Afghan Men Struggle With Sexual Identity

Afghan Men Struggle With Sexual Identity<br /><br />The study, obtained by Fox News, found that Pashtun men commonly have sex with other men, admire other men physically, have sexual relationships with boys and shun women both socially and sexually yet they completely reject the label of homosexual. The research was conducted as part of a longstanding effort to better understand Afghan culture and improve Western interaction with the local people.<br /><br />The research unit, which was attached to a Marine battalion in southern Afghanistan, acknowledged that the behavior of some Afghan men has left Western forces frequently confused.<br /><br />In one instance, a group of local male interpreters had contracted gonorrhea anally but refused to believe they could have contracted it sexually because they were not homosexuals.<br /><br />Apparently, according to the report, Pashtun men interpret the Islamic prohibition on homosexuality to mean they cannot love another man but that doesnt mean they cant use men for sexual gratification.<br /><br />The group of interpreters who had contracted gonorrhea joked in the camp that they actually got the disease by mixing green and black tea. But since they refused to heed the medics warnings, many of them re contracted the disease after receiving treatment. army medic also told members of the research unit that she and her colleagues had to explain to a local man how to get his wife pregnant.<br /><br />The report said: When it was explained to him what was necessary, he reacted with disgust and asked, How could one feel desire to be with a woman, who God has made unclean, when one could be with a man, who is clean? Surely this must be wrong.<br /><br />The Pashtun populations are concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The Human Terrain Team that conducted the research is part of a military effort to learn more about local populations.<br /><br />The report also detailed a disturbing practice in which older men of status keep young boys on hand for sexual relationships. One of the countrys favorite sayings, the report said, is women are for children, boys are for pleasure.<br /><br />The report concluded that the widespread homosexual behavior stems from several factors, including the severe segregation of women in the society and the prohibitive cost of marriage.