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Identity Conflicts - Gay British Pakistani Muslims
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Ahmed, a gay British Pakistani Muslim, knows his religion forbids homosexual acts but believes Allah is perfect and loves him. Ahmed took part in a recent study published in the British Journal of Social Psychology by Rusi Jaspal and colleagues from the University of London that looked at how gay British Pakistani Muslims cope with their, seemingly, incompatible identities.
The recent high profile gay Muslim storyline in EastEnders and comments from the Pope on the UK's equality legislation seem to suggest religious beliefs and homosexuality are mutually exclusive.
In this study 12 self-identified gay British Pakistani Muslims discussed how they dealt with the irreconcilable parts of their identity. Some saw this as a test from Allah, some believed the religious texts had been misunderstood, others blamed their UK upbringing but most of them expressed guilt, the desire to stop and hope to marry women.
'I'm gay cos I was brought up here (in Britain)but I reckon if I'd been brought up in Pakistan then I would have turned out straight because this doesn't happen that much there.' (Sajid) All participants' names were changed for anonymity.
Rusi explained: 'The fascinating part of this research is how most rejected any personal responsibility for their sexual identity. Instead some argued that they were born gay and therefore part of Allah's creation (a corner stone of the Islamic faith is the belief Allah is perfect). Others blamed external factors such as Satan or their upbringing.
Interestingly those who seemed more at ease with their sexuality interpreted their religion as being more of a personal spiritual relationship with Allah rather than an association with the institution of Islam. Conversely, those who attached particular importance to the institution of Islam did not generally see the reinterpretation of holy scripture (to de-stigmatise their sexual identity) as a viable option.'
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