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……..he could either spend his life in a wheelchair or endure a long process of breaking and stretching the limb.

On three occasions - in 1997, 2000 and 2007 - he had the tibia in his right leg broken and pulled apart in one or two places.

His leg was then placed in a metal cage with metal spikes drilled into the bone.

Four times a day Mr Gays turned the screws to pull the bone apart. The bone then knitted together - lengthening as it healed.

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This is ludicrous. Since when does secularism entail stomping on people’s rights to wear what they want. This form of seculo-fascism (with fascism becoming the new add-on cuss word) is retarded and idiotic. I mean, where else can you hear about a government falling because of a piece of cloth women wear on their heads.

You turks must’ve forgotten your days of glory, how you’re empire spanned across the most prime real estate of that time (and even today). You were making inroads in to Europe. Now you’re just happy to suck up to them. Joining the EU makes you proud. You’ve forgotten that your power, your influence, your mark as a civilization, the way your enemies feared you was because of one thing. You were the inheritors of a powerful legacy. You were the khulafaa of the time. Now you’re just a bunch of idiots with a serious identity crisis.

Turkey in more glorious times

Turkey today

You have no standing in the Muslim world. Europe doesn’t want you in. Heck, you have Israel and America for allies, an enviable position if there ever was one (that’s sarcasm if you missed it) In other words, you’re worthless. All because you agreed to take all that secularism bovine excrement that Ataturk shoved down your throats.

You want to set things straight? Here’s some advice. Stop troubling your citizens, those noble women who choose to maintain their modesty over education (an amazing sacrifice). Be proud of your Muslim legacy. Stop allying with terrorists, fascists, and racists a.k.a as Israelis. And finally, trim your stupid mustaches and stop shaving your beards.

Then later I read about this denunciation from McCain and I almost fooled myself in to believing that McCain actually took the principled stand of disassociating himself from that statement.

Boy was I wrong!

Imagine McCain dis-owning Rod Parsley because of his anti-islamic statements. Not happening I’m sure!

The following is a transcript of a lecture given by Shaykh Yaser Birjas (Hafizahullah) on the concept of Marriage in Islam. The Shaykh describes how the Islamic ideal of marriage both in its concept and its application is superior in comparison to the present day concepts.

Love is probably the most spoken about subject in the life of men and women today. People like to establish relationships and have a happy life. Most men and women have their own idea or concept about marriage and the concept of love as well. We see in the 21st century most men and women are enjoying the companionship of one another without having any specific limits except for a few.

They have started their own ideology and culture of love and relationships. It has changed a lot from the time when people used to appreciate the concept of family, marital life, being a spouse, being someone who cares, having the concept of children and building up a solid foundation for society.

In Islam, the institution of marriage is still solid, in theory and application as much as possible but we see that so many people are drifting from that mainstream culture of family and married life to something that is new in society.

We’re seeing many young people delaying their marriages. They aren’t even showing interest in getting married. We see so many young people pursuing their careers. They want to define themselves. But most of them are trying to define themselves through individualism. They want to be themselves, build careers, have degrees and be successful in this life and so forth.

Even the concept of success has drifted away from the concept of family to being successful individually and unfortunately many people are falling short when it comes to their relationship with their spouse. So we see the other problem in marital relationships that is people are getting married but this marriage doesn’t last too long. Many relationships end up in divorce, estrangement and sometime unfortunately in murder. They simply snap out from the relationship and they end up being violent when dealing with their spouse.

What is exactly is happening to the people and the concept of marriage?

I would like to talk briefly about the concept of marriage from an Islamic perspective. It has been summarized in one simple ayah in the Qur’an where Allah is saying in Surah Room, Ayah 21

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.

We see that the culture in the 20/21st century has become the ‘body culture.’ Everything is about beauty. People choose to marry based on physical characteristics; not asking about what is beyond that physical appearance. There is nothing wrong, of course, in pursuing something beautiful as this is a sign of perfection in mankind as well.

But as Muslims we believe that marriage is a sign of perfection in the life of man. Therefore, it something virtuous to pursue in this life in the legal way of course! And from this verse our ulama have extracted that a successful marriage is based on two factors.

