US’ Hypocrisy on Transgender Issues

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Nisha Ayub was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the United States of America and San Diego City proclaimed 5th April as Nisha Ayub’s day. These awards are supposedly to recognise Nisha’s fight for transgender’s right in Malaysia.

US expressed worries that all 13 Malaysian states prohibit Muslim men from “dressing as women,” while three states has enacted law against “women posing as men.”

US is concerned of this law, enforced by state Islamic Religious Departments, when this law, has been known to be in accordance to Article 3 (1) of Malaysian Constitution that clearly states Islam as the religion of federation. Cross dressing and transgenderism are sinful in Islam.

Malaysia has been accused of being harsh towards transgender community.

Isn’t it ironic? And smacks hypocrisies.

Because back at home, US doesn’t know how to deal with their own problems. They have no clue on how to deal with trangenders homicides that’re happening there, that have been regarded by their media as national crisis.

In US, homicides of LGBTQ and HIV-impacted people increased 11 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to the figures released by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.

In 2015, the US media alerted of 2 transgender homicides within 24 hours that should be declared as national crisis.

But US government is more interested in awarding an activist from a country, that has law against transgenderism, but no record of murder associated with transphobia.

It is true that Islam prohibits LGBT, but Malaysia’s approach has always been to curb immoral activities associated with these lifestyles, that among others would expose them to diseases such as HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Last week’s raid by JAWI on Transgender Beauty Pageants held in prestigious hotel for example, was an event that paraded skin and fleshes for the physically transformed Mak Nyah, that beg questions, why are such activities synonymous with Mak Nyah? Who organised them and for what purposes? We are reminded of similar events for Kathoey in Thailand .

These will only perpetuate the social maladies that befallen Mak Nyah communities e.g being sexual workers. Mak Nyah are still being exploited sexually . Many studies in Malaysia has confirmed this.

For Muslims transgender, religious advices and programmes are always given.

Persatuan Insaf Pahang (PIP) is one such organisation that actively guides them religiously and provides a way out of the vicious cycle by providing skills of entrepreneurship for them to survive, through small businesses, an effort I couldn’t see in many of human rights’ organisations which only cry for “rights”, organise charities dinners along with beauty pageants events without really addressing the social, spiritual and health needs of transgender communities.

In Malaysia, basic rights of individual are guaranteed. Transgenders are still able to work or get education. But the “fight” for transgender is no longer for basic human rights as they claim, but rather promoting their lifestyles. Parading as beauty pageants is not their inherent rights because it is also unlawful for Muslim women. It is these lifestyles that are addressed by both the religious authorities and Muslims communities.

Prof Madya Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar
Chief Information of Wanita Isma

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