Repeal of 377A|Saturday, November 03, 2007
I have just read a reply to BH, this individual wrote in to comment on the current debate with regard to the repeal of 377A. Hmm. Usually I would not read Malay forum pages but the fact that this comment came all the way from Belfast, Northern Ireland, caught my eye. And I thought I might share with you people my point of view about the whole issue altogether.
Honestly speaking, I have not been keeping up with the issue, lest for the seemingly frequent updates I got from Ridhwan. Haha! And the current furor by Alfian Saat’s defamatory email. But I get the sense that our community is pretty quiet about it. In BH, the main comments on the matter were issued mainly by the community and religious leaders. Are our people concerned about this issue at all? Do we even know that this issue is not at all exclusive to the ‘mainstream’ Chinese community but is also a matter of huge concern to us, the so-called ‘side-lined minority’? Or is the ‘Malay/Muslim’ (as we are popularly known to be) community still treats this matter as a TABOO subject, one that should not be spoken of publicly… and we continue to ‘THINK’ that these ‘issues’ are not at all PREVALENT in our society?
I know that I may be making sweeping statements but I am not at all obliged to do research on this. But hey. Dear orang ‘melayu/islam’, we no longer live in a vacuum, a secluded world of our individual fishing villages and kampungs. These issues with regard to homosexuals are REAL. And please. This matter has existed since zaman Nabi Luth, where his people do conduct homosexual activities. We all know that it is wrong…and forbidden by the religion. But do we, ignore the matter, and consequently, ignore and side-line and ostracized these homosexuals? With me even touching on this issue, I am not trying to be a homosexual activist, but I thought we could all perhaps, be more vigilant and accepting. Note: my use of the word ‘accepting’ means that we should accept their PRESENCE as HUMAN BEINGS. Saya tahu bahawa masyarakat kadang-kadang malu dengan adanya mereka yang sebegini, di antara kita. Tetapi, kita tiada hak untuk mengasingkan mereka. And we do not have the right to JUDGE them at all. Janganlah kita cepat untuk mengutuk mereka dan membuat andaian bahawa mereka akan terus terjerumus dalam neraka dan sebagainya.
In fact, I think… our community should learn to accept these differences, these individual differences that clearly exist amongst our people. I feel that homosexuality do not take place just like that. There is no such thing as somebody can be BORN a homosexual. Sexuality is a condition, it is not biological. Sexuality is a SOCIAL construct, it is not inborn. Since sexuality is therefore learned… we need to realize that the realms outside our own bodily functions play a very IMPERATIVE role in constructing our sexuality. Therefore, what I am trying to say is… something must have caused or triggered someone to be inspired to become a homosexual. His experiences with people, his personal relationships, his work place conditions, his neighbourhood, his family, etc etc. So, we must understand his ‘reasons’ for being gay or her ‘reasons’ for being lesbian. I think it is possible to retract them to the right path. First, by understanding them. Second, by suggesting to them alternative reactions to the ‘trigger’ conditions.
Homosexuality is like an ideology. It takes time to learn to be one. And it takes a longer time to unlearn.
This can also be applied to other social problems in our community or society, for that matter. We keep blaming other people for our ‘problems’, with the hope that somebody can work something out.
The religious institutions will say: “Oh! It is not a matter of weakened religious knowledge. People make babies illegitimately because they have mental sexual illness.”
The politicians will say: “Oh! These social problems exist only in the other extreme end of the society. And they are inevitable. We should also look at individuals who have been successful.”
The social services will say: “Oh! These people do not want to help themselves. We can only do so much.”
I am amazed. Kalau gitu, pusing-pusing… gitu jugak. We can NEVER escape. Solutions from me? Haha! Go back to basics. Education. Pendidikan. Ilmu. Iqra. And realize that… dalam dunia ini, tiada apa yang kekal. And believe that God is there. It is difficult, I know. To even believe in God’s abstract existence. As human beings, we are indoctrinated with this maxim… “Seeing is believing.” But I think, through ilmu… we can be closer to God. *smiles* It is Him who created this world. He knows.
ehh to all those reading my blog (macam bynk gitu eh...) wahai korang-korang yang membaca blog hamba... kasilah point of view..terima kasih!
* spoken&willspeakagain*
12:44 PM
