Comments on: National Fatwa Council Issues Fatwa Against Tomboyism, Lesbian Sex

By: Yuki Choe

Yuki Choe — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:15:57 +0000

fify fifah,

The assumption that the state of being “tomboy”, or “lesbian” is an action is ridiculous. Gender roles are an identity, and has nothing to do with behaviour. Lesbians for example, can be butch, femme, boyish, girlish etc.

You cited:
“fatwa that has been made by jurists is all for goodness and always right.”

Jurists are human, and what is good and what is right is subjective to every individual, and whatever “moral” reasoning these “jurists” give must be under scrutiny, especially when it persecutes a segment of people for simply existing and being. Attempting to police a female’s gender role is tantamount to dehumanizing lesbians and tomboys, and at worse it wrongly champions one class of gender and/or sexual orientation above all else.

And your tacit implication that lesbians and tomboys “behaved” like the ignorant ages cannot be more incorrect. Especially when there are no verses in the Quran that is against lesbians. Even the closest, about a person not being allowed to look and touch another of the same gender, can be used to actually demand for unisex toilets, and persecution of doctors who treat patients who happen to be the same sex as them, by that logic.

All in all, the word “homosexual” in its truest meaning (same sex attraction), has never appeared in the Quran. All the “clobber verses” that is misused to blame homosexuals, relates to sex, sex, and more sex. By that is it not heterosexuals that should be under more intense scrutiny?

Especially when heterosexuals commit sodomy more so than homosexuals, and lesbians hardly commit sodomy, at all? Is heterosexism, that tolerable?

By: fify fifah

fify fifah — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:09:11 +0000

it is maybe something to do with restriction. but people! do take note,this fatwa is only for those who are bound to islamic world. i am a muslim. i do agree with this fatwa. anyway, the fatwa is right. muslims should know how those people in the age of ignorance(jahiliyyah era) behaved like. this tomboy especially from muslims, must aware of their actions. after all, this fatwa is not yet become a law in Malaysia. so, people of non-muslim, please just dont be so annoyed upon this fatwa. (verse in AL-QURAN said, fatwa that has been made by jurists is all for goodness and always right.)

By: Genderless Child-Rearing | Femagination

Genderless Child-Rearing | Femagination — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:18:08 +0000

[...] quite as well in the United States, let alone other less-enlightened countries. (Read about the fatwa against tomboys in Malaysia.) Then again, by what criteria would it be considered [...]

By: Harian Metro, The Star Demonizes Transsexual Females. | Tilted World

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:18:13 +0000

[...] in spreading misinformation about tomboys and pengkids for the past couple of months ever since the fatwa on tomboys came out of the National Fatwa Council. They even used the word “tomboi” in various situations, from a girl wanting to be a boy, to a [...]

By: sue

sue — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:04:48 +0000

tiltedworld, u guys shud make a forum, it will be cool ..

By: Muzzy

Muzzy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:43:13 +0000

ohoooo welcome to “holy CLUB of Islam”.
Today my religion Islam is followed as a religion of restrictions.
We must bear in mind that, a person’s religion is not just an outward obedience to rules n regulations, but also an inward, existential acceptance of them. The objective of Muslims collectively must be to allow each to grow individually stronger in faith, NOT to force a hollow compliance on a hypocritical society.

By: LadyVanity

LadyVanity — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:19:52 +0000

sighs i saw this in the papers… this is sad as it will only deepen the misunderstanding and even hate towards homo/transexuals in malaysia. when will we ever achieve the freedom and acceptance for these people like in the US and UK???

By: Yuki Choe

Yuki Choe — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:40:09 +0000

“please try to respect other’s beliefs.”

Pamina, actually we do respect other people’s believes. The issue here is with certain people who use religion to discriminate. You may not feel opressed yet, but many already do like the Muslim transsexual females, transgenders and gays. I would not be surprised if Muslim transsexual males, tomboys and lesbians are next. We just need to make sure that people who take religion as an excuse for prejudice be held accountable for their words and actions, and no one’s existence is rejected in Malaysia.

By: pamina

pamina — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:31:28 +0000

it’s unfortunate that you are all not muslims and hence, i take, understand little of the religion. i am muslim. i am a lesbian. and no, i dont feel opressed by the religion. may be the ones in power tries to be controlling, but the religion has its rules and reasons for it.

please try to respect other’s beliefs.

By: Arvind

Arvind — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:19:42 +0000

Muslim women (especially Malay women) in this country have been oppressed silently in this country for decades, and this new fatwa ruling, is A MAJOR PERSECUTION AGAINST MUSLIM WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY! It’s a violation against human rights. Nobody has the right to tell a person how to behave, what to wear etc, as long as they are not committing any crime or causing any harm to others.

Please, do write to the National Fatwa Council ASAP, and to Suhakam and all the other Human Rights Society.