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    Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East
    Unavailable
    Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East
    Unavailable
    Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East
    Ebook328 pages5 hours

    Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East

    By BRIAN WHITAKER

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Homosexuality is a taboo subject in the Arab world. While cleri denounce it as a heinous sin, newspapers write cryptically of 'shameful acts' and 'deviant behaviour'. Amid the calls for reform in the Middle East, homosexuality is one issue that almost everyone in the region would prefer to ignore. In this absorbing account, Guardian journalist Brian Whitaker calls attention to the voices of men and women who are struggling with gay identities in societies where they are marginalized and persecuted by the authorities. He paints a disturbing picture of people who live secretive, fearful lives and who are often jailed, beaten, and ostracized by their families, or sent to be 'cured' by psychiatrists. Deeply informed and engagingly written, Unspeakable Love reveals that -- while deeply repressive prejudices and stereotypes still govern much thinking about homosexuality -- there are pockets of change and tolerance. Unspeakable Love was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award in 2006. This updated edition includes new material covering developments since the book's first publication. 'A must-read for anyone who believes in human rights' Rabih Alameddine 'Masterful -- incredibly balanced and thoughtful' Ben Summerskill 'Anyone interested in reform in the Arab world must read this book' Mai Yamani 'Wise and compassionate' Guardian 'Groundbreaking' Daily Star Lebanon 'Never before has such a comprehensive study of gay civil rights been published' The Middle East Gay Journal 'Boldly delves into one of the biggest taboos in modern Muslim societies with subtlety and sensitivity' Globe and Mail


    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSaqi Books
    Release dateAug 20, 2011
    ISBN9780863564598
    Unavailable
    Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East

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    Reviews for Unspeakable Love

    3.5/5

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    • 4/5
      It’s hard to assign a star-rating to this book – could be three stars, or it could be five, depending on the reader.The subtitle (Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East) misled me. Because the author is an English journalist working for The Guardian, and because the publisher in North America is University of California Press, I expected something sociological, perhaps a series of interviews or composite portraits based on interviews; in short, a book aimed at non-Muslim Westerners.Instead, the book appears to be aimed mostly at Muslims grappling with the challenge of their own sexualities, and beyond them, at Muslim people in general. A comparable title in Western culture might be John J. McNeill’s [[The Church and the Homosexual]].As such, Unspeakable Love outlines the examination by progressive theologians of Islamic teaching on minority sexualities as they challenge traditional teaching. It is clear that this process has only just begun.The situation for gays and lesbians in many Muslim countries is very grim. The handful of individuals whose stories are recounted confirms this. As a non-Muslim Canadian, I would have liked a lot more of this kind of information; and it is perhaps significant that the author had access to so few first-hand stories. Speaking for myself, then, I would give the book three stars.For gays and lesbians struggling in hostile societies, Unspeakable Love could be very important. By simply showing that there is room for a legitimate debate around the acceptance sexual minorities in Islamic culture, the book could save lives. For that audience, the book rates five stars. How many people will have access to it in the countries where it most needs to be read is another matter altogether.