Same sex sexuality and Islam in Singapore

Abstract

Islam is now normatively seen as a religion with an uncompromising and severely puritanical outlook in its attitudes towards sex and sexuality. In Singapore, where an overwhelming majority of Malays are also Muslims, the role of ethnicity should be duly scrutinized as well. In this thesis, I will be examining the normative boundaries of being Malay and Muslim in Singapore and the impact that it has on local representations of same sex sexuality in Islam. Specifically, I am interested in exploring if homosexuality could be repositioned on two fronts: the theological and the political. For the first, I would like to explore how the Malay Muslim public and gay Malay Muslims themselves understand and confront the issue of homosexuality in Islam. For the latter, I am keen to see if the model of faith-centric gay activism that has been taking root overseas would appeal to gay Malay Muslims in Singapore. I will attempt to unravel the above through in-depth interviews with 14 Singaporean gay Malay Muslims. I believe that the face and thrust for legitimacy for homosexuality in Islam would take on a very different slant if it is to happen here. This thesis therefore seeks to uncover the points of difference behind this pattern of (non) resistance.