Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa brings together essays from multiple authors, covering a wide array of topics. They range from reproductive health and sexual diversity to the clash between individual sexuality and state control. Editors Ryan and Rizzo contend that studying sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can be dangerous, sometimes even deadly, due to social taboos and cultural mores that make reliable data a challenge to obtain. Despite these constraints, they posit that scholarly interest in the topic has grown, especially concerning “sexual minorities” and “gender diversity.”

The editors claim “not to advocate for one position or another.” However, the volume consistently advocates for the “right” of MENA residents to embrace Western-approved forms of sexuality, particularly non-normative identities. Despite acknowledging the impact of “Islamic conservatism” and its attendant culture—especially in Rusi Jaspal’s chapter on “Islam and Homosexuality”—Ryan and Rizzo, echoing contributor Zeina Zaatari, ultimately blame colonialist and “Orientalist” influences for the region’s strictures. They shed light on how sexuality in MENA upholds a social, political, and moral order that is distinct from the West while advancing the claim that “condemnation of sexuality originated in the West.” This leads Ryan and Rizzo to argue that MENA’s “strict laws against homosexuality” are a legacy of colonialism.

Although Sexuality provides a valuable overview of sexuality in the MENA region—and makes a case for not neglecting the role of Qur’anic and Hadith teachings—it inadequately addresses the history of Islamic laws that pre-date colonialism. Instead, a distinctly leftist—and activist—view of the MENA landscape on sexuality is evident throughout the book. Its emphasis on the “LGBTQ+” perspective comes at the expense of other expressions of sexuality that fall outside that paradigm.

Sexuality achieves a high standard of scholarship and is presented in an accessible style. By challenging restrictive MENA paradigms that infringe on human rights, it makes for a worthwhile read.

Christine Douglass-Williams
Author, The Challenge of Modernizing Islam (2017) and Fired by the Canadian Government for Criticizing Islam (2018)