My research interests are centred around issues of gender, [homo]sexuality and religion. I received my Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) in 2006, my thesis was based on British Muslims and the construction of masculine and feminine identities. As part of my PhD research I also conducted interviews with members of Al-Fatiha (London) a gay Muslim organisation, aimed at understanding how gay Muslim men reconciled their sexuality with their faith.
The growing acceptability of homosexuality in parts of the Western world has created a positive s... more The growing acceptability of homosexuality in parts of the Western world has created a positive social and cultural change, creating a much more favourable climate for individuals who desire to retain and combine their faith with their [homo]sexual orientation. Yet gay Muslim men remain relatively hidden and marginalised because they face a number of challenges from a heterosexist/homophobic cultural and religious environment, which poses an additional burden in the development of their sexual and religious identities. The present study is based on interviews with three Muslim gay men in Scotland, (Glasgow and Dundee), and traces the intersection between religious and sexual identities. The central theme of the article is concerned with the way religion and sexuality intersect in the men’s lives; how the men perceive their sexuality against a backdrop of religious condemnation; how religion shapes and affects the way in which the men choose to express their sexuality; and how they experience a heightened sense of isolation as a result. The research indicates that rather than blending together their multiple identities; as previous studies have documented there is a level of disengagement with religion, which prevents the fusion of the sexual and religious components of their identity. While the men express varying degrees of religious commitment, Islam is portrayed as an obstacle that prevents them from fully accepting their sexuality.
The interplay between Islam, Muslim lives and traditional/mainstream interpretations of the Qur’a... more The interplay between Islam, Muslim lives and traditional/mainstream interpretations of the Qur’an have contributed to the marginalization of non-heterosexual Muslims. Queer Muslims face ridicule and rejection from friends and family and Muslim religious scholars openly question the morality and validity of their same-sex attraction. Yet, despite this, the source of this condemnation, the Qur’an, remains an instrumental source of support and guidance for Queer Muslims. The present study explores the entanglements of sexuality, spirituality and self-empowerment. Based on a structured interview with a gay Muslim man, an academic who is involved in Queer readings of the Qur’an, this paper explores how he resolves the now oft-mentioned “conflict” between Islam and homosexuality and how his scholarship serves to advance an alternative understanding and interpretation of the Qur’an. While his work is not endorsed, supported or recognized by mainstream Muslim scholars, it offers Queer Muslims the potential to be optimistic at the possibility of change. Reading the Qur’an while being sensitive to Queer lives means that contemporary interpretations, especially in relation to sexuality, can be reconstituted/reconstructed, making orthodox/“traditional” readings less rigid and impermeable. Using religious scholarship to “deviate” from and question heteronormative interpretations of the Holy text, the aim of Queer readings of the Qur’an is to embolden Queer Muslims to help them reclaim and exercise agency and power.
This study explores the complex interaction between ethnicity, gender
and [homo]sexuality and how... more This study explores the complex interaction between ethnicity, gender and [homo]sexuality and how this creates a framework of stigma that compels some British Pakistani lesbians to remain within the closet. The ‘closet’ here is a metaphor that describes the concealment of one’s homosexual identity and the outward ‘performance’ of heterosexuality. British Pakistani lesbians precariously inhabit a sociocultural environment that constrains the expression of female sexuality. Women who oppose and contravene heteronormative values and ideals unsettle comfortable assumptions of heterosexuality. Being in the closet keeps lesbians isolated and marginalised from their ethnic and cultural communities. Drawing on findings from online interviews with seven British Pakistani lesbians, the study explores what shapes their decision to stay within the closet and how doing so influences their self-perception. Being in the closet is a source of considerable conflict, strain and anxiety, which has an impact on the women’s readiness to embrace individual choice, freedom and desire. Findings orientate the reader toward an understanding of the multiple, interlocking systems of social relations within which British Pakistani lesbians are marginalised as the result of their gender, sexuality and ethnic identity.
