Gender for many exists in the binary format of male and female, masculinity and femininity. There’s an inseparable link between gender and sex built and upheld by our society. But even within this binary there are degrees of gender expression and an almost competition on who is more of their assigned gender. Men need to…
Month: December 2014
The Catch 22 of Terrorism Overly Simplified
Flashing across the media spectrum we typically see scenes and updates from far off places like Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The war on terror continues and we truly want to end this fight. Whether it is leaving the nations to fend for themselves or taking an active role, the debate on how to end the…
On the Edges of The Binary and Society: Sufism’s Role in Social Tolerance of Hijra and Transgender Communities in Pakistan (Academic Article)
Islamic society has been wary of accepting gender nonconforming individuals such as transgender people and hijras in South Asia. They face violence, discrimination from families, society, and the government, and rampant poverty within this group. Yet with Sufism as a major tradition in Pakistan, the second largest Islamic state, social tolerance towards the hijra and…
The Last Frontier on Basic Human Rights: Western Influence and Its Effects on The LGBTQ Community in Oman (Academic Article)
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Oman faces a strong yet silent opposition from the government as well as its people. Despite a more tolerant branch of Islam dominating the social atmosphere in the Sultanate, LGBTQ individuals are subjected to restriction of free speech, social stigma, and even imprisonment. However, recent efforts by Western nations to promote tolerance and human rights globally have had an impact on the lives of LGBTQ people. Oman in its current situation, in regards to modernization and an arrival of more Westerners, have begun to bring rights of the LGBTQ community into question and pave a way towards national tolerance.
Presented at the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion conference March 2014.
Thoughts of the Middle 