by
Raviha Asim and Sadaf Azhar
Just as a tree without its roots falls, the death of a nation’s ideology is the beginning of its demise. As political powers have shifted and economies have evolved with rapid technological innovation, the media has been used to erode religious identities. Instead, it promotes global villages that have common perceptions. ‘Individualism’ and ‘freedom of choice and expression’ have become the new mantra which have sidelined religion completely. As a result, the guiding principles, ethics and morals of Muslims are constantly being challenged, leading to a shift in family values and perception of social taboos such as promiscuity and homosexual behavior.
“When religion becomes irrelevant to sexual behaviour and life at large, people feel compelled to form their own, thoroughly personal and subjective moral frameworks regarding sexuality. People’s emotions, personal taste, sensibilities, or even perverse desires guide their notions of acceptable sexual behaviour. Furthermore, contemporary moral and ethical discourse replaces central religious concepts.” -Dr. Carl Sharif El-Tobgui
Over the years what hit the West, has now been exported to Pakistan. We observe changes in social norms, ethics and societal values that have drastically altered the structure and interactions of families. The feminist movement triggered the idea of ‘female empowerment’ by seeking fulfilment and independence outside the home. Now we are faced with an increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ movement among the youth that threatens to shred our family stability and sense of identity even further.
The origin of LGBT
“There is no word in classical Arabic that is equivalent to “homosexuality,” just as there had traditionally been no concept of a gay or LGBT identity (with corresponding vocabulary) even in the West before the late nineteenth century. The term “homosexual,” first coined in Germany in the 1860s as a medical term to study (and, if possible, to treat) individuals who had sexual relations with members of the same sex, has been elevated to a sexual identity. “Sexuality” itself is a fairly recent neologism in the West. Traditionally, in both East and West, sexual behaviour has been something an individual does, not what a person is.”- Dr. Carl Sharif El-Tobgui
While ‘L’, ‘G’, and ‘B’, which stand for same-sex love or love for both genders at the same time is still widely regarded as unacceptable in our society, we are confused about the ‘t’. The term “transgender” is hotly debated but unfortunately, it is widely misunderstood and misused. As a result, some of us support transgenders out of sympathy, others believe in providing them equal opportunities. Still others believe that since God created a third gender, they should be allowed equal rights.
Unfortunately, we use the term interchangeably for both natural hermaphrodites and elective transgenders. Hermaphrodites do not have their own voice and are unjustly included under the umbrella of a community similar to theirs known as the ‘transgender community’.
The ‘third’ gender – What does the Shariah state?
Allah (swt) created men, women, and hermaphrodites (Mukhannath). The word Mukhanath or Khuntha literally means ‘doubled or doubling.’ The Prophet Muhammad (sa), in an answer to a question about how to determine the sex of a child born with both sex organs, said that the determining factor in such a case was the organ from which the child urinates (Abu Dawud).
The Islamic scholar, Ibn Qudamah, defined Khuntha as “a person with both male and female organs or with an opening in place of a sexual organ from which he urinates.” However, hermaphrodites only account for less than 1.17 percent of the human population. These individuals are a genetic anomaly, and instead of XX or XY chromosome of females or males, their chromosomes are XY, XYY, or XO. In addition to their genitals, their bodies may produce predominantly male or female hormones, exhibit differing hair growth or other tissue sensitivity.
According to the Shariah, when a child is born with both organs, doctors determine which organ is more productive or being used more than the other, after which corrective surgery and ensuing treatment can take place to assign it the predominant gender. Once the gender is determined, it will be treated as such for all legal rulings, including inheritance.
In contrast, transgender people have normal biological conditions but psychologically perceive themselves as the opposite gender. In other words, the person’s hormones, as well as his or her genitals, are normal, but he or she chooses to behave like the opposite gender. They then resort to cross dressing and adopting the mannerisms and speech of the opposite gender. The growing number of transgender people makes it difficult to distinguish between hermaphrodites and transgenders.
The origin of gender identity crisis
In the 1950s, Dr. John William Money, a sexologist and psychologist, first used the term ‘gender’ to describe someone’s sexual identity. He believed that a person’s gender was determined by their upbringing and exposure to what society considers masculine or feminine.
In Winnipeg, he conducted an experiment on twin boys named Brian and Bruce Reimer to test his gender theory of nurture versus nature. This case evolved into an unethical and tragic experiment as a result of Dr. Money’s research. The doctor transformed Bruce into Brenda, who eventually reverted to his male identity and became known as David. The twins’ traumatic upbringing, however, eventually led to both boys committing suicide. Surprisingly, psychologists and sexologists still regard Dr. Money as a brilliant scientist, which has led to widespread acceptance of his gender theory.
Regardless of the failure of the experiment, many people believe that they should be allowed to ‘choose’ their gender identity regardless of their biological structure. Unisex clothes are widely accepted and some parents choose to assign ‘neutral’ names to their child, letting him or her grow up and decide the gender himself or herself.
The Controversy
In Pakistan, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2008 aided in the growth of the transgender population. This Act was founded on a new gender ideology, which later legalized LGBT, allowing people to determine their gender on the basis of ‘perception’. This provides the loophole for legalizing gender reassignment surgery for biologically normal men and women merely because they prefer to behave as the opposite gender.
Allah tells us in the Quran that: “It could be that you dislike something, when it is good for you; and it could be that you like something when it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know.” (Al Baqarah 2:216).
In Shariah, this is impermissible. Allah (swt) has determined our gender and we cannot reassign it according to our whim. Nor can we behave as the opposite gender, simply because we prefer to live that way. Ibn Abbas reported: “The Prophet cursed men who copy women and women who copy men.” (Bukhari)
Due to a lack of knowledge, many countries, including Pakistan, have adopted the concepts of gender identity and gender expression, which are no longer determined by chromosomes and reproductive organs.
As Muslims, we must realize is that our primary identity is not the desire within us. Islam does not condemn us for having desires, but not every desire must be fulfilled. The ability to control our desires is what distinguishes us as humans and why murderers and rapists are punished. As men or women our roles in society are clearly defined and accordingly rewarded. Gender reassignment merely on the basis of perception will cause social discord and earn Allah’s (swt) displeasure. Hermaphrodites are not ‘re-asssigned’ genders. Rather, they are assigned the predominant gender.
LGBT youth have a higher risk of substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), cancers, cardiovascular disease, obesity, bullying, isolation, rejection, anxiety, depression, and suicide when compared to the general population. As a result, physical illnesses and mental problems will cause families to disintegrate.
Confusion as to the roles of individuals in society, especially within family structures, will lead to chaos. We need to educate ourselves and our society about the dangers of relying on our faulty perceptions and fleeting desires to make life changing decisions if we want to maintain peace and safety in society and earn Jannah in the Hereafter.
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