Friendships have the potential to transform and reconfigure lives and improve one's health and me... more Friendships have the potential to transform and reconfigure lives and improve one's health and mental well-being through mutual affection, understanding, care, and love. The social, cultural, and religious ostracism British Pakistani lesbians encounter in their lives means that their friendships, in particular with other lesbians, are crucial for fostering a sense of self-acceptance and personal enrichment. Friendship can provide a supportive network, refuge, and respite from a repressive social, cultural, and family environment, especially for those who feel ostracized and marginalized. Based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with two British Pakistani lesbian friends, the study investigates the relationship between friendship and sexual identity, exploring how each friend negotiated her own sexual identity in the context of the friendship and whether the friendship itself served as a catalyst for self-acceptance. The case study offers an intriguing account of the importance of friendship and the role it plays in mitigating the isolation and disconnectedness caused by societal homophobia.
Religiously infused ideology and doctrine on maleness/femaleness, procreation, family and the con... more Religiously infused ideology and doctrine on maleness/femaleness, procreation, family and the condemnatory attitude towards homosexuality has been significantly damaging for lesbians. Lesbians from a Muslim background, in particular, are forced to confront religious dogma, which advocates the punishment of non heterosexuals leading them to repress and deny their sexuality. Despite this, an investment and belief in religion continues and remains important. In the present study the powerful appeal of religion and its influence on 5 Muslim women who identify as lesbian is explored. The study seeks to understand the way in which the women reconfigure their religious identity to address the difficulties they experience in incorporating discordant identities (faith and sexuality). The data gained indicates that rather than disconnect or reject their association with their faith they contest the condemnation of homosexuality within Islam, which in turn allows them to reclaim their Muslim identity. The alienation and ostracism the women experience from the Muslim ‘community’ has not led to their disaffection from Islam. Rather they resolutely pledge the importance of faith, practice and leading a life according to Islamic moral standards and principles. The women manage and integrate complex and layered aspects of their identity, through their commitment to Islam but also a determination to recognise an intrinsic aspect of the self that they no longer refuse to deny or suppress.
Islam is characterized as an extremely homophobic religion, which strictly forbids the union of t... more Islam is characterized as an extremely homophobic religion, which strictly forbids the union of two people of the same sex. This belief causes an immeasurable amount of strain and anxiety for lesbians because their feelings, desires, and emotions are considered “unnatural” and aberrant. The homophobic Islamic model of homosexuality thus celebrates heteronormative performances of gender and sexuality. In the present study, the issue of how religious identity interplays with sexual identity is examined. Using data gained from online interviews with five Muslim lesbians, the article considers whether the women identity within a discourse that negates their sexual orientation. Their lives as Muslim lesbians produces a unique intersection where religion and sexuality converge, yet they are forced apart by religiously sanctioned homophobia, preventing them from exploring and expressing their sexuality. The article further examines whether Islam is a source upon which and transgender) support group, the women continue to experience a significant degree of conflict. A reconciliation of faith with their sexuality is undermined by an unrelenting and intolerant religious attitude toward homosexuality.
KEYWORDS: Imaan, Islam, lesbian, lesbian identity, Muslim
Based on interviews with 30 Muslim women in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), this article examines and exp... more Based on interviews with 30 Muslim women in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), this article examines and explores the construction of their feminine identities. Very little research has attempted to examine the ways in which Muslim women understand and perform gender, and how their version[s] or meanings of femininity serve to reify gender differences. The study reveals that participants base their identities on four ideals of femininity: the possession of (stereotypical) feminine qualities; appearance; motherhood; and a belief in the traditional gender ideology. These ideals of femininity are distinct from Eurocentric assumptions, which promote particular images of feminine behaviour that my participants neither adhered to nor embraced. The research clearly illustrates a belief in a rigid demarcation between what is considered feminine and masculine.
In the last three decades, there has been a significant growth in the literature on lesbian ident... more In the last three decades, there has been a significant growth in the literature on lesbian identity and relationships, but the study of lesbians from a Muslim background is conspicuously absent. This article was prompted partly by the relative absence of research into the lives of Muslim lesbians in Britain, and partly by the fact that much of the literature on Islam and homosexuality has tended to focus on homosexual men, ignoring the position of lesbian sexuality in Islam. It also charts the difficulties faced by a heterosexual researcher in conducting an interview with a lesbian and calls attention to the invisibility of self-identified Muslim lesbians in Glasgow. The life story interview is used to explore the very hidden and untold story of a Muslim lesbian; as such the article draws heavily on the subject's narrative.
