Rsponce to Marwans Article (in cut down Form)

We are writing this in response to the article 'It's Great to be Straight'(UCC Express, 9/2/05, Opinion, pg 15) in which the author, Marwan Boustany,describes homosexuality as "abominable" and "illogical".This article suggests that the LGB Society's letter to the UCC Express couldbe interpreted as propaganda. Propaganda is a biased presentation of half ofthe facts in order to advance one's views as the only one. It is MarwanBoustany who indulges in this crime that he accuses the LGB Society of. Hegives the illusion of scientific support while not referencing the studies orresearch that he is using such as the figure that "shows" the rate ofhomosexual attraction to be six to twenty times higher among paedophiles. Infact, statistics regarding child molestation prepared by the Boston Advocatesfor Human Rights reveal that, "the vast majority of child molestation - over90% - is performed by heterosexual males".For other claims, the evidence he does reference is highly dubious. Forexample, the article makes reference to the work of one Jeffrey Satinover,M.D. who works for both NARTH and Focus on Family. NARTH (the NationalAssociation for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) has an explicit goalto "clarify that homosexuality in not 'inborn'" (quoted from NARTH's webpage)and aims to 'cure' homosexuality. Jeffrey Satinover has also stated thathomosexuality "is one of the many forms of soul sickness that is innate toour fallen nature". Does this sound like the work of an unbiased man?The subsequent "scientific" claims that Marwan Boustany then makes arepresented as "clear and irrefutable evidence". The only fact that science hasgiven us with regard to homosexuality is that the scientific community isentirely uncertain on the matter. The article also holds the "1 in 10 figure"in contempt as a sinisterly held "falsehood". The article's own 2.5% figure
line with USI\'s very own studies for campus population nation-wide.In his article, Marwan Boustany states that "the homosexual community are[sic] proven to be at increased risk with regard to substance abuse,psychological and medical problems". We are no more inherently at risk than aheterosexual person for these problems. If people are driven in to substanceabuse, it is so that they can escape from this world that harbours so muchhate.We must address Marwan Boustany\'s presentation of the LGB Society as a close-minded group of propaganda-pushers who have made "a concerted effort to labeldissenters as backward, religious bigots".Following the LGB Society\'s letter to the UCC Express, Abdul Hafiz madecontact with the LGB Society and, taking up our invitation for a debatestraight to us, engaged in a very healthy and fair debate in which everyonegot to express his or her view. Abdul Hafiz himself thanked the LGB Society"for allowing [him] to address these issues" and went on to say praise theopen environment of the debate, saying he rarely has a chance to discussthese matters so frankly.Given all these flaws and generally unhelpful nature of this article, we feelthat the readers of the UCC Express could get the wrong impression of theIslamic Culture and that we view it as a totally flawed institution. Duringthe subsequent dialogue that the LGB Society enjoyed with Abdul Hafiz welearned a lot more about Islam and we have slowly broken down barriers. Whilewe may have differing views we can still choose to communicate in a peacefuland non-threatening manner. We respect what Abdul has to say because of theway he has communicated it to us.We do not like waging a war of words against fellow students but at the sametime we do wish for the right to respond to any criticism that is leviedagainst us, especially seriously hurtful and untrue words. While we may neveragree or find common ground with Marwan Boustany or others who have suchstrong views on homosexuality we do wish to convey to these people and everyMuslim that we respect their right to have their own views and we respecttheir right to express their views. This is something that we hope isextended to us too.",0]
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is unsourced. In fact, the 10% figure is more widely respected, and is inline with USI's very own studies for campus population nation-wide.In his article, Marwan Boustany states that "the homosexual community are[sic] proven to be at increased risk with regard to substance abuse,psychological and medical problems". We are no more inherently at risk than aheterosexual person for these problems. If people are driven in to substanceabuse, it is so that they can escape from this world that harbours so muchhate.We must address Marwan Boustany's presentation of the LGB Society as a close-minded group of propaganda-pushers who have made "a concerted effort to labeldissenters as backward, religious bigots".Following the LGB Society's letter to the UCC Express, Abdul Hafiz madecontact with the LGB Society and, taking up our invitation for a debatestraight to us, engaged in a very healthy and fair debate in which everyonegot to express his or her view. Abdul Hafiz himself thanked the LGB Society"for allowing [him] to address these issues" and went on to say praise theopen environment of the debate, saying he rarely has a chance to discussthese matters so frankly.Given all these flaws and generally unhelpful nature of this article, we feelthat the readers of the UCC Express could get the wrong impression of theIslamic Culture and that we view it as a totally flawed institution. Duringthe subsequent dialogue that the LGB Society enjoyed with Abdul Hafiz welearned a lot more about Islam and we have slowly broken down barriers. Whilewe may have differing views we can still choose to communicate in a peacefuland non-threatening manner. We respect what Abdul has to say because of theway he has communicated it to us.We do not like waging a war of words against fellow students but at the sametime we do wish for the right to respond to any criticism that is leviedagainst us, especially seriously hurtful and untrue words. While we may neveragree or find common ground with Marwan Boustany or others who have suchstrong views on homosexuality we do wish to convey to these people and everyMuslim that we respect their right to have their own views and we respecttheir right to express their views. This is something that we hope isextended to us too.