Arab-Persian Homosexuality: A Brief History

By now, everyone should be aware of Ahmadinejad's international foot-in-mouth episode at Columbia University, at which he was asked about the capital punishment he extols to homosexuals. He declared triumphantly that it is a "phenomenon" of the West, and that Iran does not have such problems. This was after he compared homosexuals to drug dealers and killers, saying that they would "corrupt" your nation.

Aside from the simple outrage felt at this comparison, it is amusing to note just how off base this is. As any one with the slightest understanding in history can point out, homosexuality has existed in some way or another in every culture, even most species have exhibited instances of bisexual and homosexual behaviors. But this is without pointing out that Iran is particularly unique in that its history involves a well regarded poetic history of not only acknowledging Persian homosexuality - but glorifying it.

The Persia-born Arab poet, Abu Nuwas, is one of history's most cherished Muslim poets. In many ways, he was the Don Imus of Islamic poetry - while everyone else was busy praising Allah and comparing the Caliph to every other wonderful adjective I could find, Abu Nuwas was talking about the joys of wine and sodomy. While it may initially seem out of context in Muslim society, it should be noted that Muslims themselves are promised "rivers of wine" upon reaching the afterlife in Paradise.

But much to Ahmadinejad's chagrin, among his most popular poems was one with the opening line of "o sodomy", comparing it to the greatest of blisses.

But that is not to say that this is an isolated incident in the Eastern world. Indeed as the city of Constantinople was still burning on the first day of the massacre, among Mehmed II's first commands was to have the sons of a wealthy Greek adviser brought to him to be raped. When the father refused, Mehmed II had the boys found and killed before finishing him off.

T.E. Lawrence, the renown Lawrence of Arabia who himself was very possibly bisexual, made several notes of the homosexual practice of the Muslim Bedouins. The notes he made of their intimate sexual practices with other male Bedouins was closely mirrored by 12th century poet Ibn Malak. In Muslim conquered Spain he wrote: "Friday/ in the mosque/ my gaze fell upon a slim young man/ beautiful/ as the rising moon./ When he bent forward in prayer/ my only thought was/ oh, to have him/ stretched out/ flat before me,/ butt-up,/ face-down./"

These ancient and medieval roots have continued to day however. As Ahmadinejad claims that his nation is not "plagued" with the "corruption" of homosexuality videos and photographs continue to leak across the internet of same sex lovers on the infamous Iranian "gallow" trucks. Although a separate nation, one Content Producer on Associated Content has pointed out the rise in homosexuality in Saudi Arabia.

As Ahmadinejad arrives back in Iran, protesting the treatment he received from Columbia University, he should perhaps consider just how bad his facts were when he was here.