Pornography: A Challenge for Sexual Education from the Viewpoint of Islam

This research is aimed at investigating pornography as one of the challenges of sexual education in the era of information technology. It is also intended to identify strategies of Islam to deal with this this phenomenon. Three questions are raised to achieve the research goals: 1.What is pornography and how does it affect people? 2. What is sexual education in the Islamic perspective? 3. What are the solutions suggested by the Islamic notions for preventing pornography? A descriptive-analytical method was used in this research for answering these questions. The findings showed that pornography is introduced as a visual or verbal representation of sexual behaviors aimed at satisfying the sexual intentions of others. It is commonly presented in various forms, including photos, stories, video files and short animations on the internet, resulting in abnormal sexual satisfaction of the searchers. Pornography provides a ground through images, movies and stories by which sexual desires of watchers are pleased. Web sites are the earliest and most common form of access to pornography on the internet. Three essential factors including ease of access, low price and anonymity have made internet a common source in the field of sexuality. Pornography brings about many physical and psychological effects including aggressive behavior, impulsiveness, hostility towards women, promiscuity, rape, sexual violence, diversityism, betrayal of the spouse, incestuousness, persistent feeling of guilt and sexual offenses against children. In Islam, sexual education contains a set of educational measures related to sexual instinct, including guidance, control, moderation, and systematization of sexual instinct, which brings about maintenance of physical and mental health, chastity, virtue, and human dignity. Based on the findings of this research, the methods for preventing pornography in accordance with Islamic concepts can be presented in two areas: the methods that are set for the context of virtue, and methods in the domain of the concept of avoidance. Strategies for virtue include: 1. Controlling the senses, 2. Making aware 3. Eye opening warnings 4. Ashamedness and upsurge of faith and 5. Performing worship. Avoidance strategies include: 1. Enrichment of the leisure time, 2. Paving the way for marriage, 3. Controlling friendships and socializing.