Based on interviews with thirty Muslim women in Glasgow, Scotland, the study explores the meaning... more Based on interviews with thirty Muslim women in Glasgow, Scotland, the study explores the meanings that women attach to modesty and the hijab. Fifteen of the thirty participants wear the hijab. The article begins with an overview of the debate between traditional Muslim scholars and Muslim feminists about whether the hijab is an Islamic obligation. It illuminates the significance of space, as veiling practices are deeply enmeshed and embedded in the spatial practices shaped by the local Scottish context. The findings and analysis reveal differences as well as similarities between wearers and non-wearers of the hijab. While the former regard the hijab as an embodiment of modesty, virtue and respect, the latter consider it an unnecessary piece of clothing. However, despite their contrasting views on veiling, both groups of participants hold remarkably similar views on the importance of female modesty.
The cultural processes of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality are acutely active wit... more The cultural processes of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality are acutely active within Islamic societies. The present study explored perceptions of ‘coming out’ among a group of British Muslim gay men (BMGM), focussing upon the potential consequences for identity processes and psychological well-being. Ten BMGM of Pakistani descent were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis and informed by identity process theory. Four superordinate themes are reported, including (i) “social representational constraints upon ‘coming out’; (ii) “‘coming out’: a source of shame and a threat to distinctiveness”; (iii) “fear of physical violence from ingroup members”; and (iv) “foreseeing the future: ‘coming out’ as a coping strategy”. Data suggest that BMGM face a bi-dimensional homophobia from ethno-religious ingroup members and the general population, which can render the prospect of ‘coming out’ threatening for identity. Theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.
Islamic Masculinities, London: Zed Books, Jan 1, 2006
Despite the undeniable contribution of contemporary sociological and historical works on homosexu... more Despite the undeniable contribution of contemporary sociological and historical works on homosexuality, the impact of religion on the identify of homosexuals has been dealt almost exclusively within Christianity. Amongst Muslims in particular, there is only fragmentary evidence, which allow us insight into the lives of homosexual Muslims. In spite of recent sociological interest, homosexuality and its relationship with Islam remains unexplored. This is principally because the primacy of the Qur'an, Ahadith and Shari'ah as sources determining sexual morality, are heteronormative and this has inevitably stifled debate about homosexuality. Homosexual Muslims, who until recently have been confined to a 'culture of invisibility' are now speaking out in their endeavour to both re-claim their Muslim identity and reconcile their faith with their sexuality. I regard the need for further study of the religious identity of homosexual Muslims to be of considerable importance and urgency. Given the paucity of material on this topic, my research is an attempt to begin to fill this gap. This chapter explores how some homosexuals combine a set of incongruent identities: homosexual, male and Muslim and how they reformulate their understanding to reconcile them. Although "Islam forbids homosexual practices (sexual relations between two men or between two women), regarding them a great sin" (Hewitt, 1997:29), the men affirm their Muslim identity and homosexual orientation. As a stigmatised minority, the men contest the rigidity of heterosexual gender roles; concurrently they call for changes to cultural attitudes and repudiate the idea of a divinely decreed heterosexuality. To give 'voice' to the respondents, this chapter draws heavily upon the narratives generously shared and expressed by seven homosexual Muslim men. The men were drawn from various organisations in London.
Islam’s explicit condemnation of homosexuality has created a theologically based homophobia which... more Islam’s explicit condemnation of homosexuality has created a theologically based homophobia which engenders the ntolerance of homosexuals by Muslims. In this article I explore Muslim attitudes towards homosexuality and homosexuals as this area has elicited very little research. Based on structured interviews with 68 Muslim male and female heterosexuals I examine the connection between participants’ attitudes towards homosexuality and their understanding of gender and gender roles. I also analyse whether participants’ views are shaped by their religious beliefs and values. Age, gender, education and level of religiosity are analysed to see whether they affect attitudes. Data suggest that participants held negative attitudes towards homosexuals and this is the result of being religiously conservative in their attitudes towards homosexuality and gender roles.
