[Angelus Errare]

I'm uncertain - certainly a number of younger al-Qaeda jihadis have turned out to have been molested by their superiors in the Afghan camps and a number of the Pakistani madrassa chiefs are evidently pedophiles, but I'm wary about judging cultural attitudes on a particular subject on the basis of members of a terrorist organization.

I do know from my own reading that the Qur'an that homosexual relations are condemned there in no uncertain terms as well as that all Muslim countries maintain anti-sodomy laws. The Malaysian deputy prime minister was actually sacked on the trumped-up allegation that he engaged in such practices. But no honest clue as to just how common these things are.

[george wythe]

I'm uncertain

Thanks for your honest response.

I was thinking about comments I've read on this site. For instance, look at this thread where Arabs were ridiculed for their alleged inclination toward homosexual sex.

[happygrl]

Read The Closed Circle; An Interpretation of the Arabs by David Pryce-Jones, the essential work on this culture.

I've lived in Libya, other FReepers have some experience in other ME Countries. There is a lot of homosexuality in Arab culture. Arab culture preceded the Qu'ran. It is a very complex issue and certainly is related to the mixed message that Arab men get about women. Google and you'll also find a wealth of articles on this issue. It has nothing to do with terrorism, but a lot to do with the isolating of men from women that occurs in in Arab culture.