Before Homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic World, 1500-1800

Khaled El-Rouayheb

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El-Rouayheb looks at writings over 300 years in the Arab world to refute ideas that all forms of male homosexuality were punished or that all forms were widespread. He tries to answer how so many Arab men could openly praise the beauty of young men even if the Qu'ran may condemn such practices. Just as masculine Native American men could boogie with two-spirited men and this relationship was not seen as "same-sex," bearded Arab men could get down with younger males and not have their love be seen as that between two similars. The author tries to answer whether Michel Foucault's contentions could apply to the Arab world. In short, he maintains that "homosexuality" is too large an umbrella to translate the many dynamics that took place between older and younger males in that region at that time.

This book is much-needed and highly informative. If I could wave a wand and give a copy to every gay person and every Muslim or Arab, I would. This was a thoughtful eye-opener. As a non-Muslim and a non-Arab, I must admit that it is hard to be critical or refute this text. Since I don't know any better, I take the author at his word. I imagine that most "Western" readers will have this same feeling.

This book is not a "Who's Who of Gay Arabia." Besides Abu Nuwas, few famous names come up. The author doesn't address whether again-celebrated poet Rumi had homoerotic relationships or not, for example. With the exception of the painting on the cover, there is no section of photographs or reprints. I suppose this lack makes the book seem more serious to rigorous scholars. However, Boswell included visuals in his "Homosexuality, Christianity, and Social Tolerance." The internet provides many Arabic homoerotic paintings. Thus, I wish this author had done the same thing.

This book sometimes frustrates me with its disinterested, arm's length tone. Yes, this may make the author sound more objective and credible as a scholar, but there may be political ramifications to this text. Dr. Simon LeVay, the scientist who first argued for the existence of a "gay gene" has also made statements like, "Yes, I know if scientists find the gene, they may try to wash it out of human DNA." Similarly, this author never really says whether he supports the rights of consenting adult males, whether in the Arab or non-Arab regions, to fall in love or boogie with each other. Given the arrest of 52 gay men in Cairo and the execution of two gay teens in Iran recently, this book does nothing to ensure that tragedies like that won't happen again. This "constructionist" perspective, naively, washes its hands of modern, concrete issues around sexuality.

As important as Eve Sedgwick's "The Epistemology of the Closet" was to gay studies courses when I was in college, only the introductory chapter was ever assigned. The body chapters were just examples of a theme already set out. Time-strapped students assigned this book could easily get away with just reading the first and last chapters of the text.

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