“Why did Allah prohibit homosexuality? Didn’t He create homosexuals the way they are? Could the Creator be unknowledgeable of those whom He created, or is He unfair?”

Well, this is an important question, but answering it is not within my grasp of knowledge, this is why I tried to compile an extract of facts, and medical researches’ outcomes, from different medical articles written about this issue. The reader should not suffice with the data included in this post, but should try to indulge deeper into the subject, maybe he or she will be successful in presenting it in a more accurate and helpful manner.

From the fact Sheet utilized in teaching medical Classes on AIDS, published as part of “The AIDS Epidemic in San Francisco: The Medical Response. 1981-1984. Volume I, an oral history conducted 1992-1993,” published by the University of California, Berkeley, 1995— this information was based upon a distillate of the knowledge accumulated by San Francisco general hospital “SFGH”, the university of California-San Francisco “UCSF”, University of California-Los Angeles “UCLA”, Stanford, several hospitals in New York and the combined efforts of the AIDS Task Force at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. There are no other authorities to turn to, for more or better information.

What is A.I.D.S?
“Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome,” is a disease of previously healthy people who for some reason develop diseases seen only in the immuno-deficient. The deficiency appears to be permanent and is not explained by other known immune defect diseases. While there are several theories as to what it is, the one felt to be the most likely is that it is a new virus, not previously seen.

Who is at risk?
Homosexual and bisexual men (75% of cases)
Heterosexual men, women, and children (25% of cases)
Hemophiliacs, IV drug abusers, Haitians, 5% unknown risk factors.
(End of adaptation from the facts sheet)

Of course there is no need to say that since homosexuals comprise such a small percent of the population (about 1-3 %), they have a significantly higher rate of infection than heterosexuals. In order to make things clearer, we need to take a sample look at what some of those who work in the medical field had to say about this issue.

“Susan Brinkmann”, a well experienced nurse, in her article “Health risks of the homosexual lifestyle” published back in 2004, threw some light on the harms of homosexuality based on facts and statistics reached by many physicians and medical centers through many years of observation. Among what she stated is the following:

“A 1997 New York Times article reported that a young male homosexual has about a 50% chance of getting HIV by middle age. (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Gay Culture Weighs Sense and Sexuality,” New York Times (Late edition, east coast), November 23, 1997, section 4, p.1)

 As of 1998, 54 percent of all AIDS cases in America were homosexual men and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) nearly 90% of these men acquired HIV through sexual activity with other men. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998, June, HIV or AIDS Surveillance Report).

Even more alarming, the Center for Disease Control & Prevention reported in 1998 that an estimated half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under 25. Among 13 to 24 years old, 52% of all AIDS cases reported among males in 1997 were among young men who have sex with men. (CDC Fact Sheet: “Young People at Risk,” Center for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention Division of HIV or AIDS Prevention, July 24, 1998.

Researchers at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver conducted a study to assess how HIV infection and AIDS is impacting the mortality rates for homosexual and bisexual men. Lead by “R.S. Hogg” and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (vol. 27, no. 3, 1997, pp 657-661) they reached an alarming conclusion:

 In a major Canadian center, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality continues, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years will not reach their 65th birthday. Under the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban center are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871.

In addition to AIDS, there is a long list of maladies that attack homosexually active persons. Of particular concern is anal cancer. According to “J.R. Daling”, “Correlates of Homosexual Behavior and the Incidence of Anal Cancer”, Journal of the American Medical Association 247, no.14, 9 April 1982, pp. 1988-90: The risk of anal cancer soars by 4000 percent among those who engage in anal intercourse.”
(End of adaptation)

Dr. “John Diggs, Jr”, a Practicing Internist in “Wing Medical Center”, a researcher in area of sexually transmitted diseases, member in the “National Advisory Council of the Family Research Council” and Co-chair member of the “Massachusetts Physicians Resource Council”, in his article “The Health Risks of Gay Sex” explained further these harms in a more academic way. Among what he wrote:

