Saturday, September 17, 2011

Transsexualism and Sex Change in Islam



Translation and transcription of the video:

DR TARIQ AL HABEEB

Do we judge on a person that he is a male or female from his external physical appearance ? Or from the internal feeling inside himself ? Most of those who i've conversed with said : HIS EXTERNAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

But in... my view ,and maybe a lot will disagree with me,we judge the person if he is male or female from his internal feeling inside himself.What does he feel in himself ? What does he feel in his identity ?

If we ask anyone for example. why do you wear arabic scarf or dress ? is it because your physical appearance is a man so you did wear that ? Or is it because you felt inside you that you are a man so you did wear that ? the basic gauge is his feeling that he is a man made him follow that habit.We ask the women why do your wear such ? is it because of your physical appearance is feminine so u wear such ?Or is it because you felt inside you that you female so you do wear that clothes? The standard perspective ,if we observed and focused in ourselves , is because we feel inside ourselves that we are men so we wear that clothes,or because they feel they are women so they wear those clothes.Even in the national and the patriotic structure of the person,why he is following a specific attitude ? It is because he, inside himself, assume that assumption.

But i focus on the self structure , the identification , the personal , Am i male or female inside my self ?

Lets take for example the man who came to my clinic for example,he feels that he is a female.What should we do?We evaluate his body: we found that he is a man.Then we evaluate his hormones, to see what the structure of the hormones say about him ? in most cases ,from what i've seen in these condition , is that the hormones structure is for men but has been disturbed.If there was defect , we go for curing the hormone defect that causes that condition.If there no any defects,we look to the psychological side ,So we do the physical check up first ,external and internal ,We see if there is a uterus or not ,ovaries etc.Then we check his hormones if he is a man and has female hormone, we modify these hormones and then we see what happen next.The third condition , we found that his body is a man, and his hormones are male hormones,But inside himself he feels that he is a female.."I'm a female,not only i like to be with females,I'm a female inside my self,not only inside my self,i'm all a female.But why should i act like a man,and wear mens clothe...etc? it is because society imposed on me...i feel that i'm a female..

we ask now,should that person live as a female or male? what is the right that we should give to this person ? Should he live as a male or female ? in my personal evaluation this person must be a female...because the gauge is not the body,and its not the hormone,because the actual gauge is his internal feeling, his composition , if it was since he was raise while he was a child,and he feels that feeling,so he is a female with a male body and male hormones..but if it was something casual,so no,we don't accept that..!!!Maybe some while growing more with girl ,started from females behavior.That is behavioral conditioning ,but his self identity is a man.Feels like a man,but like some of females behavior THAT IS NOT THE ONE WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT..! Please don't get mixed up with what i'm saying,But a person since he came into life and he feels that he is a female so it is very limited percentage ,not every man who effeminate in his clothes or a woman who dressed like a man .No,not those whom we are talking about.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE INSIDE FEELINGS THAT MAYBE LEAD HIM/HER TO DRESS IN A CERTAIN WAY OR ANY OTHER BEHAVIOR.That person according to my view should live as a female..And the woman that has a feeling of a man since she was born and came to the universe and that feeling strong inside NOT A PASSING OR TEMPORARY FEELING ,NO,Not that what we mean,but the complete feeling that she is male ,she deserve to live as a male ,and those whom i'm talking about those have the right to live ,the woman as a man,and the man as a woman .

And to pursue the appropriate medical decision,From THE ISLAMIC View some maybe against and say "HOW COULD THIS BE'? I Say:I HAVE EVIDENCE IN THIS MATTER,The intersex,whose body completely is mixed with female and male..What do the scholars say about this ? They said : To which ever he is close to, he or she should change...That person in front of me ,is two pieces ,one is physical and the other is the psychological i fix them together.What does that person feel ? what does he want ? what is attracted to ? we are talking about intersex..!! this is how we evaluate that person who is called in fiqih a intersex or hermaphrodite who is not matching one's assigned sex,but mixed sex in his/her reproductive organs ..what should we do to that person? we ask him/her where do you find yourself closer to? and see what is his/her body structure closer to..so we mix this with that ,and continue the treatment of making this person a male or female..i apply my idea that i'm saying ,and base it on that EVEN IF THE PERSON WE ARE TREATING ,FROM OUTSIDE HE IS A MAN ,AND HIS HORMONES ARE MALE,BUT INSIDE HIM IS A FEMALE,YES,HE HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE AS FEMALE,AND I'M SAYING IT WITH ALL BRAVERY..He should live as a female,the society,the culture,and so and so don't judge on me as on that's how we found our fathers doing,don't judge on me based on theories,judge on me with science,converse with me.My parents have taught me to debate the idea by another idea,and argument by another argument,..But if i started saying..this and that and what should i do with the people ? That is not the language of science ,nor the language of religion..Never at all..But we evaluate that matter,and make the ideal psychological and surgical treatment for that person to live tranquilly..LET'S THINK ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND SOCIETIES...

Many parents come to me saying:HE EMBARRASES US INFRONT OF THE PEOPLE....! How we could changed him ? COME ON GUYS,SHOULD HE SUFFER FROM WEARING MEN'S CLOTHES? OR SHOULD SHE FOR EXAMPLE SUFFER FROM THOSE WOMEN'S CLOTHES? YOU FIND A WOMAN LIVING AS A MAN,WALKING LIKE A MAN..She has the right to live as a man..We think about our interest and benefits..BUT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THEIR RIGHT..It is his right to live as a woman,IF HIS PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY SINCE ALLAH CREATE HIM AND HE FEELS INSIDE HIM THAT HE IS A FEMALE,IM REPEATING AGAIN...,Not a temporary feeling,so none misunderstand me,But A VERY STRONG & ROOTED FEELING INSIDE HIM,THAT MAKES HIM WORRIED AND ANNOYED FROM WHAT ? From his outer physical appearance and his clothes,that he wears male's clothes and HE FEELS INSIDE HIM THAT HE IS FEMALE..! OR SHE DID WEAR FEMALE'S CLOTHE ,AND SHE FEELS INSIDE HER THAT SHE IS A MALE.So after that evaluation,the physical and hormones,we move to the psychological side..If it was a strong and rooted feeling for that person,in my scientific opinion,It is favourable for that person to live as female ,that man and that woman,it is favourable to live as male.

There is different composition in some people,even in their internal psychology,those no ,we see to which he/she closer and we confirm on it,not impose the opposite.there is also the person who has sexual orientation , a man who is attracted to both women and men (Bisexual),That is not whom we are talking about..That is call sexual disturbance...and actually i don't call it a 'disturbance' with all the meaning of that word,A person who attracted to the same sex, a man to man,a woman to woman,maybe it is disturbance..but both sex at the same time ,that is maybe because of some social habits make the person attracted to both sexes,A Man who is attracted to both sexes sexually,and feels inside him that he is a man,That is not the one whom we are talking about..or A woman who is attracted to both sexes sexually,or even is attracted to women only,and she practice lesbianism a lot in her life ,She is not the one whom we are talking about...unless she feels inside that she is a man..Even she practiced lesbianism,and she feels that is the dominant (top), and not the receiver (bottom),in this relationship,still,we ask does she feel she is a man ? or a woman and she want to practice that?If she felt that she is a woman,and continuously during that sexual act and after it and since very early time in her life,and with a strong feeling in my thought that lady is a man,she should live as a man...it is her right to live as a man,and our duty to support that orientation but by using the medical standard to control that issue..The time of the program is over..Assalamualaikum warrah matullah hiwabarukatoh...

Dr. Tariq Al-Habeeb is an Islamic psychologist.