The patriarchal family is based on a hierarchical social structure which positions the man as the... more The patriarchal family is based on a hierarchical social structure which positions the man as the head of the family ‘ruling’ over women and children. This article draws on data obtained from structured interviews with 25 married Muslim couples living in Glasgow (Scotland, UK). It examines their views on the position of the family head. Exploring the hierarchical relationship between the husband and wife, the article considers how participants come to an agreement about who may assume this role and how it is to be fulfilled. It also explores how participants use religion to support and reproduce the patriarchal family structure based on the man as the head of the family.
The growing acceptability of homosexuality in parts of the Western world has created a positive s... more The growing acceptability of homosexuality in parts of the Western world has created a positive social and cultural change, creating a much more favourable climate for individuals who desire to retain and combine their faith with their [homo]sexual orientation. Yet gay Muslim men remain relatively hidden and marginalised because they face a number of challenges from a heterosexist/homophobic cultural and religious environment, which poses an additional burden in the development of their sexual and religious identities. The present study is based on interviews with three Muslim gay men in Scotland, (Glasgow and Dundee), and traces the intersection between religious and sexual identities. The central theme of the article is concerned with the way religion and sexuality intersect in the men’s lives; how the men perceive their sexuality against a backdrop of religious condemnation; how religion shapes and affects the way in which the men choose to express their sexuality; and how they experience a heightened sense of isolation as a result. The research indicates that rather than blending together their multiple identities; as previous studies have documented there is a level of disengagement with religion, which prevents the fusion of the sexual and religious components of their identity. While the men express varying degrees of religious commitment, Islam is portrayed as an obstacle that prevents them from fully accepting their sexuality.
The interplay between Islam, Muslim lives and traditional/mainstream interpretations of the Qur’a... more The interplay between Islam, Muslim lives and traditional/mainstream interpretations of the Qur’an have contributed to the marginalization of non-heterosexual Muslims. Queer Muslims face ridicule and rejection from friends and family and Muslim religious scholars openly question the morality and validity of their same-sex attraction. Yet, despite this, the source of this condemnation, the Qur’an, remains an instrumental source of support and guidance for Queer Muslims. The present study explores the entanglements of sexuality, spirituality and self-empowerment. Based on a structured interview with a gay Muslim man, an academic who is involved in Queer readings of the Qur’an, this paper explores how he resolves the now oft-mentioned “conflict” between Islam and homosexuality and how his scholarship serves to advance an alternative understanding and interpretation of the Qur’an. While his work is not endorsed, supported or recognized by mainstream Muslim scholars, it offers Queer Muslims the potential to be optimistic at the possibility of change. Reading the Qur’an while being sensitive to Queer lives means that contemporary interpretations, especially in relation to sexuality, can be reconstituted/reconstructed, making orthodox/“traditional” readings less rigid and impermeable. Using religious scholarship to “deviate” from and question heteronormative interpretations of the Holy text, the aim of Queer readings of the Qur’an is to embolden Queer Muslims to help them reclaim and exercise agency and power.
This study explores the complex interaction between ethnicity, gender
and [homo]sexuality and how... more This study explores the complex interaction between ethnicity, gender and [homo]sexuality and how this creates a framework of stigma that compels some British Pakistani lesbians to remain within the closet. The ‘closet’ here is a metaphor that describes the concealment of one’s homosexual identity and the outward ‘performance’ of heterosexuality. British Pakistani lesbians precariously inhabit a sociocultural environment that constrains the expression of female sexuality. Women who oppose and contravene heteronormative values and ideals unsettle comfortable assumptions of heterosexuality. Being in the closet keeps lesbians isolated and marginalised from their ethnic and cultural communities. Drawing on findings from online interviews with seven British Pakistani lesbians, the study explores what shapes their decision to stay within the closet and how doing so influences their self-perception. Being in the closet is a source of considerable conflict, strain and anxiety, which has an impact on the women’s readiness to embrace individual choice, freedom and desire. Findings orientate the reader toward an understanding of the multiple, interlocking systems of social relations within which British Pakistani lesbians are marginalised as the result of their gender, sexuality and ethnic identity.