“Anal intercourse is the sine qua non of sex for many gay men. Yet human physiology makes it clear that the body was not designed to accommodate this activity. The rectum is significantly different from the vagina with regard to suitability for penetration by a penis. The vagina has natural lubricants and is supported by a network of muscles. It is composed of a mucus membrane with a multi-layer stratified squamous epithelium that allows it to endure friction without damage and to resist the immunological actions caused by semen and sperm. In comparison, the anus is a delicate mechanism of small muscles that comprise an “exit-only” passage. With repeated trauma, friction and stretching, the sphincter loses its tone and its ability to maintain a tight seal. Consequently, anal intercourse leads to leakage of fecal material that can easily become chronic.

The potential for injury is exacerbated by the fact that the intestine has only a single layer of cells separating it from highly vascular tissue, that is, blood. Therefore, any organisms that are introduced into the rectum have a much easier time establishing a foothold for infection than they would in a vagina. The single layer tissue cannot withstand the friction associated with penile penetration, resulting in traumas that expose both participants to blood, organisms in feces, and a mixing of bodily fluids.

Furthermore, ejaculate has components that are immuno-suppressive. In the course of ordinary reproductive physiology, this allows the sperm to evade the immune defenses of the female. Rectal insemination of rabbits has shown that sperm impaired the immune defenses of the recipient. Semen may have a similar impact on humans. 

The end result is that the fragility of the anus and rectum, along with the immuno-suppressive effect of ejaculate, make anal-genital intercourse a most efficient manner of transmitting HIV and other infections.

A 1988 survey from the “Center for Disease Control and Prevention” CDC identified 21 percent of all Hepatitis B cases as being homosexually transmitted while 18 percent were heterosexually transmitted. Again since homosexuals comprise such a small percent of the population (only 1-3 percent), they have a significantly higher rate of infection than heterosexuals.

Anal intercourse puts men at significant risk for anal cancer. Anal cancer is the result of infection with some subtypes of human papilloma virus (HPV), which are known viral carcinogens. Data as of 1989 showed the rates of anal cancer in male homosexual practitioners to be 10 times that of heterosexual males, and growing. Thus, the prevalence of anal cancer among gay men is of great concern. For those with AIDS, the rates are doubled.
(End of adaptation)

Regarding the “Emotional and mental harms of homosexuality”, “Susan Brinkmann” gave briefs of the following:

Two extensive studies published in the October 1999 issue of American Medical Association Archives of General Psychiatry confirmed the existence of a strong link between homosexuality and suicide, as well as other mental and emotional problems.

Youth who identify themselves as homosexual, lesbian and bisexual are four times more likely than their peers to suffer from major depression, three times more likely to suffer anxiety disorders, four times more likely to suffer conduct disorders, six times more likely to suffer from multiple disorders and more than six times more likely to have attempted suicide.

Many homosexual activists point their finger at homophobia as the cause of these disorders, but the most extensive studies have been done in the Netherlands and New Zealand where homosexuality is widely accepted.

In an interview with Zenit News, Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a child and adult psychiatrist in practice for more than 27 years, said: “Compared to controls who had no homosexual experience in the 12 months prior to the interviews, males who had any homosexual contact within that time period were much more likely to experience major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Females with any homosexual contact within the previous 12 months were more often diagnosed with major depression, social phobia or alcohol dependence.”

He concluded by saying, “Men and women with a history of homosexual contact had a higher prevalence of nearly all psychiatric disorders measured in the study. These findings are the result of a lifestyle marked by rampant promiscuity and an inability to make commitments, combined with unresolved sadness, profound insecurity, anger and mistrust from childhood and adolescence.”
(End of adaptation)

Dr. “John Diggs” also included the following data in his article:

Multiple studies have identified high rates of psychiatric illness, including depression, drug abuse and suicide attempts, among self professed gays and lesbians. Some proponents of GLB rights have used these findings to conclude that mental illness is induced by other people’s unwillingness to accept same-sex attraction and behavior as normal. They point to homophobia, effectively defined as any opposition to or critique of gay sex, as the cause for the higher rates of psychiatric illness, especially among gay youth. Although homophobia must be considered as a potential cause for the increase in mental health problems, the medical literature suggests other conclusions.

