Qatari news site Doha News has recently sparked an intense debate about homosexuality within Qatar's conservative Muslim society.
The news site published an article titled " What it’s like to be gay and Qatari " on Aug. 5, a firsthand perspective from a gay Qatari writing under a pseudonym. Detailing the authors experience living as a homosexual in Qatar, he decided to share his perspective after the attack on an LGBT nightclub in the United States earlier this year.
Due to the overwhelming reactions and also some very angry readers, Doha News decided to follow-up the article with a perspective from a reader criticizing the original post. Titled " We do not tolerate homosexuality in Qatar," the rebuttal was published on Monday.
"After the news of the Orlando gay club shooting, and reports came out that a Muslim bouncer saved people, some of the comments on social media were appalling," the first author wrote. "People were saying they all deserved to die – they should have died and done humanity a favor. They called them 'God’s cursed people.'"
"There were comments saying we should all have been shot, or put on an island and set on fire. I always knew that people felt this way, but it was only after this that I felt strongly that people really wanted to kill people like me, and that this is an accepted attitude," he added.
Some commenters were supportive and happy that Doha News had published the article.
Others argued that homosexuality is wrong wrong within an Islamic society like Qatar.
And some criticized Doha News for sharing the article.
"Qatar is a Muslim country, and in it homosexuality is not tolerated," Jassim Al-Maadadi wrote.
"Regardless of the number of Qatari homosexuals that exist, the fundamental truth of the matter is that whether he is just one of a million Qatari homosexuals, a million wrongs will not make a right."
Maadadi argued that every Qatari has the duty of representing his or her culture and religion to the world. He also said that Doha News should not have even published the young man's perspective, as it contradicted the values of the emirate and granted homosexuality "legitimacy."
Once again, some commenters agreed with the writer.
Others respected the author's opinion but criticized his arguments.
Homosexuality and LGBT rights are global issues that are seen as increasingly prominent throughout the world. Within the Middle East, homosexual acts are often illegal and sometimes punished severely.
However, even in countries throughout the world where LGBT rights have been recognized and even protected, many homosexuals are stigmatized by their families and society. The online debate within Qatar highlights the level of relative media freedom within the country to discuss controversial topics that may cause societal tensions.