Pakistani man denies having sex with Taliban American.
September 30, 2002 5:44 PM Subscribe
Pakistani man denies having sex with Taliban American. Not that there's anything wrong with it.
That CNN piece predictably played off of the most salacious piece of what was actually a pretty fascinating article. I would be fascinated to actually read how exactly John Walker Lindh fell in with the Taliban. I wish it wasn't being parsed as 'look he likes guys, that explains it all'.
posted by GriffX at 5:54 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by GriffX at 5:54 PM on September 30, 2002
So neither of them are saying they had sex with the other. There was some confusion, because Hayat doesn't understand some of the colloquialisms of modern American english. There's nothing to indicate Lindh is gay. A cursory follow-up or fact-checking, which is what this article amounts to, shows it.
But Time latched onto it anyway. You've got to demonize the enemy, right? And there's nothing illustrative of moral degeneracy than homosexuality. Clearly, Lindh (the Young Man From Suburban America) was led astray by his lust for Hayat, and consequently he suspended all his logic and common sense, which is the only possible explanation for why he could sympathize with the Taliban. Makes good sense to me.
posted by Hildago at 5:56 PM on September 30, 2002
But Time latched onto it anyway. You've got to demonize the enemy, right? And there's nothing illustrative of moral degeneracy than homosexuality. Clearly, Lindh (the Young Man From Suburban America) was led astray by his lust for Hayat, and consequently he suspended all his logic and common sense, which is the only possible explanation for why he could sympathize with the Taliban. Makes good sense to me.
posted by Hildago at 5:56 PM on September 30, 2002
Is anyone else suspicious of the taliban/afghani/soon-to-be-iraqii male = gay = use gay dislike to quell war outrage thang?
posted by holloway at 6:00 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by holloway at 6:00 PM on September 30, 2002
Given the picture of him that they printed, wouldn't you deny it too?
posted by oissubke at 6:06 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by oissubke at 6:06 PM on September 30, 2002
Watch out holloway - if we oppose the war, the people who are gayer than Nathan Lane will have won!
posted by GriffX at 6:10 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by GriffX at 6:10 PM on September 30, 2002
I did not have relations with...that man
posted by crunchburger at 6:32 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by crunchburger at 6:32 PM on September 30, 2002
It is quite common for men in the Muslim world to have sex with each other, but it is generally before marriage, or in addition to marriage, but not as a substitute.
-- from Queer Jihad, a site at the WELL.
Certainly there is gay sex in the Muslim world. It doesn't fit into the same social categories as it does in the Western world, though, for a variety of reasons. As for the Taliban, they actually weren't very queer-friendly; the movement's beginnings are credited to an incident in Kandahar -- where traditionally men are permitted relationships with young boys, a la Greek catamites -- ca. 1994 when a local commander was accused of flaunting and abusing his teenage boyfriend. Even so, one can imagine that situational homosexuality remained at least occasionally present.
I think certain posters above are reading far too much into this. It's a juicy detail, and juicy details sell. Most people still believe J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses.
posted by dhartung at 8:03 PM on September 30, 2002
-- from Queer Jihad, a site at the WELL.
Certainly there is gay sex in the Muslim world. It doesn't fit into the same social categories as it does in the Western world, though, for a variety of reasons. As for the Taliban, they actually weren't very queer-friendly; the movement's beginnings are credited to an incident in Kandahar -- where traditionally men are permitted relationships with young boys, a la Greek catamites -- ca. 1994 when a local commander was accused of flaunting and abusing his teenage boyfriend. Even so, one can imagine that situational homosexuality remained at least occasionally present.
I think certain posters above are reading far too much into this. It's a juicy detail, and juicy details sell. Most people still believe J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses.
posted by dhartung at 8:03 PM on September 30, 2002
Lindh (the Young Man From Suburban America) was led astray by his lust for Hayat, and consequently he suspended all his logic and common sense, which is the only possible explanation for why he could sympathize with the Taliban.