An extensive study in the Netherlands undermines the assumption that homophobia is the cause of increased psychiatric illness among gays and lesbians. The Dutch have been considerably more accepting of same-sex relationships than other Western countries in fact, same-sex couples now have the legal right to marry in the Netherlands. So a high rate of psychiatric disease associated with homosexual behavior in the Netherlands means that the psychiatric disease cannot so easily be attributed to social rejection and homophobia.

The Dutch study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, did indeed find a high rate of psychiatric disease associated with same-sex sex. Compared to controls who had no homosexual experience in the 12 months prior to the interview, males who had any homosexual contact within that time period were much more likely to experience major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Females with any homosexual contact within the previous 12 months were more often diagnosed with major depression, social phobia or alcohol dependence. In fact, those with a history of homosexual contact had higher rates of nearly all psychiatric pathologies measured in the study. The researchers found “that homosexuality is not only associated with mental health problems during adolescence and early adulthood, as has been suggested, but also in later life.” Researchers actually fear that methodological features of “the study might underestimate the differences between homosexual and heterosexual people.”

The Dutch researchers concluded: “This study offers evidence that homosexuality is associated with a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders. The outcomes are in line with findings from earlier studies in which less rigorous designs have been employed.” The researchers offered no opinion as to whether homosexual behavior causes psychiatric disorders, or whether it is the result of psychiatric disorders.
(End of adaptation)

Dr. Diggs stated in his article that suicide rates among a San Francisco cohort were 3.4 times higher than the general U.S. male population in 1987 (Homosexuals today comprise 15.4% of San Francisco’s population). More over there has been much more cases of “physical abuse” reported between homosexuals than between heterosexuals in relation to their population.

“Susan Brinkmann” stated that: “A recent study published in the ‘American Journal of Public Health’ has shown that 39% of males with same-sex attraction have been abused by other homosexual men.”

A study by “Susan Turrell” titled “A descriptive analysis of Same-Sex Relationship Violence for a Diverse Sample,” and published in the Journal of Family Violence (vol 13, pp 281-293), found that relationship violence was a significant problem for homosexuals. 44% of gay men reported having experienced violence in their relationship, 13% reported sexual violence and 83% reported emotional abuse. Levels of abuse ran even higher among lesbians with 55% reporting physical violence, 14% reporting sexual abuse and 84% reporting emotional abuse.

As outrageous as it might sound: “Most medical groups have embraced the homosexual agenda and are advocating that lifestyle despite all the scientific studies and medical evidence that demonstrate medical and psychological risks” said Joseph Nicolosi, President of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. “Homosexual activism and political correctness are clearly trumping science.”
(End of adaptation)

As for the question saying: “Didn’t God create homosexuals this way?” Science has the answer in the following statement: “Researches designed to prove that gays and lesbians are ‘born that way’ has come up empty. There is no scientific evidence that being gay or lesbian is genetically determined.” Even researcher “Dean Hamer”, who once hoped he had identified a ‘gay gene,’ admitted later that: “There is a lot more than just genes going on.”

In the article titled “This is the Way God Made Me”, A Scientific Examination of Homosexuality and the ‘Gay Gene’, by Brad Harrub, Ph.D., Bert Thompson, Ph.D. and Dave Miller, Ph.D., a very good summary of the studies aimed to determine whether a gay gene existed or not is presented. From what they have stated:

“In June of 1998, University of Chicago psychiatrist “Alan Sanders” reported at the meeting of the American Psychiatric Association that he had been unable to verify Hamer’s results. In 1999, George Rice and his colleagues from Canada looked intently at the gene Xq28 that hamer described. They included 182 families in their study, they observed: ‘These results do not support an X-linked gene underlying male homosexuality.’ They noted: ‘It is unclear why our results are so discrepant from Hamer’s original study.  Because our study was larger than that of Hamer, we certainly had adequate power to detect a genetic effect as large as was reported in that study.  Nonetheless, our data do not support the presence of a gene of large effect influencing sexual orientation at position Xq28.’ “

That is a tactful way of saying that any claims of having found a ‘gay gene’ were overblown, if not outright false, and that Hamer’s results are dubious at best. Commenting on the study of Rice and his colleagues, Ingrid Wickelgren remarked: “…the Ontario team found that gay brothers were no more likely to share the Xq28 markers than would be expected by chance…  Ebers interprets all these results to mean that the X linkage is all but dead” (1999).

