerance’ and ‘acceptance’ goes unnoticed along with the continued denial and silence adopted as easy ways.
The demands for gender/sexual minority rights aren’t adequately highlighted on the huge public array of movements in Pakistan. While examples are cited of the transgender or hijra community existing publicly, the fact that they are often used for sexual entertainment of straight males and only form one part of the gender/sexual minority community is not heeded to. The problem is aggravated by the constant conflicts in terms of comprehensive development, westernisation, Islamisation and the questions that remain unanswered by the global Queer Movement itself.
In a slew of occasions, like in case of the UN calling for nations to protect human rights and dignity irrespective of gender and sexuality on the ground that tradition is no excuse for violence and discrimination, Pakistan voted ‘against’. What’s paradoxical? First, the UN asserting itself as an advocate of gender/sexual minority rights and at the same time, overlooking or even perpetuating the hatred and exclusion under the very umbrella of ‘LGBTQI rights’. Second, the attitude of the citizens of Pakistan supporting the stripping of the gender/sexual minority community of human rights despite their rich history concerning the queer culture, often fostered by the fixation of embracing a pan-Arab way of life. Such obsession chooses to ignore facts, such as ‘prospering’ nations excluding and mistreating their gender/sexual minority communities, and that the Mughals in fact appointed transgenders in the royal courts who also served as educators of the young princes, protectors of the women and messengers besides being entitled to public revenue, grants of land and cash and other important rights. The colonial and post-colonial times alike have been witness to systematic exclusion of the gender/sexual minority community through stigmas perpetuated by the imposition of gender-binarism (as in Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code criminalizing homosexual conduct).
There are a plethora of arguable reasons why alternative genders and sexualities were prevalent in the pre-colonial times. The legal system often remained mum in cases concerning sexuality. Although the Shariah law had provisions concerning homosexuality, homosexuals were punished not for homosexuality in particular but for ‘conduct contrary to societal norms’. Moreover, there existed the ‘one sex model’ which prescribed similar standards of beauty for both men and women. For example, paintings portraying men wearing gorgeous gowns, jewellery and make up; women with body hair etc. The standards of beauty glorified youth rather than masculinity or femininity, as opposed to the ‘two sex model’ to which Europe subscribed, which clearly distinguished between femininity and masculinity. Catholicism labelled homosexuality a ‘sin’ while pseudo-rationalism that replaced ‘god’ considered alternative sexualities to be illnesses and abnormalities. As the Muslim societies got exposed to these tendencies of the ‘progressive’ and ‘developed’ Europe, they naturally had the tendency to regard such ‘disorders’ and ‘abnormalities’ as a reason for their fragility in the face of colonialism.
I sure do not intend to eulogize the pre-colonial times in Pakistan in which prevailed patriarchal, hetero-normative evils, by merely putting forth its history of acceptance of alternative genders/sexualities. The need of the hour is to recognize the prevalence of alternative genders and sexualities in contemporary Pakistan without ignoring how the indigenous cultures tolerated or accepted their queer communities.
Many Muslim societies are plagued by hypocrisy and conflict concerning gender and sexuality. An example may be cited of Iran publicly hanging two young men for being gay. Following this, the President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad declared that homosexuals do not exist in Iran. You hanged the young men for something that doesn’t exist, eh? Muslim societies are in a confusion- whether to punish and wipe out homosexuals or to ignore their existence altogether. Moreover, the contemporary Western attitude towards liberalising alternative genders/sexualities is often condemned by the Muslim countries. This seems to be resulting from fear of Western dominance crushing their traditions and religion.
Nevertheless, Pakistan has been slowly experiencing the growth of a ‘queer culture’ through few awareness measures and the contemporary urban homosexual lifestyle including elements such as metrosexuality, colourful attire and clothing such as low waist jeans, also embraced by straight males despite the fact that such elements were once stereotyped as ‘being gay’. There has also been an explosion of events such as ‘gay parties’ in metropolitan cities like Lahore and Karachi in the recent times which on the face of it suggest liberalisation of alternative sexualities; whereas the fact remains that such events are bound to be ‘underground’ even in contemporary Pakistan. The spotlight on the upper class ‘gay celebrations’ casts a shadow on the plight of the majority of the queer community being strangled by socio-economic pressures, physical and sexual exploitation, systematic and structural violence, humiliation, ridicule, patriarchy and a heteronormative approach.
The fact remains that efforts directed towards addressing the issues of a war-waged country are but futile if not inclusive of issues concerning discrimination, violence and denying of human rights and dignity pertaining to sexuality and gender.
Image courtesy: news.nationalpost.com