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A lecture last week at the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies (CNES) offered a mixture of intellectually deficient material mixed with a dash of bigotry. It was delivered by Joseph Massad, associate professor of modern Arab politics and intellectual history at Columbia University.
The topic of Massad’s lecture was “Pre-Positional Conjunctions: Sexuality and/in Islam.” While past CNES lectures resulted in Israel-bashing and anti-Semitism, UCLA finally decided to honor its commitment to diversity by attacking another minority group. This time, homosexuals had their turn in the multicultural bile wheel.
From inception to completion, Massad’s lecture was nothing more than gay-bashing. This was on par with the thesis of Massad’s 2007 book, Desiring Arabs, which posits that gay sexuality among Muslims does not exist. Rather, it is a Western plot designed to undermine the Muslim world.
Massad echoed many of these bigoted themes in his lecture. He explained that “Queer is about resistance to Islam.” Similarly, he said that “There is no Arabic transliteration of queer. It is a judgmental notice of deviance.” In a particularly striking claim, Massad insisted that, for Muslims, concepts like “hate and sexuality are only translatable to English-speaking people.” Muslim honor killings, presumably, are only a figment of non-Muslims imagination.
Massad also used the occasion to present a novel – and decidedly homophobic – conspiracy theory. “Queer is an imperialist term,” he announced. “It is part of the Anglo-American gay agenda.” Indeed, according to Massad, “queer is an example of cultural imperialism.” It followed, by his perverse logic, that the “use of ‘gay’ in Iran is imperial politics.” The claim called to mind Mahmoud Ahmadinejad notorious speech at Columbia University, in which he assured the audience that there are no gay people in his country. It’s notable that the views of a theocratic despot should find such staunch backing in the hear of supposedly progressive academia.
Most bizarrely, Massad admitted he was “very interested in talking to people about their sexual experiences if they want to tell me.” Ostensibly, Arabs and Muslims would have been excluded from that discussion, since Massad also claimed that “there is no such thing as Iran/Arab/Muslim sexuality. Sexuality is an English notion.”
During a question and answer period, an audience member brought up Massad’s apparent discomfort behind the word “queer.” What word should be used instead, the questioner wanted to know? Challenged on his views, Massad offered up an answer that revealed much about the close-mindedness of modern academia. “I am not sure any discourse is necessary,” he said.
Eric Golub is the publisher of the Tygrrrr Express blog. He wrote this article for Campus Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum.
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[...] 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment Massad also claimed that “there is no such thing as Iran/Arab/Muslim sexuality. Sexuality is an English [...]
[...] Joseph Massad At UCLA: Gay-Bashing 101 Share and Enjoy: [...]
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World:
"Whatever the legal strictures on sexual activity, the positive expression of male homeoerotic sentiment in literature was accepted, and assiduously cultivated, from the late eighth century until modern times. First in Arabic, but later also in Persian, Turkish and Urdu, love poetry by men about boys more than competed with that about women, it overwhelmed it. Anecdotal literature reinforces this impression of general societal acceptance of the public celebration of male-male love (which hostile Western caricatures of Islamic societies in medieval and early modern times simply exaggerate). …. "
In a tradition from the Arabian Nights, Muhammad was said to have warned his followers against staring at youth because of their beauty: "Do not gaze at beardless youth, for they have eyes more tempting than the houris."
Homosexuality was and is widely practised in Islamic conutries. To please the homosexuals among his followers the Prophet promised them pre-pubescent boys in Paradise. So after committing plunder, loot, rape and murder in this life, the followers of Islam get "rewarded" by untouched virginal youths who are fresh like pearls.
The relevant verses from the Koran are:
Koran 52:24:
"Round about them will serve, to them, boys (handsome) as pearls well-guarded."
Koran 56:17:
"Round about them will serve boys of perpetual freshness."
Koran 76:19:
"And round about them will serve boys of perpetual freshness: if thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered pearls."
Many famous poets in Arabia glorified homosexuality. Here and example from a poem in 'Perfumed Garden' by Abu Nuwas:
"O the joy of sodomy!
So now be sodomites, you Arabs.
Turn not away from it–
therein is wondrous pleasure.
Take some coy lad with kiss-curls
twisting on his temple
and ride as he stands like some gazelle
standing to her mate.
A lad whom all can see girt with sword
and belt not like your whore who has
to go veiled.
Make for smooth-faced boys and do your
very best to mount them, for women are
the mounts of the devils."
Homosexuality is hardly part of an Anglo-American gay agenda to corrupt Islam, but part of an Arabic and Islamic culture from its very beginning. And much more accepted in Islam than in Christianity.
Funny.
You are trying to defend "homosexuality in Islam" and elect to do so with snippets from the Koran that allegedly promote pedophilia.
