Transgender issue in contemporary Iran: A theological reflection
Jaroslav Franc
The Palacký University Olomouc, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of TheologyAbstract
The Islamic Republic of Iran is recognised as a theocratic political system with a touch of democratic elements. Since the last decade of the 20th century it is the only Islamic
republic with sophisticated system for sex-change operations and procedures related to this issues. This unique situation was developed on the ruling of Ayatollah Khomeini concerning the Fereydoon Molkara’s case. He was born as a man and later identified himself as a woman. Current legal regulation in Iran not just allows sex-change procedure, it is
recommended and even expected by the religious authorities that anyone who identifies himself with the other sex than he was born with would undertake the sex-change procedure.
The paper deals with the historical and theological context of the issue.
Schlagworte:
transgender, transsexuality, Iran, Shia, Islam, Christian theologyLiteraturhinweise
Alipour, M. 2017. Islamic shari’a law, neotraditionalist Muslim scholars and transgender sex-reassignment surgery: A case study of Ayatollah Khomeini’s and Sheikh al-Tantawi’s fatwas, International Journal of Transgenderism, 18, 1, 91–103.
Beemyn, G., Rankin, S. 2011. The lives of transgender people. New York (NY).
Catechism of the Catholic Church. 1997. Washington (DC), (CCC, 1997).
Habib, S. 2010. Islam and Homosexuality. Oxford, Santa Barbara, Denver.
Herman, J. 2009. Transgender explained for those who are not. Bloomington (IN).
Farrah, J. 2014. Transsexuality under Surveillance in Iran: Clerical Control of Khomeini’s Fatwas, Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, 10, 2, 31–51.
Furton, E.J. 2017. A Critique of Gender dysphoria in DSM-5, Ethics & Medicine: A Commentary of The National Catholic Bioethics Center on Health Care and the Life Sciences, 42, 7.
International Theological Commission. 2012. Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles, and Criteria by International Theological Commission, Washington (DC).
Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre. 2013. Denied Identity: Human Rights Abuses Against Iran’s LGBT Community, http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/1000000398-denied-identity-human-rights-abuses-against-irans-lgbt-community.html#3.5.1 (2.8.2017).
Ireland, D. 2007. Change Sex or Die: An Exclusive Interview with an Iranian Transgendered Activist on Iran’s Surgical “Cure” for Homosexuality, http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2007/05/change_sex_or_d.html (2.8.2017).
Islmopedia. 2010, Gender Reassignment Surgery, http://www.islamopediaonline.org/keyword/gender-reassignment-surgery (2.8.2017).
Jansen, T. 1992. Transvestites and transsexuals in Turkey. In: Schmit, A. and Sofer, J. Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies. New York – London – Norwood.
Khomeini Imam Rouhulah. 2001. Tahrir al-wasilah I–IV. Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works.
Khuri, F.I. 2001. The Body in Islamic Culture, London.
Majlis Raja-raja. 2010. Malay institute issues fatwa prohibiting sex re-assignment surgery, except in hermaphrodite cases. http://www.islamopediaonline.org/fatwa/malay-institute-issues-fatwa-prohibiting-sex-re-assignment-surgery-except-hermaphrodite-cases (2.9.2017).
Martin, J. 1993. Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. New York.
McDowall, A., Khan, S. 2004. The Ayatollah and the transsexual. Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-ayatollah-and-the-transsexual-21867.html (2.8.2017).
Meyerowitz, J. 2004. A How Sex Changed: History of Transsexuality in the United States. Harvard: Harvard University Press.
Mir-Hosseini, Z. 1999. Islam and Gender : The Religious Debate in Contemporary Iran, Princeton.
Moallem, M. 2005. Between Warrior Brother and Veiled Sister: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Politics of Patriarchy in Iran. Berkeley.
Najmabadi, A. 2005. Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity. Berkeley – Los Angeles – London.
Najmabadi, A. 2008. Transing and Transpassing Across Sex-Gender Walls in Iran, Women’s Studies Quarterly, 36, 3–4, 23–42.