- Love
- Mercy

Love is vital for a happy marriage but we also have (the oft ignored factor) of Mercy. Most marriages start with a loving relationship. Specifically living in this (modern day) culture we have so many people going for these ‘test drive’ marriages. And sometimes it is a drive-thru marriage. They just meet in a club or some casual event and all of a sudden they’re in love and they want to get married!

Where do we get these ideas of marriage from? Mostly, its from TV and fairy tales and so on. So the marriage starts with love, we see this in many situations and specifically in the life of celebrities, with so-called ‘loving relationships,’ which end up in divorce very soon after they get married. So what happened to that love they enjoyed before?

People have this feeling that love is permanent. They take it for granted, thinking it’s going to last forever. But once they begin their marital relationship, they realize that love is more than just a mere thought, or passion, or lust. Thats when mercy comes in.

So we believe that the love during marital relationships transforms itself in to different degrees and shapes. It starts with passionate love and when the wife becomes pregnant the husband and wife become more merciful and more loving to each other. In a different way of course because there is something else in their lives that they are going to share together.

After they have that child, that love is split between all of them as a family. Now the father has another purpose in life besides being loving to his wife. Now he is ready to sacrifice and wife will do the same. It’s all about love and mercy transforming themselves from one level to another.

Unfortunately, most people are living this idealistic dream of a ‘perfect relationship.’ Contemporary studies have proven this form of relationship is just an illusion. Marriages are not always perfect. Expect to have ups and downs. The good times and the bad times. Times when you’re really upset and times when you’re extremely happy. All of these are expected in a natural marital relationship. But if people expect to have that ‘perfect relationship’ where its all about love, thats when they see that the love is not there anymore and they go for divorce. Because there is no purpose served in maintaining this relationship. But if you think of love as action, that you need to do, that transforms in to a merciful relationship, you can expect the marriage to last long.

Family life should be all about love and mercy. It’s not solely about passionate love neither is it solely just mercy. It is a combination of the two. And we believe that the best solution for the passions of people in this life is to respect this value. The value of family and the value of marriage.

As Muslims, we believe that there are certain guidelines that people need to observe in their marital relationships. When we say marriage, we’re talking about a contract. And a contract has its own provisions that both parties should honor and observe. We have rights and obligations. These rights and obligations are what men and women share in life. All of this has been stipulated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . And by studying the best example for mankind, we can learn how marital relations can be smooth, loving and happy.

It is he himself, the Prophet , who said: The best among you are those who are the best to their families and I am the best to my family. And this of course is a recommendation for us to follow his perfect life as a model for mankind.

And Allah knows best.

The following is an explanation given by Shaykh Yusuf Estes, which deals with the issue of Prophet Muhammad ’s marriage to Ummul Mu’mineen Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her)

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The concern about the marriage of the Prophet with Aisha (ra) has usually to do with the age of Aisha (ra) at the time of her marriage. The question usually asked here is ‘Is it true that the Prophet married Aisha (ra) when she was a child? And if so, what does this mean and how do we understand that about child brides in Islam?’

What we want to tell you before we begin is that Islam is always about rights and limits. Never is it permissible in Islam to take advantage of anybody else. Allah clearly tells us that he does not oppress and he hates those who oppress and he forbids humans to oppress each other. So if you’re imagining some kind of oppression here, you can put your mind at ease; this is not oppression.

Let us now investigate what were the conditions and the customs and traditions of the people at the time of the Prophet . The Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula at that time used to marry a girl at any age. There was no limit on it. Because it wasn’t about sexual intercourse or anything. It was about establishing the right of marriage of a man getting to marry a girl and marrying in to a family. It was about tribalism and with little of any stipulation that the girl had any say or any rights. As a matter of fact, that was the last and the least of their considerations.

Additionally, in those days it was considered a shame on the family if they had a child that was a girl born to them. So some of the men would take these girls when they were born, in to the desert and bury them alive. That was considered the manly thing to do. And when a child was orphaned, lets say there was a little girl whose father passed away, then a man could come along and claim that I want to marry this girl and take all the wealth that she was to inherit. People would also take the wealth of boys and girls and mix it with their own wealth and claim that they were improving the condition for that child until they got old enough to make decisions for themselves. And obviously benefiting themselves with this mingling of funds.

