Homophobia and Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran

Sepehr Masakeni
From Khiaban #52

In this article I want to ask: What is the sexual regime in Iran? and What is the link between homophobia and fundamentalists in Iran? If I were to describe this matter in the abstract, in my opinion Iranian fundamentalists’ homophobia is based on the relationship between religion and technology. The nature of a prevailing sexual ideology, like its reproductive idea suppresses the very idea of homosexuality

First let's take a look at Islamic fundamentalism and raise areas and look into the roots of it. You may suspect that homosexual behavior by Iranians would come from their homosexuality tendencies. This would be a rational thought, that homosexual desire is free in Iran rather than modern Western societies. This behavior can be easily seen in a part of the religious class of Iran's religious government. However with these homoerotic behaviors, what place is there for homosexuality in Iran, repression and denial of its very existence? This confusion stands out when the three punishments are taken into consideration; burning at the stake, throwing from a cliff and destroying a long wall over the accused to homosexuality.

The separation of emotional and sexual actions (sodomy) alone would not be efficient in solving this problem. Action by Islamic fundamentalists in Iran is not just the prosecution and punishment of those who are active. Islamic fundamentalism uses modern tools and knowledge for monitoring and controlling the community rather than its traditional function which was only focused on sodomy and the pursuit this matter in more subtle ways. A police project entitled "Combating social corruption" calling patrols "Guidance police" - the equivalent of the moral police in fascist societies are examples of the conflict with Islamic fundamentalism and cultural signs, gay connection with the sexual interaction as homosexual or to quote them “deviated” acts. The unfortunate link between Islamic fundamentalism as a sequence of industrial society techniques has brought a difficult situation upon homosexuals sexual which has created a particular basis and must be indigenous to a new understanding. Modern perspectives provide a way for understanding this issue, and more importantly the understanding the situation inside Iran. This article attempts to better that understanding based on pre-knowledge of the situation described above whereby they techniques and values of capitalist society to religious hatred is linked homosexual tendencies and has created multiple hatred.

Here we will consider two questions: The nature of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran as a regime's sexual nature and according to what the regime in Iran is based, sexuality and other problem is that what political solution can be offered to deal with this regime?

Religious fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism especially the Shi’ite kind has evangelic trends regenerating religious point of views. But unlike other religious fundamentalists’ emphasis on sacred experience, the emphasis here is the literal interpretation of religious text and religious command according to religious writings. Running such commands will resort to power, so this close relationship with fundamentalism calls for close relationship with politics. In order to achieve this holy idea, Shiite fundamentalist have no second though on resorting to the unholy. Political Islam is a model of relationship between religion and modernity in which part of modernity obtained and another part is neglected; meaning the focus on power and technique will be obtained and focused on individual freedom is the set aside and neglected.

If we accept modernity the two forces and rationality are hand in hand meaning the flexibility that modern moral values such as freedom and rationality, is related to the disciplinary tool and controlling nature, modern contribution to the Shiite religious fundamentalists would be disciplinary rationality meaning full force can be focused on monitoring the implementation of his holy orders. Therefore must not be surprised if the Taliban uses modern technologies and the Islamic Republic following nuclear technology, nanotechnology and other technologies to control public opinion and the media, and filtering technologies and to provide this type of development competition, but has no regards to the civil rights and freedom, and even ridicules democracy. This contradiction is not in conflict behavior of fundamentalists but is in modernity that leads to this dichotomy in developing countries. But the nature of fundamentalism has no dichotomy. It's nature can have a form of fundamentalism automation called holy orders. Meaning an automatic force that without internal deepening goes after enforcement of the sacred texts and tools.

Part of the rules that must be ran by fundamentalist in the field of sentences is about gender. Shiite fundamentalists carefully run all that ends up to sexualization. Gender separation plan in public environments, such as public transportation, recreational and creating a separate tracks and sport environments, separation of academic environment such as college campuses, even, and many other resort to legal idea which is based on privacy of the two sexes and the intensity of it help rule out sexual tensions outside of marriage. Therefore, the mentioned sexualized environment bring s about homoerotic tendencies in men and women. In such environment the lack of space may be marked with the traditional sexual behavior in some traditional matters can be seen as homosexual tendencies. It seems possible that the environment over homosexual contact is seen more than modern societies and might surprise passengers from the west.

