I decided to be open about my same sex-attraction for two reasons, 1) so that non-Muslims can hear from a Muslim who is struggling with these issues and offering a counter-narrative to society’s pro-gay propaganda, 2) to explain to Muslims and non-Muslims what Islam actually teaches about homosexuality from someone who is personally effected by it. It leaves me open to ridicule – a price I am willing to pay. So far (perhaps surprisingly) nearly all the bigotry I have been subjected to comes from Christians. The guy narrating this video has clearly been stung by taunts from some Muslims about a gay character he once played in his acting work. His attack on me is his revenge. Speakers’ Corner has a dark side. C’est la vie.
Categories: Homosexuality, Islam, Islamophobia, Life in the West, London, Speakers Corner
Blogging Theology 
Respect. ✊
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Paul Williams,
I don’t know why it is so hard some to understand what “non-practicing gay” means. The person who made the video, clearly does not understand the human struggle to obey the laws of God, and live a more righteous life. I think that anyone who has struggled with sinful desires, urges or temptations can understand, and empathize, with your own struggle.
Allah creates us on the fitra, with the innate desire to worship one true supreme divine being. The one who adheres to the fitra also naturally desires to please God by obeying his commandments. Therefore, one who commits the sin of disobeying the laws and commandments commits a crime not only against God, but against himself as he violates his own fitra or true nature. Therefore, one who is a practicing homosexual and acts out on such sinful desires and urges violates his fitra or true nature. While the one who struggles to restrain his physical desires and urges, and controls himself in obedience to the Laws and commandments of God, is true to his fitra or core nature.
The person who made the above video, does not understand that Allah tests everyone in different ways, but the test is never more than that soul can bare. Brother Paul has understood the Qur’an better than such a person as that. When one enters Islam, all past sins are forgiven, and even counted as good deeds. Good Muslims, who truly understand their deen do not antagonize another Muslim with past sins or faults, or with a current struggle against sinful temptation. Instead, we provide support, strength, advice, guidance, encourage each other in the long struggle to remain steadfast on the straight path of Islam. THAT is the Islamic teaching.
And Allah says in the Holy Qur’an al-Kareem:
“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Qur’an 2:286).
Paul,
I have also learned a lot from you in regard to comparative religion, and in regard to your own personal struggle as well. I pray that Allah will strengthen your resolve to stay on the straight path, and continue what you are doing with good and selfless intentions, for the benefit of all those who will take heed of the message of Islam that we are enjoined to communicate and peacefully defend, inshallah.
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Can you post a link to the original video, Paul?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6iImkYjvLc
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Appalling.
This bloke SaRa is so immature. There’s also a video of him turning up at SC with a few heavies wearing undertaker gloves and trench coats looking to intimidate somebody smaller than him. He’s been watching too many gangster movies.
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In Islam, it’s forbidden to mock your brother because he sins if you know that he sins with a broken spirit, and he acknowledges that he struggles with that sins, let alone to mock your brother for not practicing sins!
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
” It may be that what he meant is that your criticizing your brother for his sin is an even greater sin than his, because it means that you feel pride in your obedience and you are praising yourself for that, and claiming to be free from sin, whereas your brother has fallen into sin. But it may be that his feeling humble because of his sin and what has happened to him, such as his feeling humble and submissive, thinking less of himself, ridding himself of pious pretensions, arrogance and self-admiration, standing before Allaah with his head bowed, his gaze lowered and his heart broken – it may be that all of that is better for him than your feeling proud of your obedience, thinking that you are doing much good, believing that by doing so you are important, and reminding Allaah and mankind of that.