So, when Islam came (in stages). It came with the thought that it is God who has authority over man. And this was the Tawheed, the monotheism that was the influential thought and teaching of Prophet Muhammad . And here now it was he showing God’s authority to behave, especially in this idea of being married. So there is a chapter now in the Qur’an about women.

In this chapter dealing with issues related to women, which is the fourth chapter. You can go to verse 19 which says ‘O you who believe. You cannot inherit women against their will.’ Meaning that you cannot take from them their inheritance and meaning also that you cannot marry them without their consent and they have to be old enough for the age of consent. This is very clear. A man could not marry a girl. He can only marry a woman. A woman meaning she’s old enough to have children, and mature enough to make these kind of decisions.

Now let us turn to the subject at hand, which is the age of Aisha (ra). Only Aisha (ra) herself is telling us about this. She is telling us in her own words what her age was when her mother came to her and she (Aisha [ra]) was playing outside, and her mother asks her to come in the house. She was six years old. Her mother takes her in to the house to see her father. Her father is there, offering her hand in marriage now to Prophet Muhammad . And this was a custom and tradition in their society. So it was definitely within the limits of the society they live in and it was approved of, but look at this. It wasn’t accepted by Prophet Muhammad .

How do we know this? Because if you continue reading, we find that she went back outside and continued playing. And this is to indicate what? That although this is very much appreciated, at least in intention, yet the girl’s not old enough and she must be the one to decide. Thats why you find another Hadeeth in the same book of Bukhari that mentions a different age. So you may wonder, is it 6 years old or is it 9 years old? Maybe they turned the number upside down?! But that’s not possible in Arabic :). In fact a similar incident happens in another place. Again her mother is taking her inside with her father offering her hand in marriage to the Prophet . At this time she’s older and in a position to make this decision. But then again they did not have any marriage until she gave consent.

The second part is that even when she got married to the Prophet , she didn’t go live with him until she was old enough to have children. That’s also a condition and an understanding in Islam. And even then, he (the Prophet ) took his time with her. She said herself, that they used to run, play, and enjoy being together. And she talks about growing up with him and also the mutual love and respect for each other. In her whole life she never mentioned any disparaging remarks against her husband. It was only the most glowing of reports that comes from her about Prophet Muhammad . Although he died when she was still a young lady, she continued in her life with full respect and honor. She never remarried.

She also became one of the best scholars in the area about telling us of women’s needs and women’s conditions and things that Islam is providing for women. We know a lot about this from Aisha (ra).

Additionally, I would ask you to consider how much he loved her. When he was dying, he wanted to be with her and he made a point to be there. And she would take care of him at this time. And he passed away with his head in her lap. Now this shows a great love between both of them. Yet she didn’t wail, or cry, or tear at her dress. Instead she understood that he was going to his lord. She also understood throughout the rest of her life that she also would go to her lord and that they would be together again in paradise living happily ever after.

I’d like you now to contrast this story that I’ve just told you with the story of Romeo and Juliet, which we usually associate with Valentine’s day and true love and young love. But in reality, the story that Shakespeare presents to us is no match for the beautiful story that I’ve just told you. Because those two of them (Romeo and Juliet), and they were children, perhaps 12-14 years old. They were going against the wishes of their parents and sneaking behind their back and they were not married. It was just an affair that they were having. And then one committed suicide and then the other followed. So this is the tragic result of the kind of love that is not acceptable in Islam. There is not boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. And there is certainly no sneaking behind the back of parents. Everything in Islam is out in the open. And everything is done by contract. And there is never any sex before marriage.

So put it in perspective and understand that the story (of the Prophet and Aisha [ra]) is what Shakespeare probably wishes he told instead of Romeo and Juliet. I hope this explanation was in some way able to put your mind at ease in relation to this subject because Prophet Muhammad was sent as a mercy to the whole of the mankind and jinn.

And Allah knows best.

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If you truly wish to be a man, if you truly wish to have value in life, then you must have strength of eeman and strength of character. You must not be from those people who are easily taken away by the distractions of this world. Like I said, we have 500 million men. If these men became real men, this world would be a nice, safe and ideal place to live in.

Greatness cannot be achieved by setting up false standards of manhood. Beauty is not a sign of manhood. Physical strength is not a sign of manhood. Anger is not a sign of manhood, rather controlling it is a sign of manhood. Good character is a sign of manhood, bad character is a sign of a weak person.

