Motahari, Morteza (nd) Sexual ethics in Islam and in the Western world (Trans.

By Muhammad Khurshid Ali). Islamic Republic of Iran !orei"n #epartment of

Bethat !oundation. $$.%%&%'
We are consistently being told that in order to be civilized we should do away with the
traditional sexual morality and attune to the New Sexual Liberty which is based on the
following premises:
(1 !reedom should be ensured for every individual" as it does not interfere with that
of others#

($ %ll inborn sexual desires and aptitudes should be freely nurtured and brought to
fulfillment without any inhibition or restraint" since their curbing or frustration leads
to disorders of the ego# and

(& %ny natural desire subsides when it is fulfilled" and it becomes insistent and
excessive when it is sub'ected to any negative moral restraint or ill conceived
prohibition(
Several attempts are being made to ma)e us believe that emotional instability arises
from discriminating among the natural instincts and desires" so that only part of these
are satisfied while the others remain frustrated( So" it is argued" e*ual nurturing and
development of all human inclinations is necessary for personal and societal well
being( +t is therefore suggested that for avoiding constant preoccupation with sex" the
only correct way is to lift all moral restraints and social prohibitions because
liberation of the natural process of sexual fulfillment will also preempt mischief"
malice and vengeance characteristic of a situation involving moral restrictions( ,he
following" it is said" are the grievous and abominable conse*uences of the traditional
sexual ethics" towards which elimination all efforts must be geared:
(1 -ale sense of possession of his female
($ -ale 'ealousy"
(& -ale concern for establishing his paternity of a child"
(. %sceticism and monasticism based on the assumed sinfulness and wic)edness of
human sexual relations"
(/ !emale sense of impurity arising from her menstruating nature"
(0 -ale abstinence from sexual relations with a menstruating female"
(1 Severe punishments at the hands of men undergone by women throughout
recorded history# and
(2 3ausing women to remain economically dependent on men(
+t is claimed that the above state of affairs is attributable to the conventional sexual
morality" indicative of the cruel and superstitious individual and social restraints
applied under primitive conditions( ,hese values" therefore" must be replaced by
modernistic permissiveness since modern wives are not to be treated as chattels as the
days when men could manage to be cruel and oppressive are gone for ever(
+t is concluded that enslaving or ill4treatment of women and ma)ing them utterly
dependent on men are now things of the past( !or" women are regaining
socioeconomic freedom( -oreover" modern governments are gradually ta)ing upon
themselves ma'or socioeconomic responsibilities of a husband and father" including
mothercare and childcare( 5n the other hand" human 'ealousy is on the decline with
the spread of modern sexual attitudes and behavioural norms( %ccordingly" it is
suggested" we should no longer cling to the old moral system(

,he axis around which all these claims revolve is no more than the intended casting
away of the traditional moral constraints on human sexuality( 6ventually" the first
thing to receive attention on this basis is the need to ensure freedom of individual
action towards fulfilling one7s sexuality" or towards bringing about conditions of free
sexual love( +n pursuit of sexual liberty" the unrestrained 'oys of not only premarital
but post marital experimentation with one7s sexuality are therefore affirmed( +t is
pointed out that" through the least expensive and rather safe means of contraception"
sexual en'oyment can be diversified without necessarily involving any ris) of
pregnancy" legitimate or otherwise( +t is thus claimed that any spouse can safely
pursue his or her love affair to her heart7s content" by ta)ing lovers or becoming a love
ob'ect without necessarily undermining their marriage( -oreover" it is implied that
not only illegitimate pregnancies can be avoided" but a wife can chose to have a
legitimate child" without any moral concern about her extramarital affairs(