Kinza Jamal:
Queer Pasmanda Muslim and Intersectional Feminist
Continued after Part I: Allah is Queer – Women Chapter
ALLAH IS FEMINIST
Allah rightfully shows us signs and evidence of their Queerness, when they create Intersex bodies and doesn’t stop at that, even when the entire world forces its cis-het normative binary lens by performing violence on Intersex bodies via forced and non-consensual surgery (Hysterectomy: is a surgery to remove uterus) to erase the queer resistance of nature against systematic oppression.
Allah keeps on showing evidence in different organisms and parts of the earth and space itself. Allah is queer when they showed examples of queerness in nature, two same sex penguins loving, building home together while adopting a kid, Male seahorses carry their developing young in a pouch on their stomach and give birth, Many plants, including the Pacific bleeding heart and the ghost pipe, have both male and female reproductive organs, The Pacific bleeding heart can self-fertilize because it has both male and female reproductive organs in the same flower, Bonobos exhibit both homosexuality and bisexuality, lions, dolphins, orcas, monkeys, and some lizards, engage in same-sex relationships, Clownfish are born male, but the dominant female in a group can change sex if the female dies and not only this but millions of examples of Allah is queer in so many ways, (You can obviously google all of this information online, it’s all out there quite literally)
Allah shows natural queer diversity in every living being but we chose to turn our backs on the factual information visible in plain sight and try to believe in the hate of patriarchy and men who have fed us through generations of indoctrination, we chose confirmation bias and practice selective activism in our political identities.
I have met many people and always get a shocking response from them when I introduce myself, when I speak these two words together, something within them is challenged. A feeling which is very natural and organic for me is strange for them. 2 words, how can 2 words shake some people’s core and bring them to disbelief of other people’s realities. The 2 words I identify myself with are Queer Muslim. People get restless and annoyed when I use these two words together to introduce myself, they question how can Queer and Muslim co-exist together. I have explained this to a lot of people, how organically it fits together in my life but all I heard was islamophobic slang and slurs but the existence of queer muslims as ancient as evolution but suddenly it acts as a big bang for them.
The term Queer Muslim is defined as people who identify as both queer and muslim together. The possibility of this ideology exists because the Quran has various interpretations; it’s mostly translated and interpreted by cis-het men imposing patriarchal notions about false gender roles, but the Quran I read had no mention of words like wives or husbands but companion. Companionship is the most common word in the Quran used for relationships.
In the Quran there is no significant text which disqualifies homosexuality, the islamic scriptures doesn’t specifically mention homosexuality or transgenders identities, nothing on lesbian relationship but some religious scholars try to misinterpret and choose selective text method.
The issue of homophobia is far deeper than proving and analysing old scriptures. Homophobia is a systemic issue which directly disrupts the binaries and heteronormativity, it is an issue of Power and control because accepting queer bodies will dismantle patriarchy.
In fact, actual Islamic scriptures mostly stand on the foundations of Intention, peace, kindness, love and humility, but people who spread false Islamic practices to control the masses revolve it around gender and sex and divert muslims from practising real Islam, which is radical love, kindness, humility and peace.
Queer Muslims are people who actually follow true Islam which is not obsessed with the idea of who will have sex with whom but encourages peace, unconditionally love, kindness and selfless gestures of humility, Queer Muslim are people who are extremely spiritual in nature and truly understand the real meaning and spirituality of Islam. Queer Muslims in fact preach, practice and promote the deepest words of Islam and Allah, they love nature and humanity without any boundaries. As many of them are raised in Muslim households, they keep the love of Allah really close to their hearts and through prayer, fasting and remaining kind, they worship Allah.
People who claim to be Pious/Righteous Muslims are using tools like shame, sex, patriarchy, fear, and greed to control the masses, the false cultural practices and the constant religious meetings on shaming people about sex and false gender roles like who should have sex with whom, who will marry whom, types of clothing to domestic chores are women’s job, encouraging marital rape as a service to their Mijazi khuda (Mighty God Husbands to be worshipped after Allah), women are given threats that 70,000 angels will curse you throughout the night if you say NO to your husband, fasle practices like female gential mutilation (A practice where assigned female at birth are given forced surgery of mutilation of the whole clitoral organ), halala (A practice where if a man divorces a woman and if wants to remarry the woman, she has to marry someone else consummate the marriage and then again marry the man) and triple talaaq (Three times divorce pratice) are imposed on women.
As women are the biological reproducers of the community the labor to be pious and pure by practicing the rules of Islam is used against them to control their sexuality that the community stays close knitted, strong and dominating in society and restriction of inter faith and diverse gender identities marriages doesn’t occur as it will impact the hegemony of these religious institutions. False practices of Islam reek of toxic masculinity and patriarchy which directly impacts the lives of women and gender diverse people and ensures oppression of all the genders. Religious shaming and purity tests are constant laws of these religious scholars and righteous gatekeepers of patriarchy be it men or women.
Link to Part III:
Part III: Allah is mine – Women Chapter
About the writer:
I am a Queer Pasmanda Muslim Minority and an intersectional feminist, who works as a SRHR-J practitioner, liberation writer, painter; encouraging & ensuring a young, feminist, and rights-based approach. I am a certified social worker and have done my Master’s in Gender studies from Jamia Millia Islamia Central University New Delhi.
I am a social justice activist who is actively advocating against decolonising for issues like the prevention of Gender Based Violence and Discrimination (with a focus on Emotional Violence, Violence Against Women, Children and Gender Diverse People), foregrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI), Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Justice, Adolescent Youth leadership and Mental Health and Well-Being. The approach I have been following in my work is collective liberation and trauma informed care-centric for a safer & accessible space for all, which has aided in my understanding of feminist leadership to include and often center leisure and the space for vulnerability.
I am an active part of the Anti-Capitalist, Casteist, Colonialist and fascist decolonial movements, and believe in the ideology of collective liberation for all.