How do we raise our children to be true men? Our time has come and perhaps it is passing, but let’s take this chance to raise our children upon true manhood and making sure that they become the true men that we could not be.

First, Prophet Muhammad had something very beautiful. He used to call little children by their kunyah. He wouldn’t call them by their first names. An example of this is when the Prophet came to Omair who had a little bird, which was being naughty, trying to fly away. And a little bird in arabic is called Nughayr. the Prophet said, ‘Ya Aba Omair, maa fa’alannughayr?’ What did he call him? He called him ‘Aba Omair.’ In another narration, the Prophet was presented with a beautiful piece of clothing as a gift. He said bring Umm Kulthum here. Do you know who she was? ‘She was a small baby of one of the companions. And what did the Prophet call this new born child? Umm Kulthum, meaning ‘Mother of Kulthum.’ Do you see how it changes the psychology of a child when you call them ‘father of someone.’ Try it with your little brother. He’ll be surprised on being called a father. But it makes them feel older and more responsible.

Second, by respecting their rights and by giving them responsibilities. How many times do we see a child in the first row in salah. He bothered to take the time out to be in the first row and we see people coming and telling the children to go back. How do you think this little child is feeling? Rather you respect the children’s rights and you will see them having respect for themselves and having this manhood. In a hadeeth in Bukhari, it is narrated that the Prophet was given goat’s milk. He drank some of it and then he saw there were two people. To his right was a young boy and to his left was an old man. So he asked the little boy, Oh so and so, do you permit me to give this milk to the old man? And this young boy said, ‘No ya Rasoolallah!’ and so the Prophet smiled and he gave the milk to the young boy. Now what example does this set? The little boy is going to grow up respecting the rights of others.

Third, is to tell them the stories of the heroes of Islam, the salaf. How they were true men. How they did not need to prove their manhood by becoming effeminate. For example, the men wearing tight clothes, and also removing their beards, making is smoother than a baby’s back. Is this manhood?

Fourth, is to toughen your kid up. He is the apple of your eye. However, if you are a wise parent, you know that the world outside is not as nice and comforting as you are. Don’t surround them with luxuries, like the most beautiful of beds and softest of pillows and new clothes. The child is going to grow up thinking this life is a bed of roses and everything will be easy. But this is not the reality. And it is for this reason that Umar (ra) used to say, teach your children horse riding, archery, swimming, and poetry. When you’re swimming it gives you confidence, when you’re riding a horse, you’re controlling an animal that is bigger than you. We’re talking about how to build character here.

Fifth, is to teach them manners. And the best way is for you to be an example for them. How do you wish for your child to be man when you’re not a man yourself.

I ask Allah to bring back this true manhood to the Ummah just as he had bestowed this upon the companions of Prophet Muhammad and those after him. We ask Allah to make the 500 million men of this Ummah realize their potential, ability, and strength. And we ask Allah to bless this Ummah and to make it shine, as it shone before.

Allah knows best.

—–

Masha’Allah we have 1 billion people. 500 million men. Where are the true men amongst them? Show them to me, please! Because looking at them is ibadah. Speaking to them is ibadah. Being in their presence is ibadah.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, when Khalid bin Waleed (ra) was conquering the town of Hira and he had encircled it. And Hira was one of the most fortified towns of the time. He sent to Abu Bakr (ra) a messenger saying, ‘O Abu Bakr, I need help.’ Guess what Abu Bakr (ra) did. This wise man, he sent only one person. This person’s name was Ka’kah ibn Amar at-Tamimi. And there was difference among the ulema whether Ka’kah was a companion (of the Prophet ) or not. Allah knows best, the most correct opinion seems that he was a Taabaee. Anyhow, this individual was the only person Abu Bakr (ra) sent. Ladies and Gentlemen, if the greatest general on earth was sending a message to his leader saying I need help and the only help that was sent was one man, what would you say?

This guy has lost it. What are you doing? This is madness. You can’t win a war with one man!

But Abu Bakr (ra) said I am sending you the equivalent of a 1000 men. And he said the very voice of Ka’kah is better than a thousand men.

