Whither Homosexual Rights?

The question of homosexual rights presents a formidable dilemma for contemporary Islam. And this is especially so as the Islamic world generally accepts human rights as valid aspirations, so much so that a number of scholars do not hesitate to include these as one of the higher objectives of the shariah (maqasid al-shariah). This is why when calls for homosexual rights or gay rights as valid human rights are made, they attract mixed reactions.