Transsexuals in Iran

Protesting persecution of gays in Iran

Maryam Hatoon Molkara, who was formerly a man known as Fereydoon, was an early campaigner for the rights of transsexuals in Iran

A few days ago, I watched a documentary about sex change in Iran. A man called Hassan, or Johannes, as he is known today, made a decision about his identity and began the journey of transformation into the fair sex, ignoring the looks of scorn and contempt particularly in a conservative Islamic society like Iran. All legal documents, such as birth certificates and passports, were also changed accordingly. It was the first time I learnt that sex change in Iran is not a taboo. Hundreds of Iranians have managed to change themselves from men to women or vice versa. We all know that Iran has extreme Islamic values. On the one hand, homosexuals are punished by death but on the other hand, Iran is one of the few governments that shares in the expense of these operations.

Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini wrote a book in which he stated that there is no religious restriction on corrective surgery as he referred to it. At the time Khomeini was a radical, anti-Shah revolutionary and his fatwa did not carry any weight with the Imperial government, which did not have any specific policies regarding transgender individuals.

I think this daring stance could be a good starting point in allowing homosexuals to live according to their sexual orientation, and might even contribute to their integration in an Islamic society which hasn't always looked favorably upon them.