Transgender Act 2018 termed attack on Islamic, social values

LAHORE : Tanzeem Islami ameer Shuja uddin Sheikh Saturday termed Transgender Act 2018 an open attack on country’s Muslim values and social system.

He said the government must declare it null and void on the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).

In a statement, Shuja said the Act should be replaced by new legislation to protect the Shariah rights of intersex (eunuchs) people. He referred to the judgment of Chairman CII Qibla Ayaz who had categorically stated that Islamic Shariah does not allow the right to self-determination of gender to human beings, holding several provisions of Transgender Act 2018 and the rules made on the basis of this law as against Islamic Shariah and constitution of Pakistan. Shuja cited Qibla Ayaz who lamented that before passing this Act the parliament should have considered the CII recommendations and removed the un-Islamic provisions in it.

Shuja said he has always been demanding that consultation with the CII and implementation of its recommendations should be made mandatory before legislation to avoid any legislation contrary to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He said passing such un-Islamic laws, which will seriously damage the Islamic identity of the country, is a proof of the incompetence of the government and parliament, besides being a source of wastage of valuable resources and time of the government and the judiciary. He said Federal Shariat Court is hearing writ petitions filed by several religious parties, including TI and scholars seeking abolition of this law as serious violation of Islam values.