Friendships have the potential to transform and reconfigure lives and improve one's health and me... more Friendships have the potential to transform and reconfigure lives and improve one's health and mental well-being through mutual affection, understanding, care, and love. The social, cultural, and religious ostracism British Pakistani lesbians encounter in their lives means that their friendships, in particular with other lesbians, are crucial for fostering a sense of self-acceptance and personal enrichment. Friendship can provide a supportive network, refuge, and respite from a repressive social, cultural, and family environment, especially for those who feel ostracized and marginalized. Based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with two British Pakistani lesbian friends, the study investigates the relationship between friendship and sexual identity, exploring how each friend negotiated her own sexual identity in the context of the friendship and whether the friendship itself served as a catalyst for self-acceptance. The case study offers an intriguing account of the importance of friendship and the role it plays in mitigating the isolation and disconnectedness caused by societal homophobia.
Religiously infused ideology and doctrine on maleness/femaleness, procreation, family and the con... more Religiously infused ideology and doctrine on maleness/femaleness, procreation, family and the condemnatory attitude towards homosexuality has been significantly damaging for lesbians. Lesbians from a Muslim background, in particular, are forced to confront religious dogma, which advocates the punishment of non heterosexuals leading them to repress and deny their sexuality. Despite this, an investment and belief in religion continues and remains important. In the present study the powerful appeal of religion and its influence on 5 Muslim women who identify as lesbian is explored. The study seeks to understand the way in which the women reconfigure their religious identity to address the difficulties they experience in incorporating discordant identities (faith and sexuality). The data gained indicates that rather than disconnect or reject their association with their faith they contest the condemnation of homosexuality within Islam, which in turn allows them to reclaim their Muslim identity. The alienation and ostracism the women experience from the Muslim ‘community’ has not led to their disaffection from Islam. Rather they resolutely pledge the importance of faith, practice and leading a life according to Islamic moral standards and principles. The women manage and integrate complex and layered aspects of their identity, through their commitment to Islam but also a determination to recognise an intrinsic aspect of the self that they no longer refuse to deny or suppress.
Islam is characterized as an extremely homophobic religion, which strictly forbids the union of t... more Islam is characterized as an extremely homophobic religion, which strictly forbids the union of two people of the same sex. This belief causes an immeasurable amount of strain and anxiety for lesbians because their feelings, desires, and emotions are considered “unnatural” and aberrant. The homophobic Islamic model of homosexuality thus celebrates heteronormative performances of gender and sexuality. In the present study, the issue of how religious identity interplays with sexual identity is examined. Using data gained from online interviews with five Muslim lesbians, the article considers whether the women identity within a discourse that negates their sexual orientation. Their lives as Muslim lesbians produces a unique intersection where religion and sexuality converge, yet they are forced apart by religiously sanctioned homophobia, preventing them from exploring and expressing their sexuality. The article further examines whether Islam is a source upon which and transgender) support group, the women continue to experience a significant degree of conflict. A reconciliation of faith with their sexuality is undermined by an unrelenting and intolerant religious attitude toward homosexuality.
KEYWORDS: Imaan, Islam, lesbian, lesbian identity, Muslim
Based on interviews with 30 Muslim women in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), this article examines and exp... more Based on interviews with 30 Muslim women in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), this article examines and explores the construction of their feminine identities. Very little research has attempted to examine the ways in which Muslim women understand and perform gender, and how their version[s] or meanings of femininity serve to reify gender differences. The study reveals that participants base their identities on four ideals of femininity: the possession of (stereotypical) feminine qualities; appearance; motherhood; and a belief in the traditional gender ideology. These ideals of femininity are distinct from Eurocentric assumptions, which promote particular images of feminine behaviour that my participants neither adhered to nor embraced. The research clearly illustrates a belief in a rigid demarcation between what is considered feminine and masculine.
In the last three decades, there has been a significant growth in the literature on lesbian ident... more In the last three decades, there has been a significant growth in the literature on lesbian identity and relationships, but the study of lesbians from a Muslim background is conspicuously absent. This article was prompted partly by the relative absence of research into the lives of Muslim lesbians in Britain, and partly by the fact that much of the literature on Islam and homosexuality has tended to focus on homosexual men, ignoring the position of lesbian sexuality in Islam. It also charts the difficulties faced by a heterosexual researcher in conducting an interview with a lesbian and calls attention to the invisibility of self-identified Muslim lesbians in Glasgow. The life story interview is used to explore the very hidden and untold story of a Muslim lesbian; as such the article draws heavily on the subject's narrative.
