A Jihad for Love

When Ahmadinejad said there were no gays in Iran, I scoffed. Others joked because they were either all executed, or too scared to come out. Gays are everywhere. Next door, downstairs, upstairs. And yes, even in Muslim countries too.

And it is in (certain) Islamic* countries that gays (lesbians, bi's, and trangendereds) must struggle especially hard... in search of recognition, or in most cases, in denial. A Jihad for Love is a well produced documentary about such a struggle, for, contrary to common misconception that jihad means only 'holy war' (and even more misconceived, against the 'West'), the true meaning of the word simply means 'struggle'. Struggle against society, struggle for individuality, struggle for the basic human right to be treated as an equal, struggle for acceptance, and not just recognition.

Following the lives of a number of brave individuals in a number of (predominantly) Islamic countries, the film explores the sensitive discussion on the relationship between being Muslim* and being homosexual. A taboo topic, which explains why many of the faces are blurred. But the blurring of faces does not take away the truth and courage behind the stories being told.

"Stone him to death!"
"Throw him off a cliff!"
"100 lashes of the whip!"

What is it about homosexuality that is so abhorrent in the eyes of Muslims? Most people would point to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (which is also what many Christians and Jews would point to too). Interesting though, as an imam in the documentary explains, God's destruction of these towns was not because people were homosexuals per se, but the fact that the deacadent men of Sodom and Gomorrah engaged in homosexual rape against the visitors-- i.e. the forced engagement of homosexual acts. It is because of the wickedness that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are punished, but this is often (mis)interpreted to be a blanket condemnation of homosexuality, and a justification for the punishment (or worse) of homosexuals.


*I know, there is no such thing as 'the Muslim' people in the world, just as there is no such thing as 'the Islam' or 'the West', so this is just a vert poor generalisation.