How close this sinner is to the mercy of Allaah, and how close this conceited one is to the wrath of Allaah! A sin that leads to humility is more beloved to Him than an act of obedience which fills a person with conceit. If you sleep all night then wake up feeling regret (for not having prayed qiyaam al-layl), that may be better for you than if you were to pray all night and wake up in the morning filled with self-admiration. For the deeds of the one who admires himself are not accepted. Perhaps your laughing whilst admitting to shortcomings is better than your weeping with piety but being filled with conceit. The groaning of the sinners is more beloved to Allaah than the tasbeeh of the conceited. It may be that by means of this sin, Allaah has caused him to drink the medicine that will cure a fatal disease which you also have, but you do not realize it. Allaah has reason for what He does to both those who are obedient and those who sin, which are known to no-one except Him, and which no one recognizes except those who have insight, and then only within the limits of human understanding; beyond that there are reasons which are not even known to the honourable scribes (i.e., the recording angels). ”
In his book
Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/177, 178)
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So much respect for you brother Paul, I’ve learned a lot form you
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Alhamdulillah
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Paul, you are a living testament for how gay people can be faithful and obedient to their Creator every day and every night, and love their Creator for creating them, and to love yourself by valuing an eternity of reward over transient fleeting pleasures that are followed by remorse, regret, and suffering.
May God always protect you and give you, me, and all of us the wisdom to order our life in such a way that we are never in a vulnerable situation since we never know when we will be weak.
Mashallah, you inspire us all. We all have our own tests.
Some people have tests that are far, far, far more difficult than sexual desires….just imagine what the many thousands of parents whose children were molested and murdered or children who are still missing.
Stay strong over all the tests every day and every night whatever it is and ride into eternity as a victor and full of all bliss that we cannot imagine.
Hope you go there and that we all go there. Hope we meet each other up there.
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thank you Omer!
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Ameen!
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The man who made this video was trying to make you look bad…
But it has the opposite effect.
May Allah give you strength, Akhi…
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Aren’t certain priests, nuns, etc not allowed to practice heterosexual acts?
Why the fuss if people choose celibacy?
So much for freedom of choice…
“Democracy” in all its failed glory
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Whoops…someone didn’t watch the video. He explicitly mentions priests
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A Christian apologist who thinks bullying is the way to go? How shocking!
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We should also keep in mind the enormous tests that people endure in terms of health and poverty.
The most precious test is sight.
Probably ,tens of millions are blind.
Hundreds of millions are living with limitations because of strokes or other issues.
Perhaps hundreds of thousands if not millions are paralyzed.
Hundreds of millions live with some pain or difficulty to breathe well…imagine that…a test in not being able to breathe fully.
And the list is on and on.
But it is even harder when parents have children with any of these conditions.
And self -inflicted health problems are very difficulty indeed like the millions suffering from car accidents where they made mistakes or where their mistakes harmed others.
On an additional note, we should always remember that falling for fleeting desires that are prohibited also damages our self worth and self esteem.
That feeling of wholeness, of integrity, of feeling I am a good person. That is a precious feeling that we need to vigorously protect by planning, dedication, and prayer.
May God help us all to be better persons regardless of what religion we are.
But of course may all at least submit to one God and be good to all creatures.
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Respect Br Paul.
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Question to the video editor.
-Will anyone be arrested if at first site of a young lady of 14,15,16…….., he admired her and lowered his gaze from there?
-Will such a person be charged as under age sex offender?
Any sane person will be attracted to a good looking body at first glance. Islam solves the problem by advising to “lower your gaze”.
Marry a man or a woman and do whatever you want to do. So, we are all struggling not Paul Williams alone. The video editor does not understand Islam and needs a lesson.
Some of us who are not gay are also struggling with the opposite sex attraction. That is why the God of Islam who created all these is aware of that and gives us the benefit of unintentional first site and warn us to lower our gaze.
Is it wrong If a human is attracted to someone? No. But Islam has given us guidelines. Attraction is normal and not sinful but do not act except the legal way and the legal way is only true marriage between man and a woman( not man and a man or woman and a woman).
If you are married and attracted to someone. Permission is given to divorce your spouse and marry the one you are attracted to. It might be a test to the one who was divorced. He or she needs to pray and ask for a better spouse instead of fighting with the one who divorced him or her. That could be good for him.
In Islam, attraction is not a sin at all but a Muslim needs to manage his/her attraction in the context of God’s law. Lower your gaze. God will not punish you for the first unintentional sight of a lady or man. Both men and women are advised to dress modestly to lower most of the attractions.