Najmabadi, A. 2013. Professing Selves: Transsexuality and Same-Sex Desire in Contemporary Iran. Duke University Press.
OSHISMME = Office of Study for Humanistic and Islamic Science on Medicine and Medical Ethics. 2011. Protection Code of Human Subject in Medical Research, https://zjrms.ir/files/site1/protection_code_of_human_subject_in_medical_research.pdf (2.9.2017).
Paidar, P. 1995. Women and the Political Process in Twentieth-century Iran, Cambridge.
Pope Francis. 2016. Amoris laetitiae. Vatican.
Rispler-Chaim, V. 1993. Islamic Medical Ethics in the Twentieth Century, BRILL.
Sarcheshmehpour, Z., Abdullah, R. 2017. Transsexuality in Iran: Issue and Challenges, Journal of Sharia Law Research, 2, 1, 55–74.
Salman al-Oadah, 2010 = Islamopedia online: Al-Oadah of Saudi Arabia: Rulings on transgender and sex-change matters. http://www.islamopediaonline.org/fatwa/al-oadah-saudi-arabia-rulings-transgender-and-sex-change-matters (2.9.2017).
Saeidzadeh, Z. 2016. Transsexuality in Contemporary Iran: Legal and Social Misrecognition. Feminist Legal Studies, 24, 3, 249–272.
Shakerifar, E. 2011. Visual Representations of Iranian Transgenders, Iranian Studies, 44, 3, 327–339.
Skovgaard-Petersen, J. 1995. Sex Change in Cairo: Gender and Islamic Law. Journal of the International Institute, 3, 2.
Tail, R.A. 2005. Fatwa for Freedom, The Guardian World News Section. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/27/gayrights.iran (27.07.2005).
Safra Project. 2004. Country Information Report Iran 2004. London.
Saeidzadeh, Z. 2014. The Legality of Sex Change Surgery and Construction of Transsexual Identity in Contemporary Iran. Lund.
Tabataba’i H.M. 1984. Introduction to Shi’i Law: A Bibliographical Study, London.
UNHCR and ACCORD, 2001 = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD). http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4551c0d04.pdf (2.8.2001).
Wahme-Sabz. 2000. Violence Against Lesbians in Iran. In: Ilkarracan, P. Woman and Sexuality in Muslim Societies, Istanbul.
Wikan, U. 1977. Man Becomes Woman: Transsexualism in Oman as a Key to Gender Roles, Man, 12, 2, 304–319.
Beemyn, G., Rankin, S. 2011. The lives of transgender people. New York (NY).
Catechism of the Catholic Church. 1997. Washington (DC), (CCC, 1997).
Habib, S. 2010. Islam and Homosexuality. Oxford, Santa Barbara, Denver.
Herman, J. 2009. Transgender explained for those who are not. Bloomington (IN).
Farrah, J. 2014. Transsexuality under Surveillance in Iran: Clerical Control of Khomeini’s Fatwas, Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, 10, 2, 31–51.
Furton, E.J. 2017. A Critique of Gender dysphoria in DSM-5, Ethics & Medicine: A Commentary of The National Catholic Bioethics Center on Health Care and the Life Sciences, 42, 7.
International Theological Commission. 2012. Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles, and Criteria by International Theological Commission, Washington (DC).
Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre. 2013. Denied Identity: Human Rights Abuses Against Iran’s LGBT Community, http://www.iranhrdc.org/english/publications/reports/1000000398-denied-identity-human-rights-abuses-against-irans-lgbt-community.html#3.5.1 (2.8.2017).
Ireland, D. 2007. Change Sex or Die: An Exclusive Interview with an Iranian Transgendered Activist on Iran’s Surgical “Cure” for Homosexuality, http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2007/05/change_sex_or_d.html (2.8.2017).
Islmopedia. 2010, Gender Reassignment Surgery, http://www.islamopediaonline.org/keyword/gender-reassignment-surgery (2.8.2017).
Jansen, T. 1992. Transvestites and transsexuals in Turkey. In: Schmit, A. and Sofer, J. Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies. New York – London – Norwood.