And another time, when Amr ibn Aas (ra) was conquering Egypt in the time of Umar (ra). He said, Umar I need madad, I need help. And so Umar (ra) wrote back to him, I am sending you 4000 men. How many did he actually send? He sent 4. He sent Miqdad, Maslamah, Az-Zubair, and Ubayd ibn Thabit. These are the only four men he sent. And in the letter he said, I am sending you the equivalent of 4000 men.

My Brothers and sisters, we’re not talking about war. We’re talking about manhood. We’re talking about how a single man can be worth a 1000 men. How is this ever possible? And all of the men here, if you aren’t feeling some shame in your heart and anger in your heart then truly there’s something wrong. Go to the doctor tomorrow! Let him check you out. Have an ECG to know if it’s working well.

Brothers and Sisters in Islam, true manhood is truly as salt in the food. You see how the salt in the food is so little. In the same way are true men. So very few. And that is why Prophet Muhammad in an authentic hadeeth in Bukhari said, True men are as scarce as the riding camel among the hundreds of camels. As you know the Arabs have camels and not all of them are suitable for riding. Most of them are suitable for milk and meat. But only some of them are suitable for riding as the others are so angry. So Prophet Muhammad gave this example.

Not only in the time of the companions, but in the times thereafter we find beautiful examples of manhood. For example, the people of Bosnia owe their Islam, after Allah and his Messenger to Tariq bin Ziad (rh). Do you know the story of this hero of Islam? He was a great general of Islam. He landed on the shores of Europe with 12,000 men and King Roderic, the king of Spain met Tariq bin Ziad with 100,000 Christian soldiers. When Tariq bin Ziad saw the enemy before him, he said ‘You Muslims, burn the boats!’ And so all the boats were burned while the enemy watched. The he told his men, there is either death by drowning, or death by fighting or victory before us, make your choice.’ Look at the manhood! By the grace of Allah , Tariq bin Ziad defeated them and conquered Spain and most of France and Sicily and went deep in to Europe until he took over all the areas we call Yugoslavia, Macedonia where we find so many Muslims these days.

We men have a lot of potential. Our potential is limitless. It is limited only by our minds, our weak eeman, our weak goals, our lack of understanding of the reason why Allah created us. Without doubt we can also achieve this. We can also be true men. Nowadays, when the brothers want to prove their manhood, they hit their women. They think it is a sign of manhood. People think fancy cars, muscular bodies, and good perfumes are a sign of manhood. People think age is a sign of manhood. But none of these constitute true manhood.

In the time of the Umayyad khilafah, an Arab came to the khaleefah of the time. The khaleefah said, ‘O so and so, let the oldest among you speak.’ The wise Arab visitor said. ‘O Khaleefah, truly if wisdom was to do with age then there would be others more worthy of being khaleefah than you.’ This is the strength of character we’re talking about.

Once Abdullah bin Zubayr, who was a small boy at the time of Umar (ra) was playing amongst the small children and Umar (ra) came to them and the boys got afraid and ran away but Abdullah bin Zubayr stayed in his spot. And so Umar (ra) went to him and asked him why he did not run away. The boy said, ‘Ya Ameerul Mu’mineen, I never did anything wrong. And the road is big enough for you and me. Just pass on.’ And this Abdullah bin Zubayr became the Khaleefah after the death of Yazid for 9 years.

What about the example of the children of the Muslims? In the areas where the bulldozers of the enemy come to destroy their homes. Little children with stones in their hands rush to fight these mighty machines made of metal. They wake up in the morning and their fathers are taken away and their mothers are raped and their sisters are killed. They wake up with only one goal. To free Philisteen. I am not saying that the children should be doing this. By the consensus of the Ulama, children should not be fighting. But my question to you is this. How shameful is it that our children have to do this? My second question is, Do you see the courage these little children have? This is the manhood that I’m talking about.

Allah describes to us those men who can truly be called men. And he says (translation of the meaning) These men are the following

- They are not distracted by buying and selling and commerce
- They establish prayer and pay zakat
- They fear a day when the heart and the eyesight will be turned away

These are the true men! And Allah also says, (translation of meaning)

And the true slaves of Allah , the true men are those that walk on this earth in tranquility and in composure. Not being frivolous, not with loud voices, calling names. And when the ignorant one speaks to them, they say ‘Salaam.’

