Malaysian Homosexual Now Faces Death Threats from Muslims

The only “insult to Islam” is in the asinine behavior of those zenophobic, homophobic, ignorance-loving bigots who denounce Azwan and who want to continue living in their barbaric past. Enjoy the 7th century, retrogressives. We’ll be in the 21st if you need anything.

Not too long ago, an automatic response might be “Offer him political asylum in the US — it’s what we do.” But now, while we are making strides*, any glance at the headlines would bear out the fact that gays face a lot of personal danger here on our shores — and that many of the countries (Uganda being the prime example) with the most over-the-top anti-gay legislation have robust backing from the American religious right! Inviting him here might be tantamount to a transfer from the frying pan into the fire. What a sad state of affairs.
*The “strides” are more like “two steps up and one step back.”

the level of danger for openly gay people here is nowhere near comparable to that in the countries from which these refugees are fleeing.

Much to the dismay of the Mormon Church and the other prop 8 supporters…

Tourism is an important Part of Malaysias economy, with International attention Malaysia will be careful handling this. It might be a little step improving things there.

I am half Malay, from Malaysia, and I am seething at this.

Screw the religious, conservative, uptight, everthing-phobic, useless, incompetent government shitheads.

Can I just take this opportunity that there’s a fuckhead among them who wants to ban facebook because there are anti-islamic groups on it?

I honestly don’t know how an entire government can have its head up its ass about everything. Oh wait, yes I do. It’s called religion.

Fucking A!!! Yeah, my first thought was bad image to Islam? No, all the freaking murdering and beheading you’re doing of people is what’s giving you a bad image.

Woman gets raped and woman gets stoned for adultery. Gays get hung and beheaded. Journalists get beheaded for telling the truth or just to make a dramatic video. “Honor” killings (the oxymorons don’t get any worst than that) of young girls for daring to act like they weren’t born 2,000 years ago. Jihads, flying planes into buildings and killing infidels (defined as anyone not Muslim) — these are the things that make you look bad, morons.

Pull your heads out of your asses, grow up and enter the 21st century and stop all the archaic killing that makes you look real shitty if you really want to look good. While you’re at it, stop being afraid to let woman be people too. It doesn’t make you look manly to bully them; just makes you look afraid of them. I kill spiders because I’m scared of them. You — you apply this to other human beings.

Volly, while there are bigots here that gays have to worry about and you certainly have a valid point about the Religious Right, surely you jest when comparing the relative safety of gays in America to gays in Malaysia (or Uganda, for that matter). I might point out that the assholes are in Uganda because they can’t get that death penality for gays they’re so itching for here.

Best of luck to Mr. Ismail! This kind of bravery is admirable and should serve a person well. So few possess it.

carnal intercourse against the order of nature

the liberal theologians and hadith readers had this one right, what it means is “according to science” because in the High Classical period this was tres chic. it really paid, to the courtiers and politicians, to be able to show an ability with mixing Islam, with *real* science. there were economic and cultural reasons for that, but anyway. this is what homosexuals in islam should be working with. using science to prove within the religious definition of it, in Islam, to show that as natural members of the natural order (we just happen, nobody “converts” us and thus it is not idolatry against Allah and anti-Islamic, but in fact His Will) we deserve the rights of all Muslims or potential muslim human beings. there should be a whole mess of tradition/”news”/reported scripture on this issue that a strong, pro-Islamic case for equality can be built. it’s worked in other highly religious countries which have moved towards equality recently.

Absolutely right, Claudia. I’m staying away because I’m certain I’d be stoned in short order upon entering any of their countries.

I agree with all of you. But may I point out that the comment (and reprint of it) characterizing the opposition as “cunts” is misogynistic in the extreme. Especially considering that the opposition in question is almost certainly male-dominated, using “cunts” (instead of, perhaps, “dicks”) is specifically meant to demean them by association with female qualities. I find it horrifying, actually, that someone supposedly acting in favor of human rights and expression would do it in such a way.

Hemant: Thanks for highlighting this story. As pointed out by another commenter, a large part of Malaysia’s economy is reliant on tourism and foreign investments – and our government does try very hard to project an image of civilised or moderate Islam to the rest of the world. The more attention this gets, the less likely it is that something untoward will happen to Azwan.

Donna: Our country is actually very permissive towards homosexuals so long as the parties involved aren’t (a) out of their closets, and (b) a Muslim. It’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on a national level.

Helene: I assure you that I did not use the word cunt misogynistically or as you put it, to “specifically… demean them by association with female qualities.” While I see that it’s categorically no different from calling someone a dick, a prick or a cockhead, I’ll admit that I do unconsciously assign a harsher connotation to it. Perhaps it’s simply a word which we encounter far less frequently (as suggested by Claudia) but it is not my intention to liken contemptible behaviour to vaginas – at least, not anymore than I liken dickish behaviour to my own reproductive organ. I’m sorry if my use of the word offended you, but I’m an equal opportunity expletive user.

If not in America, he could certainly take refuge in Canada.

Malaysia is a developing country and if you are Malays or Indians I am sure your birth and mortality rate dwindled then it must be your own wrong doing not someone else problem. After 45 years born as a Malaysian ethnic Chinese the reason of these explosion of birth to these two funny baboons is the early marriage and tidak apa attitude given personality of idiots, morons, and imbecile and problem escalated to ancient kingdoms of heaven. If you fellers can`t take the heat then you better get out of the kitchen. We are 3rd world water ways and do not get too touchy observing overseas TV and justice of your pier. Anybody belief in : E=mc2

Here’s another : To prevent evil, society can’t be silent. When evil is observed it must be confronted and opposed. Albert Einstein said “The world is too dangerous to live in – not because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen.”

If you want to find the Guilty all you have to do is to look into the mirror.

Regards.