Marriage is good and encouraged in both Islam, Judaism and Christianity and there will be no proper marriage without ATTRACTION. How can we marry if we are not attracted to each other? Marriage without attraction does not last. Islam manages attraction but Christianity does not do much except to say attraction is a sin in Christianity. Too bad.
In Islam, to commit gay act or any sex act without marriage and say it public with evidence is a crime. The attraction is not a crime. Paul Williams said he does not engage in those act is just like us saying we do not have sex with women or men who are not ours. God sees everyone. We have no right to judge anyone without proof says the Quran.
Allah will judge all of us. Homosexual act and advertisement is a sin but not the attraction. I know Paul Williams keeps condemning gay advertisement here and elsewhere everyday and just like us saying we do not have sex with people whom we are not married to, he is also saying he does not have sex with anyone. Islam did not teach us to banish him as Christians will do, unless we catch him in the act or with some witness.
Even then we have to pray for him as we are in non Islamic country. There is severe punishment in any unlawful sex act including gay sex. The West still applies strict punishment to unlawful sex act except if those are gays or at least one of them is gay.
There is gay lessons in most Western societies to very young under age children. Why teach them gay act if you call them under age?
When Sir Elton John is to have sex with a 16 year old gay person, will he be jailed? I don’t know. I have never heard a gay person has been arrested for sleeping with under age gay person.
Thanks,
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correction
sight not site. Please forgive me.
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Non practicing murderer, non practicing pedophile, non practicing gay.
You do not become a murderer unless you kill. That is why a court of law will demand proof, evidence and or witness before prosecution.
You do not become fornicator, child abuser, gay etc. unless you commit the act. In Islam, it is illegal to promote or advertise gay as the actor did. In Islam it is wrong to act like gay. Paul Williams looks normal and no one has caught him sleeping with anyone. Islam demands proof, evidence and witness before we Muslims can act. Paul Williams seem to understand his situation Islamically than some of us, so we cannot banish him.
Some gay men walk like ladies, shaking their waist, talking like women etc. My Paul is normal and he does not do all this things.
In conclusion, the gay actors behavior of gay imitation is sin but ATTRACTION is natural and not a sin if controlled.
If the gay actor yelled “I am a murderer”. No one will prosecute him unless there is evidence, proof and witness. Paul Williams is SSD anWed we are DSD-different sex attraction. You think he is the only one who has problem with sex attraction?
We keep advising him and praying for him to marry a woman and have children. Ameen. Some of our problems/test is severe than his. He is bold to come out with his problems/test and the prayers is helping him.
He is good looking and if he is practicing, Sir Elton John would have married him. lol.
Thanks.
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What exactly are ‘gay lessons’? The acknowledgement that some people are gay? Teaching people to not shun them or deny them their rights, because of their sexual orientation?
I also need to ask – regarding your next post – what is ‘acting gay’? I know gay people, who would be indistinguishable from hetrosexual people, aside from their attraction to the same sex. Some homosexuals can be flamboyant, but then, so can some hetrosexual people. What is the definition of ‘acting gay’ or promoting gay behaviour?
[QUOTE]Even then we have to pray for him as we are in non Islamic country. There is severe punishment in any unlawful sex act including gay sex. The West still applies strict punishment to unlawful sex act except if those are gays or at least one of them is gay.[/QUOTE]
What’s unlawful about two consenting adults? Unlawful would obviously be if it wasn’t consensual, or involved underage participants, but as far as I know, homosexuals who sexually assault others still face charges and prosecution for committing such offences.
[quote]Non practicing murderer, non practicing pedophile, non practicing gay.
You do not become a murderer unless you kill. That is why a court of law will demand proof, evidence and or witness before prosecution.
You do not become fornicator, child abuser, gay etc. unless you commit the act. In Islam, it is illegal to promote or advertise gay as the actor did. In Islam it is wrong to act like gay. Paul Williams looks normal and no one has caught him sleeping with anyone. Islam demands proof, evidence and witness before we Muslims can act. Paul Williams seem to understand his situation Islamically than some of us, so we cannot banish him.[/quote]
Why is homosexuality lumped in with murder and pedophilla? I find this equation highly disturbing. If your religious beliefs mean you won’t practice homosexuality then that’s up to you, but to suggest homosexuals are on the same plane as murders and child abusers, is worrying. That may not be the intention behind your words, but that’s certainly how it looks.