This is manhood. Anger management is manhood. Directing your manhood in that which is right is truly manhood. How few are the people who do that! And Allah continues:

Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah . Those who are with him (May Allah include us in them) they are severe and harsh with the disbelievers and loving and kind with the believers. This is also something we have forgotten.

If we were to summarize manhood in one phrase, it is strength of character and strength of eeman.

To be continued

—–

Once Umar (ra) came to the companions and said ‘Make a wish!’ So some of the companions said that ‘I wish this whole room was filled with gold so that I could give it in the path of Allah . Another one said, I wish this whole room was filled with precious gems, so I could give it in the path of Allah .

Umar (ra) said, I wish this room was filled with people like the companions of Prophet Muhammad , and he mentioned the name of a few of them, so that I can raise the word of Allah high. Umar (ra) knew that the greatest natural resource of a country is not in its wealth, but it is in the true men of the country. The men who can be called men.

And I’m sure brothers and sisters you will agree, that these men are truly the most precious than any gold or any silver and any gems and any pearls. Many countries have lots of armor and weapons. But what good are they without true men using it. Many have good education and knowledge. But what good is it, without men teaching it to the people. Many countries have great projects, but what is the use without men leading these projects.

Brothers and sisters in Islam. Truly the value of a nation is not in its wealth. Alhamdulillah, the Muslim ummah has a lot of wealth. But what we need is men who can move mountains. They had men who could capture the sea. And subhanallah, it is for this reason that there is an authentic hadeeth in the saheeh of Bukhari (rh) in the chapter of Janzah. In the time of Marwan and in the time of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (rh) there was a small earthquake in Madeenah because of this the rooftop of the grave of Prophet Muhammad fell down. And when it crashed down a pair of legs became visible and the people became very amazed and thought that they were the legs of Prophet Muhammad . Even Umar bin Abdul Aziz (rh) was bewildered. Then Abdullah ibn Zubair (ra) said no these are the legs of Umar (ra). How many years was it since the death of Umar (ra)? Thirty years! And the grave had not eaten his body. How can the earth eat up a man who was true man? No, it truly cannot. Ibn masood (ra) states in an authentic hadeeth, we have never ceased to be powerful since the Islam of Umar (ra). Prophet Muhammad also prayed that Islam be made strong through one of two people, Umar (ra) or Abu Jahal.

My Brothers and Sisters in Islam, describe Umar (ra) to me. The companions would say he was a tall man. He was very bald. He was very very thin. He didn’t have six packs, he didn’t body build, he wasn’t a mister universe! But he was a true man. These (muscular bodies) are not the criteria of true men. These are not the characteristics that describe a strong man for us. In our times, people say by being strong or by being beautiful, you can enter yourself in the ten most sexiest people, then you are truly a man! And the women say, ‘This is a man!’ and they go weak in the legs. But in case of Umar (ra), the women would run away. Even the shaytaan himself would run away! Such was Umar (ra), a true man.

When Umar (ra) accepted Islam, what did he do? He bathed, then he prayed, then he went to the ka’bah and made tawaaf. Then he said, if there is anyone among you who wants to make his mother cry, who wants to widow his wife! Who wants to make is child an orphan, let him follow me down this valley. Follow me if you dare! This is Umar (ra). My dear brothers and sisters, Umar (ra) wasn’t (physically) strong, he wasn’t a super-human. But what he had was strength of character and strength of eeman. This is true manhood, this is Islam, which is missing in our Ummah.

To be continued

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The norm in society today, when it comes to sex, is that as long as adults consent they can do what they want. Therefore, child sex is out. And homosexuality is OK. When it was said to them that homosexuality is unnatural. They went around and looked in nature to find examples of some animals that displayed homosexual behavior. They did find some examples. Some male fish acting like the female after mating with the female. This argument is fine for those who think that humans are merely animals. Agreed we have some animal aspects, but we have the ability to make choices and think, which distinguishes us from animals. Another counter argument is the example of the black widow spider, which after mating kills its husband. Praying mantises will do the same. So now, is it OK for a woman to kill her husband after she becomes pregnant? Why not? It’s natural! So this argument really has no sound basis.

