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As scholars question the place of nudity in marriage, Islamic clerics are hotly debating exactly what sexual practices are acceptable. This is how Brian Whitaker of The Guardian started his article.

So, it seems that Brian was watching the discussion going on the Arab blogsphere lately and made his own search to come up with of examples being discussed over the Online Islamic Fatwa websites and forums. Some of which are, anal sex, kissing, masturbation and a lot more other practices. You can read all here.

However, in my humble opinion, the two most important conclusions that Brian came up with is the following:

Unlike Christianity, which tends to be squeamish about sex, Islam has a long tradition of talking about it openly. Up to a point, this is much more healthy. While Catholic priests are enjoined to remain celibate, Muslim clerics are expected to marry and indulge heartily with their wives in the pleasures of the flesh. In many parts of the Muslim world, especially where folk are poor and uneducated, the local imam is the person many turn to for guidance on matters relating to sex and marriage.

Well, honestly, I never looked at it that way. While this might be true, but I think Brain miss the fact that had it not been online and hiding behind anonymous names, I doubt that the examples he mention could have been discussed. At least not until the last few years, when we started to see such questions, publicly discussed on our TV channels.

But that also alert us to the fact, that while all of this is happening now, one can ask, why we are not teaching all of this in our schools? Why is it haram (forbidden) or shame to talk openly about sex issues inside our class rooms? Probably the elderly people felt that it’s shame to talk of these at their time. But now, new generations are exposed to so much that makes them feel lost. This is why you should not be surprised to see thousands of emails and comments coming out of discussing such issues. The lack of knowledge in one of the basic human practices, sex, hijacks and occupies a very large space of the so called Online Islamic Fatwa websites.

Unfortunately this is seen as a negative sign. Well, at least this is how Brain sees it in his closing:

Much of the discussion is sadly reminiscent of the old Christian debate about the number of angels that can dance on a pinhead, but sex is only one part of the problem. The current fashion for online fatwas has created an amazingly legalistic approach to Islam as scholars - some of whom have only a tenuous grip on reality - seek to regulate all aspects of life according to their own interpretation of the scriptures. It is much harder to find any discussion on Muslim websites of matters that some would say form the basic substance of religion, such as the nature of love and spiritual experiences.

Sadly true! But then, “Better Late Than Never.”

[Hat tip: El-Oso]

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