Khomeini Imam Rouhulah. 2001. Tahrir al-wasilah I–IV. Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works.
Khuri, F.I. 2001. The Body in Islamic Culture, London.
Majlis Raja-raja. 2010. Malay institute issues fatwa prohibiting sex re-assignment surgery, except in hermaphrodite cases. http://www.islamopediaonline.org/fatwa/malay-institute-issues-fatwa-prohibiting-sex-re-assignment-surgery-except-hermaphrodite-cases (2.9.2017).
Martin, J. 1993. Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. New York.
McDowall, A., Khan, S. 2004. The Ayatollah and the transsexual. Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-ayatollah-and-the-transsexual-21867.html (2.8.2017).
Meyerowitz, J. 2004. A How Sex Changed: History of Transsexuality in the United States. Harvard: Harvard University Press.
Mir-Hosseini, Z. 1999. Islam and Gender : The Religious Debate in Contemporary Iran, Princeton.
Moallem, M. 2005. Between Warrior Brother and Veiled Sister: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Politics of Patriarchy in Iran. Berkeley.
Najmabadi, A. 2005. Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity. Berkeley – Los Angeles – London.
Najmabadi, A. 2008. Transing and Transpassing Across Sex-Gender Walls in Iran, Women’s Studies Quarterly, 36, 3–4, 23–42.
Najmabadi, A. 2013. Professing Selves: Transsexuality and Same-Sex Desire in Contemporary Iran. Duke University Press.
OSHISMME = Office of Study for Humanistic and Islamic Science on Medicine and Medical Ethics. 2011. Protection Code of Human Subject in Medical Research, https://zjrms.ir/files/site1/protection_code_of_human_subject_in_medical_research.pdf (2.9.2017).
Paidar, P. 1995. Women and the Political Process in Twentieth-century Iran, Cambridge.
Pope Francis. 2016. Amoris laetitiae. Vatican.
Rispler-Chaim, V. 1993. Islamic Medical Ethics in the Twentieth Century, BRILL.
Sarcheshmehpour, Z., Abdullah, R. 2017. Transsexuality in Iran: Issue and Challenges, Journal of Sharia Law Research, 2, 1, 55–74.
Salman al-Oadah, 2010 = Islamopedia online: Al-Oadah of Saudi Arabia: Rulings on transgender and sex-change matters. http://www.islamopediaonline.org/fatwa/al-oadah-saudi-arabia-rulings-transgender-and-sex-change-matters (2.9.2017).
Saeidzadeh, Z. 2016. Transsexuality in Contemporary Iran: Legal and Social Misrecognition. Feminist Legal Studies, 24, 3, 249–272.
Shakerifar, E. 2011. Visual Representations of Iranian Transgenders, Iranian Studies, 44, 3, 327–339.
Skovgaard-Petersen, J. 1995. Sex Change in Cairo: Gender and Islamic Law. Journal of the International Institute, 3, 2.
Tail, R.A. 2005. Fatwa for Freedom, The Guardian World News Section. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/27/gayrights.iran (27.07.2005).
Safra Project. 2004. Country Information Report Iran 2004. London.
Saeidzadeh, Z. 2014. The Legality of Sex Change Surgery and Construction of Transsexual Identity in Contemporary Iran. Lund.
Tabataba’i H.M. 1984. Introduction to Shi’i Law: A Bibliographical Study, London.
UNHCR and ACCORD, 2001 = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD). http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4551c0d04.pdf (2.8.2001).
Wahme-Sabz. 2000. Violence Against Lesbians in Iran. In: Ilkarracan, P. Woman and Sexuality in Muslim Societies, Istanbul.
Wikan, U. 1977. Man Becomes Woman: Transsexualism in Oman as a Key to Gender Roles, Man, 12, 2, 304–319.
Franc, J. (2017). Transgender issue in contemporary Iran: A theological reflection. Family Forum, 7, 203–224. https://doi.org/10.25167/FF/2017/203-224
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