Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Date of Submission

2024-08-19

Advisor

Dr. Moiz Hasan, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Committee

Dr. Amana Raquib, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Gender, Sexuality, Morality, Identity

Abstract

In recent times, the global influence of the LGBTQ+ movement has increased at an unprecedented level. With the social and cultural indoctrination of the LGBTQ+ being at an all-time high, Muslims are one community that are faced with the challenge of staying true to their religious and moral commitments in environments where opposition to the movement is viewed as nothing short of oppression and moral deficiency. This makes the topic of Islam and its conflict with LGBTQ+, a pertinent one. This paper stems from the understanding that any real discussion about the conflict between Islam and LGBTQ+ must be centered on outlining the differences in the Islamic and secular liberal conceptualization of how gender and sexuality relate to the human identity and telos (purpose in life). The reasoning behind this approach is that people’s view of gender and sexuality cannot be understood in isolation. Rather, it can only be understood through an evaluation of what role their gender and sexual desires play in their understanding of who they are as human beings and what their purpose in life is. Consequently, this paper focuses on outlining the key differences in how gender and sexuality are understood by a person subscribing to the secular liberal worldview vis a vis a person subscribing to the Islamic worldview. It begins with an evaluation of the historical trajectory of the LGBTQ+ under the backdrop of liberalism, revealing that it is premised on notions about human identity and morality that are not universal, rather are culturally and historically contingent to the West. Having questioned the universalization of liberal values pertaining to gender and sexuality, the paper then proceeds to highlight the Islamic perspective on gender and sexuality as an alternative. Overall, the paper focuses on outlining the key points of departure in terms of the underlying ethical framework, metaphysical frameworks, and subsequent departure in the conceptualization of gender and sexuality, under both, the western secular liberal worldview, and the Islamic worldview.

Pages

99

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