Dr. Nasser Loza

[junaid]

http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.a ... cleID=3161

"Is this still being debated? We're in 2006. Homosexuality is not a disease," says Dr. Nasser Loza, the head of the psychiatric division at the Ministry of Health.

Refusing to call them homosexuals, Loza uses the term "persons with homosexual orientation," explaining that individuals with homosexual orientation have other characteristics as well; they're not just homosexuals.

[Jamal]

This seems to be taking place in a lot of cultures.

http://www.exodusinternational.org/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 893735.ece
http://www.narth.com/docs/byrd.html

You know the interesting thing is that Arabs and Muslims used to be accused of being disproportionately gay, and having a society that openly accepts homosexuality. Now that the media has grasped onto gay rights as one of its causes, Arab and Muslim culture is now accused of homophobia.

I really don't quite understand current Egyptian culture. If I were to wager a guess, my view would that the government is somewhat repressive, even more so than other Arab states, so there's both extremes of ultra-conformity and rebellion going on there.

[ootii]

This seems to be taking place in a lot of cultures.

http://www.exodusinternational.org/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 893735.ece
http://www.narth.com/docs/byrd.html

You know the interesting thing is that Arabs and Muslims used to be accused of being disproportionately gay, and having a society that openly accepts homosexuality. Now that the media has grasped onto gay rights as one of its causes, Arab and Muslim culture is now accused of homophobia.

I really don't quite understand current Egyptian culture. If I were to wager a guess, my view would that the government is somewhat repressive, even more so than other Arab states, so there's both extremes of ultra-conformity and rebellion going on there.

As in many "traditional" societies, Egyptian social structures are very repressive. Young people are expected to conform to behavioral norms without question, and many of these are oriented around the maintenance of economic and social status of the family unit. If it's a good fit, people are unlikely to notice it. Otherwise, it can be very difficult. Alternative lifestyles are not an option for people staying in Egypt. About the only option for non-conformists is to leave the country.

European stereotypes of Arab society in the 19th century were of a licentious society. This may have a lot to do with their own perceptions of other people's habits and mores, and there may be an element of political propaganda in this too. Colonialists typically presented themselves as morally superior to their victims, excusing their own tyranny and theft as paternalistic generosity.

There may, however, be an element of truth to it. It is entirely possible that pre-colonial Arab societies were more open and liberal than they are today. In an effort to demonstrate their own moral credentials, Arabs may well have adopted Victorian values themselves and held on to them. Attitudes toward male public nudity and semi-nudity seem to be associated with social class more than with religion with tolerance of it increasing as we move down the social scale. It is common to see boys and men bathing nude in irrigation canals and in 18th century French illustrations in the Description de l'Egypte, workmen are sometimes depicted completely nude, except for their head gear. I've seen rural young men swimming in small-town canals wearing only their underwear, which when wet does not conceal very much and may very well get you arrested for public indecency in the US or Britain.

One could argue that in a strongly patriarchal society, public male nudity is an expression of male power. This is probably a common theme in many cultures.

Salaam,

Omar