Gay Activists are perpetually insisting that the gay community does not have a severe problem with pedophilia, though research shows a rate of pedophilia many times higher than in the rest of society. Your little window into your soul as shown here either: (1) shows clearly your perverse pedophile interests prove the problem among gays with pedophilia; or, (2) shows you are a deviant within the gay community who, unlike others, wants to despoil little boys. I'll leave it to you to figure that out.
Ipso's post contains not a single word of advocacy, one way or another. Your own imposition of motives in what appears to be a straightforward elucidation of historical facts seems far more suggestive of a deviant intention than your target. By your logic, three-fourths of academia should be in jail for promoting the illicit deeds that they simply research and clarify. Pederasty was rampant in Muslim realms for centuries (and probably still is), as any cursory reading of history will confirm.
Trying to understand
so – you are saying Ipso was NOT trying to defend "Homosexuality in Islam"?
or, are you saying he was NOT doing so with snippets from the Koran that allegedly promote pedophilia?
If you CAN'T come to an actual finding of these 2, then I would argue that my conclusions hold.
Thank you for being objective. I am just pointing out some historical facts and not engaged in pasing moral judgement.
However, it is interesting to note that none of the monotheistic religions have stated a minimum legal age of concent in their Holy Scriptures, thus implicitly allowing peadophilia with the opposite sex.
The concept of peadophilia as an illegal act was formed by humanistic thinkers and later adapted in Christianity and Judaism, but is still foreign in Islam.
Mohammed promised many things in the Islamic paradise the first being young boys with alabaster skin, the second all the intoxicants that they could want, and lastly women without bad breath, no body hair or periods. Just goes to show where his desires lay.
[...] Here is another link on this lecture on diversity and tolerance This entry was posted in Islam, Islam on campus, Sharia Law, U.S.A., [...]
“There is no Arabic transliteration of queer. It is a judgmental notice of deviance.”
——————————————————-
TRANSLITERATION? "Professor" Massad's got his terms mixed up. What he means is
TRANSLATION.
Transliteration is a spelling mechanism, having to do with how something sounds in one language and "transliterating" it (using the alphabet of the 2nd language) into another language so speakers of the 2nd language can pronounce the term. It has nothing to do with the "meaning" of a term.
But he's wrong even here. I personally know several common and widely understood contemporary Arabic words for "queer" and it's epigones. Here they are (transliterated into English from Arabic):
MAMHOON……….SHAADH………MANYAK…….KHAWAL….and so on.
If the good Professor were to hear these words, I guarantee you he would immediately understand what they mean and be forced to eat his contention that the term "queer" does not exist in Arabic.
Ahhhh, yes,,,,here we go again defending defending the deviancy and debauchery of the turd pirates and the tuna fish breaths and of course, the standard condemnation of those who won't sanction homosexuality.
If homosexuality has never existed in Arabia, then why does the Quran state, "Thou shalt not lie with a man, like you lie with a woman."
That sounds a lot like homosexuality to me.
ummmmmmmmmmmm
it sounds, rather, like an admonition AGAINST homosexuality.
Exactley, if it had never happened, then why have an admonition against it? Logically, since there is an admonition, it has happened before, and Mohammed was afraid it would happen again.
Just saying.
Ya know —- I'll bet you are right and it DID happen. Once. Maybe twice. Or more.
But even the devotees of Mohamed realized it was a path to destruction and admonished against such deviant behavior. And they have held fast to their belief, the progressive movement notwithstanding.
Of course, WE are lucky enough to have a host of folks from Hollywood to SF filling the airwaves about how darned 'backward' such notions are. Lucky us.
Just saying …….
Joseph, in the Koran, homosexual acts only occur when the male has facial hair. The Koran encourages sex with young boys since this is viewed as desireable over sex with women, and much safer since women are believed to be demon-filled.
Our Judeo-Christian culture is based on the Bible. The Bible states children are gifts given by G-D. Precious human beings to be protected by adults from every type of abuse.
HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR IS COMMON IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN
FOX NEWS
Afghan Men Struggle With Sexual Identity, Study Finds
An unclassified study from a military research unit in southern Afghanistan details how homosexual behavior is unusually common among men in the large ethnic group known as Pashtuns — though they seem to be in complete denial about it.
An unclassified study from a military research unit in southern Afghanistan details how homosexual behavior is unusually common among men in the large ethnic group known as Pashtuns — though they seem to be in complete denial about it.
The study, obtained by Fox News, found that Pashtun men commonly have sex with other men, admire other men physically, have sexual relationships with boys and shun women both socially and sexually — yet they completely reject the label of "homosexual." The research was conducted as part of a longstanding effort to better understand Afghan culture and improve Western interaction with the local people.