Back in the 80’s another argument developed stating that there is a gland, which is smaller in females in comparison to males. In homosexual men, this gland was also found to be smaller is size than in normal men. So they argued that this is biological proof that homosexual males have a different makeup than normal males. So they argued that these people are not homosexual because they learnt about this from society. But because they are naturally made to be like this. So it should not be considered a crime. But we need to see the reality of this study. The study was based on research done on dead adults. Who is to say that the child was born that way? There is no evidence for this. And who is to say that the decrease in the size of this gland was a result of this (homosexual) activity and not the cause? Therefore, this kind of argument again doesn’t hold any water.

In the 90’s a new argument developed saying again that this was genetic. A researcher by the name of Dr. Hamer at the national cancer institute claimed to have discovered concrete evidence for ‘gay genes.’ He was pointing out that the homosexual tendencies were being transferred on to the X chromosome by the mother. His findings were published in the prestigious Journal of Science. This publication transformed his career from a colorless government employee to a dynamic media personality. He wrote his own memoirs and he was also seen on television talk shows. He even went to Colorado to a discussion about the laws that were being introduced called ‘Proposition 2,’ which was an anti-gay proposition. There, he gave expert testimony in favor of the genetic origin of homosexuality so that this law is not implemented.

The reality is that though his study was published in a prestigious journal and it was on the front pages of newspapers all across the west, nobody followed up on what happened afterwards. When the University of Western Ontario tried to repeat his experiments, they could not find any linkage between the X chromosome and sexual orientation. Furthermore, it was pointed out that Hamer’s study lacked a control group, which is a fundamental for scientific research. How could that article have been published in that Science Journal? It is because it sells magazines. So without following the standard procedures, they publish his articles bringing him fame. Also, the Chicago Tribune in 1994, one year after the publication of Dr. Hamer’s findings, reported that a junior researcher in Dr. Hamers lab said that he (Hamer) selectively reported his findings. She was then dismissed, despite being a Ph.D student. Her revelation was not front page news. Therefore, even today you’ll find people saying that homosexuality is genetic. Later Dr. Hamer himself admitted that he is gay. So his study was shot down within in a year. But no one knows about it.

Another thing to know is that AIDS spread because of homosexual acts. This disease started out in gays, to which some people said that this is divine retribution. From an Islamic perspective, we agree with this because Prophet Muhammad said that when in society fornication becomes widespread, there will occur among the people illnesses that their forefathers hadn’t heard of. From gays, it spread to heterosexuals. It spread specifically among people engaging in illicit sex. This doesn’t happen in marriages even if they are polygamous.

Another point to note in this is that if we are to accept that God made homosexuals the way they are, then it is inconceivable that he would punish them for an inclination that they have no control over. Even if you bring evidence for this inclination being natural, there is evidence for inclinations to pedophilia and rape. That does not mean that we can run societies simply based on inclinations. We all have a variety of inclinations. When people are intoxicated these inclinations come out even more. However, we do have the ability to say ‘No’ to them. And the punishment that is prescribed in Islam is for not doing this (ie. saying No.) The punishment for homosexuality is no different from the punishment for fornication, which is death. It is not a special kind of punishment, but a punishment for deviant behavior that threatens the family structure in society. Of course, the application of the law requires four witnesses. The punishment isn’t simply meted out if someone acts in a feminine way. Only if a person confesses or if they’re witnessed by four people, while engaging in the act is the punishment given.

We find in Islamic law some principles that discourage this. For instance, Prophet Muhammed ordered that children be encouraged to pray when they reach the age of 7 and by the age of 10 they should be spanked for not praying. Furthermore, he commanded that the children be separated in their beds. Most people think that this applies to separating the sons from the daughters, but from the Islamic perspective, its also the males from the males and the females from the females. Why is this? Obviously, it is for one purpose, to prevent incest as well as homosexual activity. Because children are children, they may have inclinations to experiment. And if they experiment and find something pleasurable then later they may go to school and find somebody who reinforces that. That is where you find the basis for homosexual activities developing. So Islam closes the door to this.

Islam stresses on maintaining the distinction between males and females. Males shouldn’t dress like females and vice versa. It is forbidden. the Prophet said that Allah curses those women who dress like men, again not allowing a blurring of this distinction. The fashion industry, which is controlled by homosexuals, has promoted this blurring in the way men and women dress. Therefore, you will now find women wearing three piece suits, looking like men. Men wearing flowery garments that are virtually feminine dresses. So Islam stresses on this distinction also. This is all for maintaining the family structure in society.

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