Comments on: New study claims 16% of Iranian men have had gay relationships

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:49:16 +0000

My boyfriend is a Malaysian Muslim. This may sound like a contradiction in terms, but somehow the cognative dissonance involved doesn't hold him back in either his religious persuits or the bedroom.
He once explained that there's a less hardline Muslim culture amongst certain sects in the middle east of not viewing the active partner in a gay relationship as gay, due to the idea that he's adopting "The man's role". Naturally this sounds like BS to me, but it seems to work for some people. In any event my BF takes a versatile approach between the sheets. Go figure!

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By: Tony

Tony — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:54:55 +0000

Only 16%…mmm, only 16% admitting to it, l reckon.

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By: Arman

Arman — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:40:58 +0000

I have to remark, that arabian society is not in any way comparable to the Iranian one, because it is an open although there harassments, laws and and…
I as iranian man, had may first gay experience, i was 11 Years old. During that time, some of my colleagues made it for money. I also had experience with the opposite sex. It was and is like a style phenomenon, because the regime had forbidden all the things, thus the forbidden things became excited.
Nowadays there are drugs which replace the former excitements. It is a tragedy in a country, in which all things became popular, which are forbidden. The people look at that behaviour as an demonstration of opposition to the regime.

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By: Har Davids

Har Davids — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:45:34 +0000

Even government by bigots won't change people's behaviour. Time for change for Ahamdinejad, with percentages like these, he must be surrounded by gays.

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By: john wilfred sharp

john wilfred sharp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:34:14 +0000

for sure it is true
islam breeds more gayness as women are off lines
but the world is full of 20% gays bi les and trans so not to worry we are here to stay .

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By: Andrew Quick

Andrew Quick — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:56:49 +0000

President Ahmadinejad doesn't know the meaning of the word morality.
He should be taken from power.

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By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:25:35 +0000

Homosexuality is part of our diverse world. If anyone is offended, or grieved, then ask, why? Why does it offend? It is not sufficient to hide behind the framework of a philosophy. You must ask why does the writers say it is not right. The Kings of Persuasion love their ignorant soldiers, whose pay-off is self-righteousness.

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:52:41 +0000

Andy, you're so right! So much for Islam touted as a peace-loving cult that values human life yet executes people for who they are. Its beyond hypocrisy.

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By: Clay

Clay — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:39:55 +0000

So I wonder if they'll choose hanging or beheading when they execute this woman. Either/or a gay witch hunt.

Andy's comment above is spot on. A straight guy I know was constantly hit on by male students while teaching English in Saudi Arabia, several of whom seemed less gay than merely up for a yet another sensual experience.

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By: Ivan

Ivan — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:32:27 +0000

This preponderance of same sex experiences in a social environment that is deeply unaccepting of such activity goes a long way to explaining (hypocritic) expressions of homophobia.

As Shakespeare would put it, they protest too much.

Johan Hari addresses the theme in this article. As it is with hip-hop, so it is with religion.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-hiphop-homophobes-they-are-probably-gay-1380365.html

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By: apYrs

apYrs — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:16:45 +0000

no doubt either:
1 he'll be prosecuted and imprisoned for defaming Iaranina men and the State

2 murdered

3 flee and try to seek asylum in a western country

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By: Riondo

Riondo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:04:30 +0000

Traditional Islamic societies have always been very openly homoerotic, including the literature (the Arabian Nights contains some steamy stuff usually left out of popular Western translations). An Ottoman Sultan once said he would worship his boyfriend if Allah did not exist. A friend of mine visiting Tunisia was hit on by everybody from shopkeepers to policemen. Only modern Islam, which has become repressive and persecuting in a way any medieval Caliph would find astonishing, is amnesiac and revisionist about all this. Let's hope it finds its way back to the good old days, at least in this regard.

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By: andy

andy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:10:14 +0000

Anyone who's lived in a strict islamic country isn't going to be remotely surprised by this. If anything i think the figure is way too low, hardly surprising that some men would lie about same sex experiences when they are punishable by death! i've lived in Yemen which is possibly stricter than Iran, and gay sex was everywhere and so easily available. No surprise in a country where women were completely out of bounds. Just another example of Islamic hypocrisy

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