Gender in Islam
The writer, Zamena Manekia Manji (Bujumbura, Burundi) is a bookworm with a passion for writing and community service.
I
once wanted a rainbow-themed birthday party for my child, only to realize with a start that the seven beautiful colours that fuse to create a vibe are no longer a representation of fun and happiness. It now symbolizes a whole agenda that is infiltrating our societies at an alarming rate, and in the process, posing a very detrimental future for the society at large, and Muslims in particular.
The LGBTQ, is defined as is ‘’an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning,
intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity’’.
As Muslims, we are required to live a life of morality which is safe to say, the LGBTQ movement preaches the exact opposite. With their ‘love is love’ mindset, they are literally shoving the dare I say absurd ideologies down our throats and this is why, we need to be extremely vigilant of the colourful trap that lures our children and teens into the lifestyle, they proclaim is full of freedom.
But is it really freedom when kids as young as 3-year-olds are introduced to explicit topics like sexuality? For a child who cannot tell if Santa is real is able to make life-alternating decisions? How can we trust our kids with educators who don’t even know who they are? How is it safe for a biological male to enter a girl’s bathroom? Where is this world heading?
Those of us who live in Africa might think we are safe from the indoctrination since most countries have imposed a ban on LGBTQ content in school curriculums and do not recognize a person who identifies a
‘certain way’ but it’s only a matter of time before your child will ask you why her Minnie Mouse bow has
rainbows.
Muslims in the West are already struggling with the over-sexualized society they are compelled to live in.
From struggling to call the school boards to remove Gender content from the syllabus to protesting
against the introduction of explicitly sexual ‘children’s books in public libraries, to risk being labelled as
homophobes and bigots, this really isn’t the best time to be alive, at least for Muslims.
One may ask why we should be so concerned, for this has been going on for decades at a stretch, and maybe we should ‘just live and let live’. Sadly, we are the ones who aren’t let to live, for if we pay close attention, the LQBTQ content is everywhere, and this is why, instead of ignoring this subtle but very loud message, we have to face it with a cemented faith in what our religion teaches us.
As Muslims, we have to first understand that God has made us male and female and has given us distinctive features and sent us to this World to strive towards the perfection of the soul. This is the nature of our existence and not the exact opposite where we see people literally reducing themselves to animals in a quest to fulfil their desires, and I kid you not, one Google search and you will see how people are actually living their lives identifying as dogs.
Islam does forbid same sex-relations and this is where some Muslims waver, for its no secret that openly
living your life as gay, in a country that practices Sharia law could have severe consequences Suddenly, we try to be apologetic but we don’t realize that when the Quran forbids us against the act, it shields the human from plunging deep into what could result from an act that is harmful to our body and soul. Take the example of alcohol. Small amounts may not be as harmful but we are told to refrain from the act completely for that small amount then goes to binge drinking which quickly turns to addiction and wreaks havoc on society at large.
The acceptance of gays and lesbians is what gave rise to other eyebrow-raising identities, and now you can be anyone you want, who knows, one might even identify as a murderer and get accepted into society because come on, we can be anyone we want to right? This is why when Islam forbids an act, it shields the entire society from danger.
Islam differentiates between a desire, which isn’t sinful and acting on the desire which could be a sin. Our
religion also recognizes that some people do struggle with same-sex desires but also teaches us that not
every desire is necessarily moral. A desire that could be harmful to our body and soul is always forbidden to us. Several diseases that emerge from same-sex relations are brushed under the carpet and stats how many deaths that happen are never revealed to us. The suicide rate of transgender people is at over 50% in the US alone. The same colours are literally strangling people who think they swayed with the rainbow.
In order to face this challenge, we need to ensure our children are raised with self-confidence in cementing their identity as Muslims. For most people who fall into the trap of the LGBTQ agenda are usually suffering from insecurity and a need for self-belonging. We, as Muslims, need to first educate ourselves on what Islam teaches us, and then teach our children with rational examples of its dire consequences, instead of shunning them away when they question us about the LGBTQ agenda.
Our communities need to address this issue and accommodate counselling sessions, especially for those who struggle with such feelings, and ensure them that they will be okay instead of ridiculing them.
Rational and scientific examples always help. And we even need to learn how to tackle the issue with grace. For those of us living in societies where LGBTQ is practised, we need to be extra careful. Islam teaches us to be kind to everyone and condemns violence towards people who do not live in accordance with the religion. Despite our stark differences, our etiquette should shine above everything else. Hopefully, we will be able to face this very challenging time with grace and strength from the Lord who created us.
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