The only possible explanation? Maybe he just came to like what Islam preached and decided to put his money where his mouth is. It's certainly a less complicated explanation than the popular ennui cum mental breakdown and, now, homo panic theories. Now where's that razor?
posted by holycola at 9:10 PM on September 30, 2002
The only possible explanation? Maybe he just came to like what Islam preached and decided to put his money where his mouth is. It's certainly a less complicated explanation than the popular ennui cum mental breakdown and, now, homo panic theories. Now where's that razor?
posted by holycola at 9:10 PM on September 30, 2002
oh - wait - dammit - Hildago was being sarcastic I think. mea culpa, or stupida, whichever works better for a post-too-hasty.
posted by holycola at 9:11 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by holycola at 9:11 PM on September 30, 2002
Thanks, dhartung, that's actually informative in several ways. It helps me to understand some thing I've puzzled on for a while.
Muslim people are often seen in angry, demonstrative groups, demanding action and condemning oppressors. This can seem very frightening to the observer (ok, to me...), but when I read "...Islam is a very sensible religion in my opinion, practical, pragmatic, fair and reasonable. I view justice and belief and responsibility as more important than mere ritual, for example, and ethical and moral relationships as more important than who one has sex with..." I see that a conception of justice is seen as crucial to the practice of Muslims. If then, one is muslim, and perceive - for one reason or another - grave, lethal injustices continuing, then anger is a natural response. It's a leap or two from there to terrorism, but I think I can see the conceptual connections more clearly.
Tho this looks like the same thing all Anglicans would have said not to long ago: "No. I dont think Muslim communities can support gay movements, because being gay is antithetical to family. It is not desirable, and there is nothing to be gained." Kind of contradictory, inasmuch as he has just said "..It is quite common for men in the Muslim world to have sex with each other, but it is generally before marriage, or in addition to marriage, but not as a substitute....The issue is relevant to me only to the extent that I could not live as a gay man in a Muslim country, unless I have a wife
and family as 'cover'..." He's clearly not met a gay father, either..
posted by dash_slot- at 9:17 PM on September 30, 2002
Muslim people are often seen in angry, demonstrative groups, demanding action and condemning oppressors. This can seem very frightening to the observer (ok, to me...), but when I read "...Islam is a very sensible religion in my opinion, practical, pragmatic, fair and reasonable. I view justice and belief and responsibility as more important than mere ritual, for example, and ethical and moral relationships as more important than who one has sex with..." I see that a conception of justice is seen as crucial to the practice of Muslims. If then, one is muslim, and perceive - for one reason or another - grave, lethal injustices continuing, then anger is a natural response. It's a leap or two from there to terrorism, but I think I can see the conceptual connections more clearly.
Tho this looks like the same thing all Anglicans would have said not to long ago: "No. I dont think Muslim communities can support gay movements, because being gay is antithetical to family. It is not desirable, and there is nothing to be gained." Kind of contradictory, inasmuch as he has just said "..It is quite common for men in the Muslim world to have sex with each other, but it is generally before marriage, or in addition to marriage, but not as a substitute....The issue is relevant to me only to the extent that I could not live as a gay man in a Muslim country, unless I have a wife
and family as 'cover'..." He's clearly not met a gay father, either..
posted by dash_slot- at 9:17 PM on September 30, 2002
Most people could don't care a bit whether J. Edgar Hoover wore dresses, but most of us remember that the FBI tried to blackmail Martin Luther King, Jr. into committing suicide.
posted by GriffX at 9:21 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by GriffX at 9:21 PM on September 30, 2002
There are two other metafilter threads (from January and April 2002) about this sort of thing if anyone is interested.
posted by sadie01221975 at 9:44 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by sadie01221975 at 9:44 PM on September 30, 2002
typical americans - our minds are ALWAYS in the gutter.
posted by photoslob at 10:50 PM on September 30, 2002
posted by photoslob at 10:50 PM on September 30, 2002
...and proud of it, boyyeeee!
posted by adamgreenfield at 12:15 AM on October 1, 2002
posted by adamgreenfield at 12:15 AM on October 1, 2002
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posted by donkeyschlong at 5:50 PM on September 30, 2002