Transsexual Pageant All Right in Aceh as Long as Clothes Stay On: MUI

TheJakartaGlobe.com – Nurfika Osman

Islam does not recognize transsexuals, much less a contest involving their community, the chief of the Indonesian Ulema Council said on Sunday.

“Our national law does not recognize the word transsexual or transgender. Islam only recognizes men and women,” Amidhan told the Jakarta Globe. But he said the council, also known as the MUI, would not make an issue out of transsexual pageants.

“If the contest is held for the purpose of entertainment, I believe we can tolerate that,” he said.