SEXUAL MINORITIES IN INDONESIA: THE CLASH BETWEEN MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS AND LIBERALS
SEXUAL MINORITIES IN INDONESIA: THE CLASH BETWEEN MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS AND LIBERALS

Summary/Abstract: The social acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) is recently widely debated. Although some Western countries have taken a more favourable course towards these minority groups, we still see a certain level of resistance to same sex marriage and discrimination against LGBT even in normally regarded liberal societies. Islam, which is often believed to clash with so-called Western values, regards LGBT as abhorrent and even apostate. However, we see a new endeavour of LGBT people in the most Muslim populous country in the world, Indonesia. This paper explores the treat-ment of these minorities in Islam, including the possibility of co-existence of all humans in a future. For this purpose, we consider the activities of this Islamic school in Indone-sia and the life history of the students. We also examine both the pro and con of the religious standpoint of the ulamas. We especially pay attention to some of the ulama’s attempts to create a new fiqh (a legal standard for religious rituals and obligations) to accept LGBT.

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