Pakistani Clerics Declare Transgender Marriages Legal Under Islamic Law

Pakistani Clerics Declare Transgender Marriages Legal Under Islamic Law

Well this looks like it will be a fun topic. So in the world of Islam, they are starting to make social progress too. Over in Pakistan, which is already pretty progressive towards trans rights, the clerics have declared that a trans woman can now marry a man. Things aren't perfect though.

A group of clerics in Pakistan has declared marriage between transgender individuals permissible in Islam, saying they have a right to be buried in Muslim ceremonies, according to a copy of a religious edict Reuters obtained on Monday.

Transgender people also have full rights under Islamic inheritance law, the Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat Pakistan, a little-known clerical body in the eastern city of Lahore, said in its fatwa.

“It is permissible for a transgender person with male indications on his body to marry a transgender person with female indications on her body,” said the document, signed by 50 clerics and issued on Sunday.

“Also, normal men and women can also marry such transgender people as have clear indications on their body.”

But it did not say what these indications were.

In 2012, Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets, preceded a year earlier by the right to vote.

Though after all, we are still talking about a Islam, so let's not pretend things are super peachy here. Trans people in Pakistan still experience their fair share of hate in a dominantly religiously conservative country. For one, you have to commit to being trans person and can't have both male and female parts. Plus homosexuals are still left out on a limb.

Pakistani marriage law remains murkier, however. It denies homosexual couples permission to marry, with male homosexuals having been charged under anti-sodomy laws in the past.

Sunday’s fatwa declared marriage with any individual possessing both male and female “indications” to be against Islamic principles.

In any case, this is still pretty interesting seeing that, yes, even Islam can progress into the modern world.

Oh boy you mean I can now have that dream wedding I've always wanted to have in Pakistan! /Sarc

Tell that to them boy's wearing all black riding around in Toyota's gifted form Uncle Sam.

So let me try and understand if I have got this right...so basically whichever version of Islam is the most practiced in Pakistan says that its ok so long as one person has boy parts and the other girl parts. It makes no distinction between surgically altered outer equipment. So basically they still have a problem with two of the same parts intermingling why how progressive of them.

Yay, now we need about 200 years of consistency and reeducation, all imams agreeing to this and teaching it to others, plus hoping that ALL muslims are happy to go against the koran. Sounds like a doddle...
But I suppose every journey starts with a step.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix
Well there is another facet to this. Because of the stigma against homosexuality over there, many people who are just gay are getting sex reassignment surgery so that they won't be persecuted against by the government. This now extends them the right to marry. Kind of a roundabout way to get that privilege and you have to sacrifice something that makes you a man, but we can always look at it as baby steps.

What a sick bunch of murdering raping criminals. Its a criminal ism, not a religion, its government fascism system that is highly criminal.

And they fight amongst themselves alot. Don't think the other radical groups will be agreeing with this. In fact, just doing this would leave you open to attack.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: RainbowPhoenix
Well there is another facet to this. Because of the stigma against homosexuality over there, many people who are just gay are getting sex reassignment surgery so that they won't be persecuted against by the government. This now extends them the right to marry. Kind of a roundabout way to get that privilege and you have to sacrifice something that makes you a man, but we can always look at it as baby steps.

Bingo I think you just nailed it...they hate versatile play over there. Only tops and bottoms and nothing in-between. I'll give them more credit than some of the members here when it comes acknowledging and accepting gender roles/identities/presentation and treating such people accordingly, which unfortunately for women means getting treated like objects and domestic servants.

But hey two gay guys can get married if one of them chops off his equipment so were making progress.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix
I'm just impressed that they are making progress. Clearly this flies in the face of all the haters who want to pretend like the Muslim world can't adapt to the modern world.

This will be interesting to see what happens after declaring something like this right in the heart of Islam.

terrorist retaliation in 3... 2...

Anything to get ISIS off the backs of Muslims in general.

Islam is such a loving religion.

Especially in Pakistan.

Wow you are really Hooked on the MSN agenda

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I guess as long as you have "female markings" and marry someone with "male markings", Allah will be nonethewiser.

a reply to: onequestion

What kind of response to the thread is this? A backhanded compliment towards Islam and an ad hominem to me for posting a story you don't like. Are you mad that the Muslims aren't doing the things you rant and rave about all the time?

originally posted by: TheTory
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I guess as long as you have "female markings" and marry someone with "male markings", Allah will be nonethewiser.

Hey whatever floats their boat. I'm just glad that they are moving on in this regard. Maybe later Allah will stop caring about the parts people have too.

Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat Pakistan - little-known clerical body in the eastern city of Lahore, said in its fatwa.

Clerical body or PR firm?

Why no names of the Imams and Muftis making their offical rulings on this groundbreaking contradiction and repudiation of muhammed and his perfect infallible quran?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Oh, how progressive, that if, if the transgender individuals get to make it past childhood and adulthood, religious restriction, family scorns and honor killings from being different.

Yes, then only then if they survive all that they will be rewarded with the right to marry.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Oh, how progressive, that if, if the transgender individuals get to make it past childhood and adulthood, religious restriction, family scorns and honor killings from being different.

How is that different from a transgender child growing up in the Christian right Bible Belt where you can be abandoned by your parents for being LGBTQ? Hell as a "god fearing Christian" in this country you can send your child to "camps" where they effectively try to beat the gayness out of them.

Like I've said from the beginning, it's not perfect, but it's a start. Plus the whole world is still pretty damn intolerant towards these people, so it's not like anyone can sit and laugh from a position of moral superiority here.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I guess you forgot that under Sharia law that is practiced in Pakistan and which under the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan assures that the state will follow Islamic Sharia law and cannot make any Un-Islamic Law or Rule against the sharia, people can be kill during the right to honor killings.

Let no forget that about 1000 women die from honor killings annually in Pakistan, well I will say that the whole issue of transgender rights is nothing but a propaganda scam.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Now, what about Christianity? oh, yeah, always a good scapegoat issue when talking about Islam and Sharia ruled countries.

a reply to: marg6043

I didn't forget anything. As I already mentioned it is a roundabout way for gays to get married, but it also ends up helping real transgenders too. Why is it so hard for people such as yourself to be happy that Muslims are trying to correct their barbaric ways? Instead you call them out for things they still haven't fixed?

Did you forget about the "pray the gay away" camps that are still legal in this country? How about the furious debate about transgenders that's raging on currently? I guess YOUR discrimination against them is ok, right?

Now, what about Christianity? oh, yeah, always a good scapegoat issue when talking about Islam and Sharia ruled countries.

Yeah god forbid I try to give you a familiar example that you can gain some perspective and understand that your opinion may not be as sound as you think it is.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Well what can I say I always been against organized religion, but for some reason whenever Islam is the topic Christianity and its historical practices are mentioned, still the fact is, that under Islam as is practiced today, transgender, gays and any variances will still be persecuted and killed.

In order for any Islamic country to offer any protection to their transgender people they will have to ban sharia and work on their human rights, that is not going to happen any time soon.