“Consider the obvious problem of survival for individuals who allegedly possess a gay gene: individuals who have partners of the same sex are biologically unable to reproduce (without resorting to artificial means) and taking in to consideration that this was not available except since only a few years ago, Therefore, if an alleged ‘gay gene’ did once exist, the homosexual population would have disappeared altogether.”

At 2003, Robert L. Spitzer who is a Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City, United States and is on the research faculty of the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research conducted a study on 200 self-selected individuals (143 males, 57 females) in an effort to see if participants could change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Spitzer observed: “The majority of participants gave reports of change from a predominantly or exclusively homosexual orientation before therapy to a predominantly or exclusively heterosexual orientation in the past year.” In summarizing his findings, Spitzer declared: “Thus, there is evidence that change in sexual orientation following some form of reparative therapy does occur in some gay men and lesbians.” He thus concluded: “This study provides evidence that some gay men and lesbians are able to also change the core features of sexual orientation.”

“We now know that it is not scientifically accurate to refer to a ‘gay gene’ as the causative agent in homosexuality.  The available evidence clearly establishes that no such gene has been identified.  Additionally, evidence exists which documents that homosexuals can change their sexual orientation by therapy.  Future decisions regarding policies about, and/ or treatment of, homosexuals should reflect this knowledge.”
(End of adaptation)

Many other issues are still discussed by specialists and researchers regarding homosexual life, like the children’s need for both parents in their lives and upraising, the causes of homosexuality that could be prevented, the psychiatric treatment that has proven to be effective with many cases in reforming their sexual behavior and rectifying their mental orientation (as reported by Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, who has practiced child and adult psychiatry for 27 years, that about half the cases subjected to therapy got better), etc…

Hence, from the statistics, we can realize how the communities that practice illicit sexual relationships like fornication, sapphism and sodomy, are more vulnerable to the epidemical and incurable diseases we have given a brief of. At the end of 2008, it was estimated that 1,178,350 persons were living with HIV infection in the United States. CDC estimates 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, one in five (i.e. 20%) of those people are unaware of their infection. Unfortunately, the western media propagates ideas like “Safe sex”, “Homosexual activism”, “Free sex”, etc., instead of propagating knowledge about the harms and risks of such relationships.

By all means, this is their choice. All we can do is to ring the warning bell, then it’s up to them whether to take heed or ignore us. As for the Islamic law, in Islam: fornication, adultery, anal sex, gay sex, lesbian sex and animal sex are all prohibited. Any sexual relationship outside lawful wedlock between a male and a female is prohibited. By all means, marriage is the purest way of life, so why forsake it for what’s risky?!

For more info, kindly visit Homosexuality and health Wikipedia page, it includes links to some of the most recent findings related to this issue.

N.B.: This post was my trial to search into the causes of prohibiting homosexuality in Islam. It’s not intended to attack others, nor will you find me insulting anyone throughout the post. Hence, there is no need to be so nervy about it. Every day we read, see and listen to opinions we don’t like, that’s normal, we are not all alike. People are not empty disks upon which some higher entities have the right to record their own perspectives. I don’t have the right to do that, and you don’t too. All one can do is to express his/her opinion and the evidence supporting it, then it’s up to the reader whether to follow this opinion or that. So, you may dislike my post, or posts, that’s understandable; but I think that at least, we should all share one thing, and that’s our normal human inclination towards warning others when we believe that they are in danger, and this is what I tried to do based upon my personal beliefs, that’s it. If I was right, then this is a bliss from our maker, and if I was wrong, then it’s because I’m only human.

May Allah guide us all to the truth, Ameen.