It's Haram, but Who Am I to Judge? Exploring and Unpacking Muslims' Religious Perspectives Toward Homosexuality

Across Europe, Muslims are generally portrayed as opposing homosexuality; however, recent studies have shown that the relationship between Muslims and homosexuality is more complex. In this study, we try to further understand how Islamic religiosity shapes Dutch Muslims' (multilayered) perspectives on sexual orientation (and, connectedly, sexuality and gender identity) in the Netherlands, while taking an intersectional perspective particularly regarding people's gender, generation, parenthood, and professional role. Applying this approach, the study endeavors to provide a nuanced and detailed understanding of how Muslims follow and/or negotiate religious interpretations, discourses, and beliefs regarding homosexuality, and which sources they draw from. Drawing on 33 in-depth interviews with Moroccan and Turkish Dutch Muslims in a racialized context, we find that (conflicting) religious interpretations, respect for one`s free choice, and Islamophobia play an important role in Muslims' perspectives on homosexuality, in terms of both challenging and reconciling societal expectations and religious teachings.