Based on interviews with thirty Muslim women in Glasgow, Scotland, the study explores the meaning... more Based on interviews with thirty Muslim women in Glasgow, Scotland, the study explores the meanings that women attach to modesty and the hijab. Fifteen of the thirty participants wear the hijab. The article begins with an overview of the debate between traditional Muslim scholars and Muslim feminists about whether the hijab is an Islamic obligation. It illuminates the significance of space, as veiling practices are deeply enmeshed and embedded in the spatial practices shaped by the local Scottish context. The findings and analysis reveal differences as well as similarities between wearers and non-wearers of the hijab. While the former regard the hijab as an embodiment of modesty, virtue and respect, the latter consider it an unnecessary piece of clothing. However, despite their contrasting views on veiling, both groups of participants hold remarkably similar views on the importance of female modesty.
The cultural processes of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality are acutely active wit... more The cultural processes of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality are acutely active within Islamic societies. The present study explored perceptions of ‘coming out’ among a group of British Muslim gay men (BMGM), focussing upon the potential consequences for identity processes and psychological well-being. Ten BMGM of Pakistani descent were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis and informed by identity process theory. Four superordinate themes are reported, including (i) “social representational constraints upon ‘coming out’; (ii) “‘coming out’: a source of shame and a threat to distinctiveness”; (iii) “fear of physical violence from ingroup members”; and (iv) “foreseeing the future: ‘coming out’ as a coping strategy”. Data suggest that BMGM face a bi-dimensional homophobia from ethno-religious ingroup members and the general population, which can render the prospect of ‘coming out’ threatening for identity. Theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.
Islamic Masculinities, London: Zed Books, Jan 1, 2006
Despite the undeniable contribution of contemporary sociological and historical works on homosexu... more Despite the undeniable contribution of contemporary sociological and historical works on homosexuality, the impact of religion on the identify of homosexuals has been dealt almost exclusively within Christianity. Amongst Muslims in particular, there is only fragmentary evidence, which allow us insight into the lives of homosexual Muslims. In spite of recent sociological interest, homosexuality and its relationship with Islam remains unexplored. This is principally because the primacy of the Qur'an, Ahadith and Shari'ah as sources determining sexual morality, are heteronormative and this has inevitably stifled debate about homosexuality. Homosexual Muslims, who until recently have been confined to a 'culture of invisibility' are now speaking out in their endeavour to both re-claim their Muslim identity and reconcile their faith with their sexuality. I regard the need for further study of the religious identity of homosexual Muslims to be of considerable importance and urgency. Given the paucity of material on this topic, my research is an attempt to begin to fill this gap. This chapter explores how some homosexuals combine a set of incongruent identities: homosexual, male and Muslim and how they reformulate their understanding to reconcile them. Although "Islam forbids homosexual practices (sexual relations between two men or between two women), regarding them a great sin" (Hewitt, 1997:29), the men affirm their Muslim identity and homosexual orientation. As a stigmatised minority, the men contest the rigidity of heterosexual gender roles; concurrently they call for changes to cultural attitudes and repudiate the idea of a divinely decreed heterosexuality. To give 'voice' to the respondents, this chapter draws heavily upon the narratives generously shared and expressed by seven homosexual Muslim men. The men were drawn from various organisations in London.
Islam’s explicit condemnation of homosexuality has created a theologically based homophobia which... more Islam’s explicit condemnation of homosexuality has created a theologically based homophobia which engenders the ntolerance of homosexuals by Muslims. In this article I explore Muslim attitudes towards homosexuality and homosexuals as this area has elicited very little research. Based on structured interviews with 68 Muslim male and female heterosexuals I examine the connection between participants’ attitudes towards homosexuality and their understanding of gender and gender roles. I also analyse whether participants’ views are shaped by their religious beliefs and values. Age, gender, education and level of religiosity are analysed to see whether they affect attitudes. Data suggest that participants held negative attitudes towards homosexuals and this is the result of being religiously conservative in their attitudes towards homosexuality and gender roles.
