Muslim Religious Leaders Release Statement Claiming Islam’s Right to Homophobia

The full statement can be found here:

navigatingdifferences.com/clarifying-sexual-and-gender-ethics-in-islam/

Here is a ChatGPT summary for the TL;DR crowd:

Muslim scholars and preachers representing diverse theological schools have collectively articulated Islam’s position on sexual and gender ethics. They assert that the ultimate source of morality for Muslims is Divine guidance, rejecting the notion that reason or societal trends should dictate moral principles. While Islam’s tradition of jurisprudence accommodates diverse perspectives and cultural norms, principles explicitly stated in revelation, deemed necessary and agreed upon by qualified scholars, are considered immutable. Islam’s position on sexuality and gender includes the permission of sexual relations within marriage exclusively between a man and a woman, and explicit condemnation of same-sex relations, premarital and extramarital sexual acts.

Islam recognizes the spiritual equality of men and women, although they have different characteristics and roles. Islam strictly prohibits medical procedures aimed at changing the sex of healthy individuals, except in cases of biological ambiguities. The distinction between feelings, actions, and identity is emphasized, with accountability falling on actions rather than thoughts and feelings. Muslims are discouraged from identifying with labels that categorize them by their sins, and privacy is respected.
Efforts to reinterpret Islamic texts to affirm LGBTQ ideology are categorically rejected as they contradict established Islamic teachings.

Questions for discussion include:

1. The scholars reject reinterpretations or revisions of religious doctrine to accommodate LGBTQ ideology, asserting that certain aspects of sexual ethics in Islam are considered immutable. Do you believe that religious doctrines should be open to revision to adapt to changing societal values, or should they remain fixed? What are the potential implications of either approach?

2. The authors argue that Islamic sexual and gender ethics are based on Divine guidance, rather than reason or societal trends. What are your thoughts on this perspective? Do you believe that religious teachings should take precedence over reason and societal changes when it comes to moral principles?