But such tendencies can be seen more often in more growing traditional atmosphere of before the revolution. Such ignorance of environmental aspects, will loos it's color after the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in order to monitor social conduct. Homophobia is the traditional Islamic fundamentalism and is also the ultimate goal of growth automation fundamentalists. To obtain a tool for monitoring social rationality is now time for round two which is homophobia awareness. That is seen in it's first goal of the following divine orders. Homosexual desire for sexual theology is one of the highest ranked crimes after manslaughter, and the only crime that is worthy of burning in fire is sodomy. On the other hand this fundamentalism with it's modern equipments goes after minimal signs of homosexuality. Part of a project called "social security" which police official formally followe any signs homosexuality.

A transsexual friend was forced to change his appearance after several arrests and harassments to rescue himself from moral police's tracking and prosecution. My homosexual friend was arrested for having long hair. He was undressed at the time of interrogation, to identify the signs of homosexuality on his body. His shaved body was identified as a problem and brought up more investigation upon him that a so-called male-oriented being can not have such physical appearances. Another homosexual was tortured in the most deceitful way, he hes and hair was urinated o before he was freed from prison.

Sexual characteristics is of the fundamentalist Muslim regime of sexual role differentiation and is identified based on physical appearances. Often thought to leading technology in the field of sex-exchange iran would be pro as for their rights. Closer analysis of the sexual behavior of the Islamic Republic regime is clear is that the issue is not their rights, but the damage that trans-sexualism brings upon a person's ideology. In the film, “be like the rest” the director describes this situation so that this sex-change is a way of maintaining the boundary of sexual identity, re-established the male and female androgyny. Otherwise, all the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence that defines rights and gender assignments will fall apart and from this respect homosexuality tear apart their standards and beliefs. A gay woman or man is pleased with hers/his sexuality and des not see the solution in sex-change, nor do they see any scientific or medical problems with their behavior, they only desire their same sexes body and company which itself disrupts the Islamic jurisprudence. For example, about a woman or a man is clear is that much blood money, inheritance is how much, What are the prayer, job rights and other issues. In fact, most sentences read jurisprudence must first ask if the subject is a woman or man. This is the default question. If it is a medical based gender deficiency and to find based on Islamic jurisprudence and what is the topic of constraint and is not subject to involuntary circumstances what is their right? In homosexual's case it seems like the jurisprudence seems to undergo crisis if the gender cannot be identified. But medical came to rescue Shiite jurisprudence and introduces technology to the Shiite fundamentalists which defines the gender can be changed with an operation. So this could be a misunderstanding the rational regime of Iran to the Shiite fundamentalists has been transformed to a paradise for homosexuals. But this has caused by conflict with the jurisprudence has faces and political Islam has tried to solve with the use of modern technology.

In this example the need for supervision and discipline can also be seen in the sexual regime of fundamentalists against their traditional self is not only sodomy, though is any indication that the Islamic regime can suffer damages. Be it the brand of clothing, the makeup and eyebrows or the shaved skin of some boys. homophobia in today's Iran has created the most difficult form of repression to provide sexual tendencies.

Movement for a Solution

In Iran speaking of the rights of sexual minorities is harder than being gay. Indeed, if homosexuality itself has consequences, defending sexual actions particularly is considered corruption on earth and its sentence categorically execution. With regards to pornography websites such as Avizoon the police are responsible for the prosecution and detention of web authors - writing about sex in addition to torture and filmed confessions, being accused of corruption on earth, guarantees severe punishment for them. "Homosexuality" is also cited in their charges. In this climate homosexual rights activists’ task is clear. To those who have been active in this field in Iran it is also clear that the smallest mistake could be your last mistake and with no time for resistance. So activity for the overthrowal of such a regime in Iran may seem impossible.

All activities in the field of homosexual rights and minorities campaigns are to be underground. So the main activities in this are in virtual spaces where they can be written about. The Internet is where new forms of gay identity have grown and alongside them activist gay writers provide other norms to the reader which affects the harvest of traditional homophobia. Although this effect is limited today, homophobia awareness begins with the Internet.

The Iranian regime's fear of sexual libido and resorting to the most modern tools of repression has meant that even

this last trench of resistance is not to be expected. The Whirlpool Corps project which was created to suppress and stop such sexual websites is an example of gender planning of modern Islamic fundamentalism which does anything to not only undermine indications of sexual interactions, can also be seen in the indictment of other porn sites and blogs recently presented to the court. At the moment the only safe form of resistance that has remained with the link to external forces knowledgeable about the regime of sexual activity as well as linking to other streams of radical acts. Today such activity continues in spite of all the difficulties and bureaucracy, and however gradual, this path is being pursued by Iranian sexual minorities’ rights activists.