Muslims Should Reject Premier Danielle Smith’s Transphobic Policies
By Dr. Kristopher Wells and Junaid Jahangir, New Age Islam
11 March
2024
“It Is Important To Recognize That Homophobic
And Transphobic Rhetoric Has Been A Mainstay Of White Supremacist Ideologies
And Campaigns. It Is Worrisome That We See Folks From Various Backgrounds,
Including Some Muslims, Following Their Lead. … We Call Upon Our Community
Leaders To Speak Out Against … The Potential Harm It Will Bring To Children
Both From The 2SLGBTQIA+ And Muslim Communities And The Children Who Identify
As Being Part Of Both Communities.”
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THE
CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Recently,
the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton issued a public statement endorsing Premier Danielle Smith’s
transphobic policies, which most egregiously seek to limit access to
gender-affirmative care for youth, restrict teaching about 2SLGBTQ+ issues in
schools, and prevent female-identified transgender athletes of all ages from
participating in women’s sports. These Muslim leaders endorsed Smith’s policies
because, as they state, they support “nurturing their children in accordance
with their values and beliefs.” We believe these comments to be disingenuous,
harmful, and politically motivated.
The “values
and beliefs” expressed by these faith leaders are not universally shared by
Muslims, whether in a traditional or contemporary context. For instance,
hundreds of prominent Canadian Muslim academics and professionals signed an open letter last year stating:
“It is
important to recognize that homophobic and transphobic rhetoric has been a
mainstay of White supremacist ideologies and campaigns. It is worrisome that we
see folks from various backgrounds, including some Muslims, following their
lead. … We call upon our community leaders to speak out against … the potential
harm it will bring to children both from the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Muslim communities
and the children who identify as being part of both communities.”
We share
these concerns and emphasize how Premier Danielle Smith’s transphobic and
discriminatory policy announcements are disingenuous and dangerous to both
2SLGBTQ+ and Muslim communities.
Dr.
Kristopher Wells is an Associate Professor and the Canada Research Chair for
the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan
University. Dr. Wells also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the international
Journal of LGBT Youth.
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Islamic
Religious Scholarship
From the
earliest time of the Prophet, space was afforded to individuals that traversed cisnormative and heteronormative gender binaries to find places of acceptance.
Islamic scholarship has traditionally recognized khuntha nafsiyya (psychological
intersexuality), where the “body is not congruent” with the “body image.”
In such
cases, gender-affirmation surgeries are supported to uncover one’s “true
gender.” Moreover, such scholarship recognizes that not every individual fits
neatly into a binary gender model and can live full, healthy, and complete
lives.
These
teachings contrast with contemporary Muslim groups, like the Al Rashid Mosque,
that seek to politicize and reduce a rich history of gender diversity to a
Western colonial binary framework rather than a more inclusive traditional
Islamic understanding.
Muslim
and Arab Medical Professionals
Within an
Islamic framework, gender issues are relegated to qualified medical and
psychological professionals. Attempts to restrict or ban access to
gender-affirmative care are not only discriminatory; they go against the very
teachings of the Islamic faith.
In this
insightful interview with Dr. Hussein Abdullatif, who is a paediatric
endocrinologist in Alabama and the co-author of Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex
Unions, he describes the fear and
uncertainty that took place when Alabama passed similar laws banning
“transgender medical treatment” for minors and the significant problems these
laws caused for both medical professionals and vulnerable youth seeking access
to care. Likewise, doctors and nurses in Alberta have already been
sounding the alarm about the harm these discriminatory policies would have on
vulnerable youth in Alberta if they are passed.
Health care
and faith can and should be mutually inclusive. Taking a more holistic and
welcoming approach, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health, which
represents medical professionals from Lebanon, the United States, and the
United Kingdom, has issued guidelines
on transgender health
for individuals
whose sex assigned at birth differs from their gender identity. They have also
produced an excellent educational educational video in Arabic explaining the differences between gender
identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Mahdia Lynn, who is the
founder of Masjid al-Rabia–a women-centred, LGBTQIA+ affirming pluralist mosque
in Chicago, is also an excellent example of how community organizers are actively
working to support trans and 2SLGBTQ+ youth within faith communities.
Islamic
Position on Children
In contrast
to conservative Muslim groups like the El Rashid Mosque, which claim “guardianship” and “authority”over children, Islamic principles
are clear about the independence and autonomy of adolescent youth. As Dr. Shehzad Saleem,, who is a Qur’anic Studies scholar, states
“The most
fundamental question here is that when you have children who are now young
adults, who have entered adolescence, and they are now people who think, who
have their own worldview, who have their own views about various things in
religion, that we must not impose our views on our children…. You can
communicate your experiences, but we have to realize that the Qur’an has never,
ever at any single place said that parents have to be obeyed, come what may.”
Dr.
Saleem is also clear that despite religious disagreement,
we should support the political and human rights of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals
against discrimination and hatred. In other words, children’s rights should be
paramount and come before so-called “parental rights,” especially when
prejudice and discrimination are involved. We must always protect the best
interests of children no matter how they identify or which community they
belong to.
Thankfully,
progressive Muslims have begun to speak out and develop more faith-inclusive resources
and support groups for trans-Muslim youth and their families,
which are not only faith-affirming but can be lifesaving.
<
Canadian
Muslims Should Affirm Trans Youth
Ultimately,
what we worry about the most are the 2SLGBTQ+ children within Muslim
communities who witness their leaders continually denounce their identities and
right to exist. These kinds of discriminatory messages do great harm and
increase the risk of isolation, alienation, mental health concerns, and suicide
ideation.
The
policies introduced by Premier Danielle Smith are not only unethical; they are
also immoral. It has become increasingly clear these
policies are not supported by any legal justifications, scientific research or evidence-based practices, which is why they are being met with worldwide
condemnation
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If passed,
these policies will inflict the greatest harm on the most vulnerable and least
understood members of our society. We need all of our faith leaders to rise up
and denounce these discriminatory policies and ensure their mosques, churches,
synagogues, and places of worship are safe and welcoming spaces for 2SLGBTQ+
communities, especially for our youth who deserve to be accepted and celebrated
in the fullness of their identities.
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Junaid
Jahangir is an Associate Professor of Economics at MacEwan University. He is
the co-author of Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex Unions. With Dr. Hussein
Abdullatif, a paediatric endocrinologist in Alabama, he has co-authored several
academic papers on the issue of same-sex unions in Islam. He contributed this
article to NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-west/muslims-reject-danielle-smith-transphobic/d/131889
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