Indian Government’s decision to amend section 377 of IPC, which speaks of punishment for Homosexuality, has opened a string of welcomes and criticism from the obvious quarters. Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily, displaying the typical indecisiveness of this Government, later said that a decision on repealing the section would be taken only after considering concerns of all sections of the society, including religious groups like the church.

This is followed by a new series of discussions and discourses by the religious groups. Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Abdul Khalik Madrasi said has made clear its position by issuing a fatwa which states “Homosexuality is offence under Shari at Law and haram (prohibited) in Islam”. Famous Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev has called Homosexuality a disease and offered to heal who so ever requires. A TV programme invited the most unusual debaters, a Hindu Priest and a Gay actor Boby Darling. The debate finally ending with infuriating words from both sides. The producers must have finally realized their failure of executing a healthy debate on the topic bringing forth the sides, which mattered, face to face or they must also be assessing effect the controversial debate will bring to their TRP.   

Fact of the matter is that Religion and Homosexuality, two of the oldest surviving ways of life, can never go hand in hand. Priests and Monks always oppose it taking a moral stand whether or not its illegitimacy is defined clearly in their religions.

Islam is a religion which has very clearly touched this issue at several places.  Qur’an (4:15-16) calls for severe punishment for those indulged in Homosexual acts “If any of your women is guilty of fornication, bring four of your men to give evidence; if they testify against them, retain them in the houses until death or until God provides some other way for them. If two men among you are guilty of such acts, then punish both of them, but if they repent and reform, let them be, for God accepts repentance and is merciful”.

At another instance in Quran, Prophet LUT (pbuh) reaches Sodom (word sodomy is derived from Sodom) where the people are found to be indulged in such acts and on Allah’s direction he warns them “Do you practice your lusts on men instead of women Nay, but you are a people who behave senselessly, o you in unto the males of mankind, and leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your wives Nay, you are a trespassing people!”(26:165-166 & 7:80-82). When those people didn’t listen to him, Allah ordered Lut (pbuh) to leave the city with his family except his wife, who approved of their sins, and the place and its people were destroyed. A similar story has been described in Bible and Torah, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are all opposed to Homosexuality.

Homosexuality as we can see is a major disadvantage for the society and especially for those who practice it. All the life process, including the communion of male and female, has some or the other biological purpose, while Homosexuality has none.  Homosexuals are seen to be casual; changing partners frequently not taking precautions thus are vulnerable to health risks like AIDS, risk of transmission of HIV is even greater in case of Sodomy then conventional sexual practices.

Condemnation of Homosexuals by Babur in Baburnama, Ismat Chughtai’s story Lihaf, Depiction of same gender statues indulged in such acts in ancient Indian temples of Khujraho and the icon of Saints Sergius and Bacchus with Jesus as best man shows that It is a practice which has always been illegal but has been taking place in all societies behind the closed doors. So before taking any stand on ending the Law we must argue whether we want to keep this practice behind the doors the way it has been for the centuries or we make it legal and thus more widespread and allow it to make a mockery of prevalent fabric on which the human race has grown and evolved.