INDONESIA: An Indonesian transsexual, who identifies himself as a woman, reverts to his male persona before undertaking the Muslim Haj pilgrimage to Mecca

Record ID: 335322

  • Title: INDONESIA: An Indonesian transsexual, who identifies himself as a woman, reverts to his male persona before undertaking the Muslim Haj pilgrimage to Mecca
  • Date: 31st October 2011
  • Summary: MORE OF SUKISNO WORKING IN SALON
  • Embargoed: 15th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVACUI70O0OU641RXL517TY230YR
  • Story Text: Sukisno, a transsexual who owns a beauty salon in East Java, has been saving for more than nine years to make his dream of taking his father to Haj come true.
    This year, after having registered for Haj four years ago, he and his father will be able to make the journey.
    Dressed as a man, Sukisno set off to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia with his father on Saturday (October 22) to join Muslims from all over the world and fulfil one of their religious duties.
    "Even though I am a transsexual, I'm still a Muslim, therefore I've been saving my money for a Haj," said Sukisno.
    Transsexuals are locally known as "waria", which is a combination of the Indonesian words for male and female.
    Sukisno said he felt like a woman since he was 10 years old, but when it comes to fulfilling his religious duties, he reverts to his male persona.
    "When I perform religious duty I become a man, but my heart remains a woman," he added.
    Islam forbids cross-dressing and homosexual sex. The 42-year-old hairdresser said that he has never committed any 'sinful activities' -- a reference to homosexual sex -- despite his sexual orientation.
    Family members and friends, including transsexual friends of Sukisno, met at his family home to bid him farewell before he left for Mecca, in line with the Muslim tradition of seeing off Haj pilgrims with a festive gathering.
    Some of Sukisno's relatives said they hoped he would change his way of living after Haj.
    "I hope Miss Novi will receive a revelation upon returning from Haj and understand what Allah forbids," said one relative.
    In its annual report, Amnesty International said lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Indonesia faced violent attacks and discrimination in 2011. In one case, An LGBT regional conference due to be held in East Java was cancelled after threats of violence by radical Muslim groups.
    Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, received a quota of 211,000 pilgrims to Haj this year. Many were put on waiting lists for four to six years. The government is trying to raise the quota to 287,000 pilgrims in 2012.
    Mecca is Islam's holiest site. Haj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It is the journey that every sane adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able.
    About 90 percent of Indonesia's 285-million-strong population are Muslim.
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