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darthtimon
May 11, 2017 • 11:06 am
Why is homosexuality lumped in with murder and pedophilla? I find this equation highly disturbing. If your religious beliefs mean you won’t practice homosexuality then that’s up to you, but to suggest homosexuals are on the same plane as murders and child abusers, is worrying. That may not be the intention behind your words, but that’s certainly how it looks.
I say;
I am not comparing gays and murderers but if you had watch the video, you would have realized that, I was only responding to the gay actor who made such comparison. I was only correcting him that, one is not gay unless he keeps acting like gay.
You said;
I also need to ask – regarding your next post – what is ‘acting gay’? I know gay people, who would be indistinguishable from hetrosexual people, aside from their attraction to the same sex. Some homosexuals can be flamboyant, but then, so can some hetrosexual people. What is the definition of ‘acting gay’ or promoting gay behaviour?
I say;
Sorry for restricting my paragraph on gay because the topic is on gay. The correction is that, in Islam any advertisement of illegal sex is a sin and not gay advertisement alone. Advertisement of prostitution i.e. man and woman, exposing one’s tantalizing parts, chasing married men and women for sex etc. is all haram in Islam. A hetrosexual woman shaking her waist in front of men to attract their sexuality is also haram. A hetrosexual man exposing his parts in front of women to arouse them is also haram. It is not gay alone.
You said;
What exactly are ‘gay lessons’? The acknowledgement that some people are gay? Teaching people to not shun them or deny them their rights, because of their sexual orientation?
I say;
What is gay? sexual orientation lessons to 4 year old kids?
http://www.wnd.com/2016/03/questioning-gay-lessons-gets-4-year-old-booted-from-preschool/
Thanks.
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I forgot to add that one who engages with a prohibited sexual act or even gets to increase the occurrence of such an act with another person shows that he/she has a diminished care for that person.
This is because that other person’s value before God Almighty is being diminished to some extent (regardless of the other persons’s religion since sexually prohibited acts are usually uniformly prohibited across all the religions).
May God help us all and protect us from harming ourselves and harming others and may He protect us from the harm of others that will of course harm them as well.
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@darthtimon
You too shouldn’t approve of sexual practices that abuse one’s body and spread disease in society.
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In theory that’s potentially all of them then, for even married heterosexual couples who use protection could still fall foul of defective contraception.
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Intellect…
[Quote]I am not comparing gays and murderers but if you had watch the video, you would have realized that, I was only responding to the gay actor who made such comparison. I was only correcting him that, one is not gay unless he keeps acting like gay.[/quote]
Whomever equates homosexuals with murderers and pedophiles is wrong to do so and I’m glad we agree on that. I suspect your answer to this next point is in your next paragraph, but I’ll raise it anyway – what is ‘acting gay’? There is, sadly, a stereotypical perception of homosexuals – gay men are feminine and gay women are masculine. Such stereotypes are exaggerated and even fabricated in some cases, and it’s important wherever possible to challenge these misguided perspectives.
[Quote]Sorry for restricting my paragraph on gay because the topic is on gay. The correction is that, in Islam any advertisement of illegal sex is a sin and not gay advertisement alone. Advertisement of prostitution i.e. man and woman, exposing one’s tantalizing parts, chasing married men and women for sex etc. is all haram in Islam. A hetrosexual woman shaking her waist in front of men to attract their sexuality is also haram. A hetrosexual man exposing his parts in front of women to arouse them is also haram. It is not gay alone.[/quote]
Indecent exposure is generally frowned upon full stop in every society ;). I think, the main thing I want to say here is that if that’s your faith then so be it. It is unfortunate that there are still a great many places around the world, even in supposedly developed countries, where, due to various cultural influences, being a homosexual is enough to lead to persecution and ostracism from one’s friends and family. Even in America, being homosexual (not the act, just being one) can deny you jobs, or get you sacked, to say nothing of potentially leaving you vulnerable to various kinds of discrimination. I know it’s not you, but people can and do lump homosexuality in with pedophila, in a classic example of poisoning the well.