The report details the bizarre interactions a U.S. Army medic and her colleagues had with Afghan men in the southern province of Kandahar.
In one instance, a group of local male interpreters had contracted gonorrhea anally but refused to believe they could have contracted it sexually — "because they were not homosexuals."
Apparently, according to the report, Pashtun men interpret the Islamic prohibition on homosexuality to mean they cannot "love" another man — but that doesn't mean they can't use men for "sexual gratification."
The group of interpreters who had contracted gonorrhea joked in the camp that they actually got the disease by "mixing green and black tea." But since they refused to heed the medics' warnings, many of them re-contracted the disease after receiving treatment.
The U.S. army medic also told members of the research unit that she and her colleagues had to explain to a local man how to get his wife pregnant.
The report said: "When it was explained to him what was necessary, he reacted with disgust and asked, 'How could one feel desire to be with a woman, who God has made unclean, when one could be with a man, who is clean? Surely this must be wrong.'"
The Pashtun populations are concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The Human Terrain Team that conducted the research is part of a military effort to learn more about local populations.
The report also detailed a disturbing practice in which older "men of status" keep young boys on hand for sexual relationships. One of the country's favorite sayings, the report said, is "women are for children, boys are for pleasure."
The report concluded that the widespread homosexual behavior stems from several factors, including the "severe segregation" of women in the society and the "prohibitive" cost of marriage.
Though U.S. troops are commonly taught in training for Afghanistan that the "effeminate characteristics" of Pashtun men are "normal" and not an indicator of homosexuality, the report said U.S. forces should not "dismiss" the unique version of homosexuality that is actually practiced in the region "out of desire to avoid western discomfort."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon/ci.Afgha...
A retired Army physicain at our church relates the same experiences. VD's are so pervasive in Afganistan to have actually been declared an emergency. The problems faced by medical personnel is that Afganie men refuse treatment and of course pass the disease on to wives and others they come in contact with.Cases of oral VD is rampant in children as young as 3 years of age and parents are frequently confused as to the origins of the disease and resist treatment. A very sad enviroment to live and die in.
In the Garden of Eden – there were only two people created by G-D – one man and one woman. Adam and Eve. NOT one man and one young boy. Or two men. For the Muslim male in the above article to declare that G-D made woman unclean is a terrible insult to G-D. Have these people no sense of the goodness, holiness and purity of G-D? G-D gave woman as a lovely gift to man to be his companion because G-D regarded the woman as the PERFECT companion in EVERY way for the man. G-D's work is perfect! Who will dare to defy G-D by suggesting otherwise?
Appreciate your comment, Linda. Especially after having attempted to be conned by Russian emails…one in Kazan, the other in St. Petersburg, both with same pictures…Love it…My faith in women has been reestablish reading your comments. BravoBilly aka BillytheHat
GOD WHO? WHAT GOD? Hmm! A man-made contrivance to compensate for mans fears and ignorance and nothing more!
[...] Read more at FrontPage Magazine. [...]
Why is it that – in spite of the continual denials – the gay community is ripe with pedophiliac cravings?
Most people NOT in the gay community see child molesters as evil and subhuman. Many gays continue to see little boys as fresh meat.
Whatz up wid dat, gays?
As a gay dude I have a problem with Mr. Massad . In fact Eric Golub and I have many times discussed the homophobic tendencies of Mr. Massad over dinner and we both are appalled at his comments.
Is that supposed to be a slap at DOCTOR Massad or praise?
A claim that someone is "homophobic", it seems to me, has evolved into a badge of honor.
but, one never knows. Perhaps you mean this in the way the term was used BEFORE the current spate of activism.
Believe it or not, a very large number of the people David Horowitz tries to get on hs side– such as white Christian conservatives– continue to see homosexual behavior as a sin and a shame, not 'in the genes' but a dislocation of normal sexuality which can and should be suppressed in its expression, and can and should be rectified by reparative therapy.
Until a few years ago this was also the attitude of the law, the medical profession and the 'enlightened'. At best, homosexuals were expected to keep their practises and the arrested-development psychology which impelled it to themselves. 'Don't ask, don't tell' was for all, not just the military, and this country was a less sordid place for it.
Besides, as others have noted, the incidence of pederasty and paedophilia is enormously higher among male homosexuals than the normal majority, and don't ever let their spokesmen kid you otherwise. It is bound to be so, because a homosexual is by definition a man who never grew up.
Don't expect us to spring to the defense of this sainted 'minority' just because some obscure professor has some disagreeable things to say about their perversions.
