Faizal Patel 

Homosexuality is a big, big issue in modern Britain: Previously taboo being gay is now accepted in the ‘liberal’ western society. Or is it? 
According to a recent survey conducted by the Policy Exchange, 72% of Muslims want homosexuality re-criminalised. Looks like I am a minority. I expect if you conducted a survey with Christianity, you would find similar results. 
Is it really such a big issue if a man or woman feels attracted to a member of the same sex? Okay it might not be to my taste, but as a lad who fancies the lovely ladies, that much is obvious. But to criminalise it? Really? That is just down right stupid. Okay, I might not like it too much, I might not understand it. But there is nothing to make an issue out of. So what I ask you? So what if a guy likes another guy? So what if a girl likes another girl?
What I'm trying to say is it is simply none of our business if a person is straight or not. What is the problem? Okay, they are homosexual, big deal. Get a life. You have people dying on the streets of Libya for freedom from tyranny and your arguing because someone sleeps with the same sex? Go figure. 
Now, the biggest critics of Homosexuality are the religious folk - people supposedly like myself, but who are backward, who do not move with the times and who do not accept differences. Well, I am quite religious and I take my religion very seriously, but I don’t have a problem with it.
 
Shock horror, Muslim male has no problem with homosexuals - Well it's not that inconceivable! It's true that, Islam is not exactly pro gay rights, however, sexuality is an issue that is left between the person and God. It's as simple as that. If I want to commit a sin, it is not between me and five other members of the community. It is between me and God and that is simply it. All it boils down to is people trying to impose their ideas upon others, trying to take away their choice.
I am sure, if God frowns upon homosexuality, God would frown equally as much on the fact that someone has their freewill taken away, made to endure what to them is torture, simply because they are homosexual. Why put people through that? Okay, it might not be your cup of tea, but to put people in prison because of that? To kill people because of that? Are we living in the 21st century or we living in 600 AD? If you want to throw homosexuals in prison, why not throw women in prison for being a teacher or telling her partner what to do? after all, that’s what St Paul says in his First Letter to Timothy(1).
 
Come on people, wake up! The mark of a true advance civilisation, is not the fancy gizmos it has, but the mark of how it treats its people. If we are going to start picking at differences we are straying dangerously close to Hitler and we do not want to go there. You don’t have to take to the streets during the gay pride parade, but how about some acceptance? Maybe even some of that famous tolerance that Jesus and Muhammad (pbuh) had. Is that so hard to ask for?
 
Don’t ever forget, at the end of the day, we are all humans: skin, flesh and bone. The same, equal in the eyes of God. How about we let people make their own choices in life, let them choose for themselves and leave the judging part to God? We have too many problems to deal with, without having to fight amongst ourselves. I leave you with a famous dictum from Martin Niemoller, just substitute the words in there for homosexual and you see what I mean.
 
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
 
Please, think and try for some tolerance.
 
 
 
(1) 1 Timothy 2:11-13