KARACHI: Opposing certain provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018, prominent religious scholars on Monday demanded that a person’s gender should be identified through medical board in the light of a Federal Shariat Court’s (FSC) judgement.

The demand was made at an ulema convention held at a local hotel, attended by Mufti Taqi Usmani, Ruet-i-Hilal Committee member Mufti Yusuf Kashmiri and Qazi Ahmed Noorani of the Jamiat Ulema Pakistan.

Speaking at the convention, Mufti Usmani said the scholars were deceived regarding the transgender act, adding that the nation was currently being made a victim of a big ‘fitna’.

The ulema fully supported those who were struggling against that ‘fitna’, he added.

Ulema convention asks govt to withdraw appeal against Shariat Court verdict over transgender law

Observing that immorality separated religion from faith, Mufti Kashmiri said that all the parties, especially the scholars and religious organisations, should launch a joint movement against the transgender law.

Qazi Ahmed Noorani said anti-Islamic laws were being passed under the guise of protecting transgender persons, urging the ulema to realise their responsibilities.

The speakers also urged the government institutions to play their role to prevent obscenity, intellectual confusion, frustration and other dangers spreading among the youth due to the negative use of social media.

They said that ambiguity in the identity of any person’s gender should be clarified with the help of the medical board in the light of the decision of the FSC.

The ulema said the registration of such persons should be banned in the National Database and Registration Authority on the basis of a mere statement.

A joint declaration was also issued on the occasion of the scholars’ convention, which was supported by all schools of thought.

It said that under the global agenda, homosexuality was being spread all over the world.

The declaration said that under the same agenda, the 2018 transgender law was passed on the pretext of giving rights to the transgender community and the door to homosexuality was opened.

It said the FSC had declared the act as un-Islamic, but the government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against that decision.

The declaration demanded that the government accept the FSC’s verdict and withdraw the appeal filed against it to render the transgender law ineffective.

It also urged the government to end patronage of the people and institutions that spread obscenity.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2024