Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East Paperback – November 6, 2006

Arab is supposed to be an extremely difficult language to learn. It's incredibly difficult for writers to generalize about the Arab world when it encompasses so many countries and so much history, and historical change. Finally, in homophobic societies, it is hard to get people to speak about sexuality generally and homosexuality specifically. For all these reasons, I thank the author for producing this text and give him much credit.However, this book may frustrate some. I think the author was trying to write for everyday readers and the academic, highly-versed. His journalism background shows in the chattiness of some chapters, but when he speaks of fields of Islamic law and constructionism versus essentialism in gay studies debates, it may get too complicated for some readers.The best chapters were the ones in which he quotes actual Arab gay men and lesbians (and yes, the book does try to be lesbian-inclusive) and details homophobic controversies in that region. A large chunk of the book is about describing and critiquing homophobia from Muslim clerics and leaders. Given how religion is used to promote homophobia in many places, this addition was necessary, but it got dull after awhile. In the United States, religious homophobes play a key role in the battle of gay rights, but if someone wrote a book that focused more on Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson than on the Stonewall Riots, Ruby Mae Brown, or Rock Hudson, then it would be a rocky, unbalanced read.Given the intense tensions between the Christian and Muslim worlds, I loved how this writer tried to keep Western readers humble. He says Arab countries have homophobic laws, but so did Britain less than 40 years ago. Mosques may be gay-unfriendly, but he writes that most churches and synagogues are too, except for a few, new, progressive institutions. Modern Arab literature may be homophobic, but much of English and American literature is the same way. Again, I applaud the author's promotion of keeping one's own community in check or humble.I wasn't glued to this book, but I found it insightful and important. Readers may benefit from reading this alongside seeing the documentary "Living Dangerously."

The media could not be loaded.  Well this was my first book in Middle East LGBT and it really opened me up to the field of study I want to do. I was disappointed with the sources, but I understood that he was writing about something that there are only a handful of academic sources on and a few other stories by independent authors, so I gave him credit. I wish it could have had more reliable sources. Some of the internet ones no longer work. But it is a field in which you have to slide into under the cover of something else.. I know this since LGBT Middle East is my master's degree.. Besides the sources.. this is a real informative book, full of information. I learned some things I had never even thought about, dealing with the Middle East culture. I recommend it for all in the ME area and LGBTQ/Gender studies.

I love this book because it talks about the Middle East through Gender & Sexuality which is barely mentioned in the media.I feel this book is a must to understand the LGBT struggle in the Middle East and how they have to deal with reppression.Its sad how Love is forbidden in these society because of the status quo placed by the hiearchy.Love is the solution the Middle Eastern conflicts.Let love prevail=)

Tread carefully with a big stick is how I would characterize living in the Middle East if you are gay and or lesbian persuasion.Freedom and democratic principals are hard fought, and many will die before these rights are achieved.

a good read but very frustratinganswers some other ?'s, very interesting, still have a bit to read. A very repressed society.

I found a lot of truth in this text. This is the only text I could find about the subject that spoke in such a frank and concise manner.

Brian Whitaker's 'Unspeakable Love' is a great summary of the life of current trends and treatment of homosexuality within contemporary Arab culture. This book should not be read expecting a history of homosexuality within this culture as this is not its intent. The book provides a detailed portayal, especially, of a paradigm shift from the 90's to current day. There are some issues with the book being a bit choppy in its presentation but that does not interefere with the information. Whitaker also provides detailed notation of where to obtain additional resources via the web. In addition, many wonderful Arabic texts are discussed in this book.

I learned so much with this book. I have lived for 20 years in muslim coutries and this book shows much of the reality.

This book creates a window for the Western reader to peer into the world and society of the Middle East, what surprised me the most is how the author reveals the similarities in culture, religion and ideology between 19th century West and modern day Middle East. The only thing I would criticise the book on is that it felt towards the end rather repetitive and I would have liked a bit more focus on personal accounts (although I understand that this is very difficult to achieve) and perhaps more focus on the historical context.

Fascinating and immensely readable and lucid. His breadth of references is truly impressive.

Fast delivery, excellent condition! Will order from here any time again :) Love the book as well, very insightful .