BARRIERS BROKEN IN A TRANSGENDER ISLAMIC SCHOOL
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Written by: Norvisi Eyiram Mawunyegah
Date: March 22nd 2021
The madrasa is an important revolutionary for the LGBTQ community in the awesomely fundamental Muslim country, where transgenders face exclusion, although no official restriction made on them attending religious schools or praying at mosques.
“Most families do not accept transgender people. They throw them out of their homes. Transgender people turn to wrongdoing,” Khan, 34, said,
“At one time, I was also one of them”. Holding back tears, Khanremembered how her family disowned her age 13 and forced into begging.
At 17, performing at occasions when she joined a transgender group, but quit tolink with her religion after a dream which a deceased transgender friend and fellow dancer begged with her to do something for the community. Khanpremeditated the Koran at home, and attended religious schools, before opening her madrasa in October.
“I’m teaching the Koran to please God, to make my life here and in the hereafter,” she said, telling how the madrasa offers forum for transgender people to worship, learn about Islam and repent for past actions.
Although the school has not received support from the government, some officials promised to help students find jobs. Fewdonations made, Khan teaches how to sew and embroider, in faiths of raising funds for the school by selling clothing. Pakistan’s parliament documented the third gender in 2018, making such individuals fundamental rights ability to vote and choose their gender on official documents. Transgender, often have to resort to begging, dancing and prostitution to make a living.
A transgender madrasa has opened in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and last year a Christian transgender group started its church in Pakistan’s active southern port city of Karachi.
Pakistan’s 2017 census recorded about 10,000 transgender people;active groups say the number could nowhit over 300,000 in the country of 220 million.
“It gives my heart peace when I read the Koran,” said one madrasa student, Simran Khan, who is also eager to learn life skills.
“It is much better than a life full of insults,” the 19-year-old added.
