Sex, Magic, and Religion: Cross-Country Evidence from the Muslim Societies

In this paper, we examine the relationship between traditional beliefs, practices, and attitudes towards sexual behaviours, including homosexuality, non-marital sex, prostitution, polygamy, and divorce, in 26 Muslim communities across Africa, Asia, and Europe. While religiosity consistently correlates with traditional attitudes — rejecting homosexuality, non-marital sex, and prostitution while accepting polygamy — traditional beliefs, such as witchcraft and the evil eye, exhibit more complex and sometimes contradictory effects. For instance, belief in witchcraft associates with greater disapproval of polygamy, while belief in the acceptability of sorcery under Islam correlates with greater acceptance. These findings reveal significant variation in attitudes even within a religiously homogeneous sample, suggesting that religiosity and traditional beliefs influence sexual norms in distinct ways. This study underscores the importance of moving beyond religion to capture the broader cultural and traditional mindsets shaping attitudes. It calls for further research to better understand the conflicting and multifaceted impacts of tradition on social norms, particularly regarding sexuality.