Wow! Talk about having missed the point! How did this discussion come to focus on indicting gays OR Islam? What is notable about this story is the fact that the academic community can't bring itself to denounce either! The intelligentsia is in a quandary, since they so pride themselves on their unconditional acceptance of both groups. Would they behave similarly if a campus GLBT group publicly trashed Muslims…? This is the kind of thing that could cause a campus intellectual's head to explode.
Which would be a start…
the most lucid thing spoken here.
I almost would wish it to happen – just for the purposes of science, mind you.
The strangest part of the wonderful Professor Joseph Massad is that he must
live a closed and cloistered life without news. Can I be wrong or did he totally
miss the recent hangings of two gay boys in Iran. Well maybe Iran is not part
of the Islamist culture. To bad for those young men that the Professor was not
available to give evidence and testimony at their trial that the offense does not
exist and thus no foul no harm, no ham is a given.
Were you at the lecture?
No?
Have you ever been quoted in the media? If "yes", then you would be a bit more timid about the kind of conclusion you jumped to.
Perhaps Massad was saying that deviance was not 'common' as it seems to be here. But, since only 2.3% of the population is homosexual (according to the latest CDC report), the "appearance" of commonality seems to just be the out-of-control PROMOTION of homosexuality. So, maybe he was saying homosexuality is not PROMOTED in his native country as it is here. Or, maybe they do not tolerate it as is done here (ergo the hangings – maybe these 2 were inducting little boys into their nest – not tolerated there; ho hum here).
But i guess you were in attendance and so know first hand what REALLY happened.
What conclusion? Perhaps?Maybe? Maybe? Timid, not in my never humble
opinion. If you are a fly on the wall you are in the wrong building. You need
to read more carefully…………William
A man and his inner fool are not easily parted.
You have nothing to say.
[...] organizations seem blind. On yesterday’s Front Page Magazine, straight blogger Eric Golub reported on a “lecture last week at the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies (CNES)” where Joseph [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kawthar, Columbia Pride and amr ahmed el desouky, FrontPage Magazine. FrontPage Magazine said: Joseph Massad at UCLA: Gay-Bashing 101: A Columbia professor claims that homosexuality is an imperi… http://bit.ly/9Fe9Dg #news #politics [...]
We all know that if these same things were said about homosexuals by a caucasian professor of Anglo heritage he would not have a job the following day. However, the homosexual lobby continually refuses to declare open hostility towards Mulsims who kill homosexuals just for being homosexual, and instead focuses its attention and outright hatred upon Christians, who only DISAGREE with homosexuality and don't advocate murder when it comes to homosexualitty.
THAT is a real perversion.
And it is disgusting that these homosexual pedophiles of the Muslim world see little boy's rear ends as a source (or depository) of sexual excitement and pleasure. Children are innocent creatures and should be regarded as such. We all know of Islam's desigusting attitudes towards women, which makes me want to just yank the hijab off women when I see them walking the streets of America with the symbol of their enslavements proudly displayed for all the world to see.
Islam is a religion of evil, and it, and its hardcore fanatic homosexual pedophile followers should be eradicated. There is certainly no need whatsoever for more Muslim fanatic pervert vaginophobes in America.
Gee, I wonder how many little boys ObaMao has violated, like a good little foillower of the moon god of the Arabian peninsula?
MUSLIM SEXUALITY:
Mohammed married Ayesha when she was six, but didn't consummate until she was large enough for him to penetrate at nine years old.
While he was waitng, he did mufa'khathat or thighing, where he rubbed himself to orgasm between the tops of her legs without actually entering her: http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/mufa-khatha...
'The Perfect Man' thus set the precedent for a practice which continues within Muslim families to the present day.
…
Awesome site! I found it in Yahoo. I will visit and comment more often. To the admin of this site: let me know if you’d like to exchange links!
Disagree with him all you want, Joseph Massad is a genius. Who else could provoke such a debate that brings together and shows the underlying unity between the legions of pig-headed homophobic assholes; the bigoted, racist, anti-Islamic war-mongers–whose extreme ignorance is almost beyond belief; the fundamentalist Christian hate-mongers; and the erstwhile defenders of "queer" homosexuality? The extreme hatred and ignorance in all the preceding drivel almost proves his esoteric point, and I bet that is exactly what he intended.
God bless you Joseph Massad!
I took a class with Dr. Massad last semester, and even though his ideas are provocative he makes a clear distinction between the labels: gay, queer and homosexual, which are all in fact Western concepts. If people want to take on these identities so be it, but the concept of sexuality was invented in the 19th century, and it has been enforced throughout the world via colonialism and modernity. Dr. Massad is on the forefront of critiquing imperialist cultural practices and an obsolete queer theory. He is a huge supporter of Judith Bulter and does not believe in the binaries of sexuality. This is quite commendable, and Columbia is lucky to have him on the faculty.