[Quote]What is gay? sexual orientation lessons to 4 year old kids?
http://www.wnd.com/2016/03/questioning-gay-lessons-gets-4-year-old-booted-from-preschool/%5B/quote%5D
To be honest, I don’t think sex education of any kind should take place at such a young age, though making kids aware that same-sex couples exist is not the same thing. The implication of your words (and please forgive me if this is not your meaning) is that children are somehow being ‘converted’ into desiring homosexual relationships later in life. I don’t believe that to be the case, and that’s not the impression from the article either.
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darthtimon
You said;
Indecent exposure is generally frowned upon full stop in every society ;). I think, the main thing I want to say here is that if that’s your faith then so be it. It is unfortunate that there are still a great many places around the world, even in supposedly developed countries, where, due to various cultural influences, being a homosexual is enough to lead to persecution and ostracism from one’s friends and family. Even in America, being homosexual (not the act, just being one) can deny you jobs, or get you sacked, to say nothing of potentially leaving you vulnerable to various kinds of discrimination. I know it’s not you, but people can and do lump homosexuality in with pedophila, in a classic example of poisoning the well.
I say;
It is the Christians who discriminate against gays(who do not act gay). Muslims don’t do that and our religion says we must respect anyone. Whatever the person does in private, God sees him and he will be judged.
Any act of public sex as usual like in any society is punishable by proof, evidence and witnesses. Without those there is no punishment and Allah will do the punishment at His own time. If the actor sincerely repents, then Allah can forgive him free of charge with no blood attached because Allah is not a Vlad Dracula. Allah is the creator of everything including blood and does not need blood before he can forgive sins. The law of human beings is designed for human beings to follow because of their limitations but not God because God has no limitations to follow human beings law he designed for them.
When a father designed a toy car for his 2 year old, it does not mean the father must sit in the toy car and drive it.
Sorry for adding some theology in the reply but it is the Christians who discriminate and over 85% of evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump who is a womanizer and does not respect women to lead them because he discriminate against Muslims, women, blacks, gays etc.
He said he will ban ALL MUSLIMS and the Christians voted for him. You see where the discrimination comes from?
Not all Christians discriminates against others, but most of the evangelical Christians in the USA who supported Donald Trump did so because they like his discrimination tendencies.
Thanks.
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There’s obviously a lot we don’t agree on, but it’s not hard to agree that Trump and his ilk are frightening. He’s appointed people who would hide behind various cultural ideals to justify discrimination on an unprecedented scale.
By now it’s hopefully clear that, within reason, I am a ‘live and let live’ type of person. I am prepared to challenge ideas where I feel it necessary, and prepared to have my ideas challenged as well. Robust dialogue is healthy and I would like to thank you for it here.
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darthtimon
With Donald Trump grabbing women private parts and bragging about it, it is most Christians who voted him and defended him to lead them. Jesus would not have voted for Donald Trump but most Christians did.
-Pat Robertson defending Trumps grabbing of women genitals.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/10/10/pat-robertson-what-donald-trump-said-in-lewd-video-was-macho/?utm_term=.002c847fae54
-Jerry Falwell invited Trump to speak at his Christian university
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/please-watch-how-many-times-trump-teased-jerry-falwell-jr-during-liberty-university-speech/
With all this discrimination tendencies of Trump and it is only the evangelical Christians who are supporting him. You see what some of the Christians can do?
We have some Muslims who discriminate, but Christians living in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Iraq etc. for centuries without much persecution will tell you most Muslims do not discriminate others.
Christians used to kill any one in the west who do not believe what they believed until the liberals overcome them to force freedom of religion on them in the west.
Now, they think they can revert back to their old tactics of subjugating other through Trump. The lie very bad. Even if Trump lasts for 8 years, then next president will undue his discrimination laws. We thank God the good lawyers has prevented him from banning all Muslims travelling to the USA, as he promised his evangelical Christians voters who want such a thing to happen.
Thanks.
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