The patriarchal family is based on a hierarchical social structure which positions the man as the... more The patriarchal family is based on a hierarchical social structure which positions the man as the head of the family ‘ruling’ over women and children. This article draws on data obtained from structured interviews with 25 married Muslim couples living in Glasgow (Scotland, UK). It examines their views on the position of the family head. Exploring the hierarchical relationship between the husband and wife, the article considers how participants come to an agreement about who may assume this role and how it is to be fulfilled. It also explores how participants use religion to support and reproduce the patriarchal family structure based on the man as the head of the family.
This thesis explores the subject of masculinity and femininity through interviews with 68 heteros... more This thesis explores the subject of masculinity and femininity through interviews with 68 heterosexual Muslims (33 male and 35 females) in Glasgow and 7 homosexual Muslim males in London. The purpose of this study is to explore heterosexual masculinity and femininity from a Muslim perspective. While there has been much research on Muslim women, there has been very little work on Muslim men. In this thesis, I approach the subject of masculinity and femininity from a sociological and religious perspective. That is, my research examines 'Western' sociological theories of masculinity and femininity, and the interpretations of the Qur'an and hadith texts provided by traditional and modern Muslim scholars and compare them with what my participants have to say about their own constructions of femininity and masculinity. The principle objective of my research is to focus on the role that religion plays in shaping gender and sexuality. While sociological theorists see gender as something that is socially constructed and performed, traditional Muslim scholars portray gender as 'natural' and given by Allah. With my participants we see both constructivist and essentialist views being expressed. I look at how these views influence the daily lives, roles and behaviours of my Muslim participants. Research on homosexual Muslim masculinity has to date been non-existent. In interviews with 7 male homosexual Muslim men I examine how they 'accommodate' themselves within Islam's heteronormative social structures. I look at how they reconcile their faith with their sexuality and whether this represents a challenge to Islamic heteronormativity. I explore the implications this 'accommodation' has on homosexual's men's understanding of gender roles and relations, and in particular, how they grapple with the issue of masculinity and sexuality in Islam.
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Papers by Asifa Siraj
and [homo]sexuality and how this creates a framework of stigma that
compels some British Pakistani lesbians to remain within the closet.
The ‘closet’ here is a metaphor that describes the concealment of one’s
homosexual identity and the outward ‘performance’ of heterosexuality.
British Pakistani lesbians precariously inhabit a sociocultural
environment that constrains the expression of female sexuality.
Women who oppose and contravene heteronormative values and
ideals unsettle comfortable assumptions of heterosexuality. Being
in the closet keeps lesbians isolated and marginalised from their
ethnic and cultural communities. Drawing on findings from online
interviews with seven British Pakistani lesbians, the study explores
what shapes their decision to stay within the closet and how doing
so influences their self-perception. Being in the closet is a source of
considerable conflict, strain and anxiety, which has an impact on
the women’s readiness to embrace individual choice, freedom and
desire. Findings orientate the reader toward an understanding of the
multiple, interlocking systems of social relations within which British
Pakistani lesbians are marginalised as the result of their gender,
sexuality and ethnic identity.
Keywords: Islam, Lesbian, Muslim, Queer Friendly Islam, Religion
KEYWORDS: Imaan, Islam, lesbian, lesbian identity, Muslim
Conference Presentations by Asifa Siraj
and [homo]sexuality and how this creates a framework of stigma that
compels some British Pakistani lesbians to remain within the closet.
The ‘closet’ here is a metaphor that describes the concealment of one’s
homosexual identity and the outward ‘performance’ of heterosexuality.
British Pakistani lesbians precariously inhabit a sociocultural
environment that constrains the expression of female sexuality.
Women who oppose and contravene heteronormative values and
ideals unsettle comfortable assumptions of heterosexuality. Being
in the closet keeps lesbians isolated and marginalised from their
ethnic and cultural communities. Drawing on findings from online
interviews with seven British Pakistani lesbians, the study explores
what shapes their decision to stay within the closet and how doing
so influences their self-perception. Being in the closet is a source of
considerable conflict, strain and anxiety, which has an impact on
the women’s readiness to embrace individual choice, freedom and
desire. Findings orientate the reader toward an understanding of the
multiple, interlocking systems of social relations within which British
Pakistani lesbians are marginalised as the result of their gender,
sexuality and ethnic identity.
Keywords: Islam, Lesbian, Muslim, Queer Friendly Islam, Religion
KEYWORDS: Imaan, Islam, lesbian, lesbian identity, Muslim