Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/151593)
So, where is the love?, 24 December 2011
by Josh Hong
This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.
The quote above is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, as uttered by Polonius in the play. However, how many in the real world can earnestly tell themselves that they lead a life of sheer honesty and fool no one?
It is written in John 8: 32 that the truth will set you free. The truth here, of course, refers to Jesus himself. Many churches take the liberty to interpret it wildly, to the extent of arguing that whoever believes in Jesus will be liberated by true freedom in all aspects of life, hence the True Freedom Trust in the UK that seeks to help homosexuals rectify their sexual orientation.
But does being honest with oneself always bring about freedom? Not necessarily. The Eastern Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Empire considered homosexuality a sin so great that it would give rise to natural disasters and human catastrophes, and demanded harsh punishment against those who engaged in it.
Justinian the Great succumbed to the call because he was desperate to restore the glories of the former Roman Empire through territorial expansion, and would need the Church to endorse his divine right to rule
This was the inception of the centuries-old atrocious persecution of homosexual communities across Europe and West Asia, with public castration being a norm. Since women did not directly participate in the empire-building process, lesbians were largely spared the ordeal.
The paradox was that, in an atmosphere of religious authoritarianism furnished with phoney calls to love one another, love, understanding and tolerance simply disappeared. Instead, prevalent silence at the societal level added fuel to the zealotry of the religious and political elites.
Boswell's ground-breaking work
When the late John Boswell of Yale University published his ground-breaking, if controversial Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality in 1980, many a gay activist derided him for seeking to whitewash the historical crimes of the established church against homosexuals.
Yet Boswell had a point, for he went to great lengths to explain the Catholic Church was surprisingly tolerant of homosexuality between the mid-11th and mid-12th century period. The feudal law at the time stipulated that only the eldest son could inherit land, so many who had opted for priesthood or monasticism were compelled to quit in order to get married and produce offspring so that the lineage could be maintained.
The Catholic Church then prevented clergymen from marriage and having sons, but would acquiesce in homosexual activities in view of their sexual needs. With the rise of the conservative camp several decades later, the religious authorities banned homosexuality completely and punished offenders by death. This served as the prelude to the notorious sodomy law in Europe for centuries to come.
It is therefore clear that the exclusion and persecution of sexual minorities in history were nearly always politically driven, aided by the connivance of the masses that claimed to believe in heavenly love.
Capitalism played a part too. The drastic transformation triggered by the industrial revolution in the 18th century prompted women and even children to join the labour force, while nuclear family became a key societal unit.
There were intricate links between churches and the industries, as business elites were well represented in, for instance, the Church of England. Severe punishment against homosexuality ensured it would not become a trend that could result in population decline, thereby threatening market expansion and industrial production.
Wilde 'lost for words'
Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish playwright, was a double victim of such religious intolerance. His homosexual proclivities were so strong that he found them insurmountable. Still, he was forced into a marriage, and was later imprisoned for having an affair with a man. It is said that Wilde once advised his sons not to make their mother cry, only to be asked what would happen to the absent father who made the mother cry.
I can imagine an otherwise eloquent Wilde lost for words. He was duty-bound to care for the family for it was his own choice, yet he never quite felt love in high society and the church. This great soul fully embraced God while in jail. After all, what the church did in the name of religious sanctity might not reflect God's actual grace.
Wilde's experience alerted the leftists in Germany at the time. August Bebel, a founder of the Social Democratic Party and a devout Marxist, cautioned in the Reichstag that Europe must not overlook the alarming numbers of men, including many in high positions, that were driven to suicide because of their sexual orientation, while arguing that harsh laws in this regard would only create a more violent and self-righteous society.
Ironically, the progressive visions of the leftists were only materialised in West Germany - after the Nazi calamity. Over the border in the allegedly 'leftist' East Germany, discrimination against sexual minorities persisted right until the final moments of the socialist state.
Much progress, no doubt, has been made in much of Europe, the Americas and parts of Asia as far as sexual minorities' rights are concerned, but challenges remain.
Recently, the United Nations passed a resolution against the killing of minorities, under which is a reference to sexual orientation. However, member states with questionable and horrible human rights records such as China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Malaysia voted against it, signaling daunting tasks ahead in these countries.
As for mainstream churches, they either choose to remain silent or adhere to their long-held position against it, citing biblical teachings. In the US, some leading figures in the Christian right movement have even described the global AIDS epidemic as a 'gay plague', conveniently oblivious to the fact that the victims are also mostly those who are socially marginalised: drug addicts, sex workers and the poor. Do they all deserve to die because of social poverty?
On the one hand, all religions teach one about love and compassion, yet the believers often fail to demonstrate these religious elements when it comes to issues that they are least comfortable with.
The biggest danger facing the sexual minorities in Malaysia comes from conservative Muslim forces, the latest victim being Azwan Ismail, who has been made to bear the brunt of verbal abuse and even death threats.
Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi, the PAS Youth chief, has urged the government to take stern action against homosexual communities. Prior to this, he had suggested that New Year and Valentine Day's celebrations were responsible for baby dumping (perhaps Christmas Eve's too, but he is clever enough to avoid the political landmine).
In his opinion, sexual delinquency can only be cured with whipping and stoning, and his fanatical position on homosexuality did not quite shock me.
Staggering lack of support
What worries me most, in fact, is the staggering lack of support from other politicians and religious leaders for Azwan. They may disagree with Azwan's decision to come out, but surely issuing death threats is not the way to promote dialogue and understanding. So why are they predominantly silent?
Azwan only has a simple request, that he does not want to fake a living by marrying a woman just to fulfill some societal or religious expectations; he only desires to be honest with his own self, and that should threaten nobody really.
Sadly, our society has a double standard for honesty for, more often than not, we hope everyone would just carry on faking so that the world around us may operate in 'perfect harmony'. As Amir Muhammad writes in his blog, we are badly in need of a fictitious life in order to uphold the 'values' of the community.
But aren't fakery and love the strangest bedfellows? So why can't they just leave Azwan alone in his brave pursuit of personal truth? And for those who vow the ultimate action, I am afraid they are only doing the greatest disservice to their own faith.
May this blessed Yuletide draw us closer to love, compassion and understanding.
JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.
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