A discursive psychological analysis of Islamic sermons on homosexuality

Abstract

This paper aims to provide insights into the delivery of Islamic sermons in regards to homosexuality. The spoken discourse which constitutes data for this study were generated from the sermons delivered by two Malaysian preachers. These sermons were retrieved from the video sharing website, Youtube. The two preachers were chosen because of their popularity and huge following. The spoken discourse was analyzed using the Discursive Psychology (DP) approach, more specifically, the Discursive Action Model (DAM) proposed by Edwards and Potter (1992). The analysis shows that these preachers expertly employed DP strategies in maneuvering their sermons so that Islamic ruling on the sinfulness of homosexuality is unflinchingly delivered. At the same time the rest of the Muslim communities are urged to treat LGBT individuals humanely. This paper thus challenges the notions that Islam is inherently homophobic and that Muslims who believe that homosexuality is a sin would necessarily discriminate against homosexuals.