two articles

Subj: Islamic Inheritance and Transsexuality
Date: 05/11/97
Subj: Sex-Change Son Wins Court Decision
Date: 97-05-11 15:03:50 EDT
From: AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net

Al Azhar approves SRS

Cairo (AFP) from the Jordan Times, November 12, 1995.

Seven years after throwing out a medical student who changed from a man to a woman, Al Azhar, the highest Sunni Islam authority in Egypt, has permitted transsexuality under some conditions.

"A man can undergo an operation to become a woman and a woman can do the reverse if a doctor deems the intervention necessary to bring out signs of femininity or masculinity which are present but hidden" a new fatwa or religious decision said.

"Since 1988 around 20 sex change cases have been registered in Egypt. Most of them involve men who become women," the head of the civil status bureau, Ibrahim Beseila, told AFP.

Sex change operations are authorized by Egypt's doctors' union "but are done quietly due to the sarcasm they raise fro the public" a union source said.

Sayed Abdullah, the first known case in Egypt, ran into more than just sneers. Al Azhar University threw him out of its medical school in 1988 after he underwent the operation and emerged Sali Abdullah.

At the time the university condemned the transsexual as a "disgusting imitation of a woman forbidden by Islam".

An administrative court later overturned the university's ruling and ordered Sali placed in Al Azhar's medical school for women.

But Sali had no problem in avoiding military service, required only for men in Egypt. She also succeeded in changing her identity card after a surprised ministry of interior committee assigned with reviewing changes in the document called in doctors to testify to the first-ever change in the 'sex' category of the card.

Sali also married after working as a belly dancer in a Cairo cabaret where she attracted numerous clients, not to mention the interest of the press in which her photo was everywhere.

But Sali turned down an interview with AFP, saying, 'My husband is jealous and has forbidden me to speak to the press. I obey him to preserve our happiness.'

The instant press interest the revealed transsexual raises has apparently given ideas to men looking to get out of their military service and women wanting more than their half-share of inheritances.

'Once a farmer arrived in a niqab (a veil that completely covers the face) and speaking in a feminine voice. He didn't expect to be examined by doctors who confirmed that he was male,' Biseilla said.

.c The Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Under Islamic law, a male heir inherits twice the amount that a female does. So what happens if one of the heirs has had a sex-change operation?

The son of a deceased millionaire recently asked the Alexandria personal statute court to limit his brother to a half share of his father's estate on grounds the brother had undergone an operation to become a woman, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Sunday.

The court ruled that the brother was entitled to a full share since he didn't have the operation until after his father's death.

	two articles
resources bibliography on Islam and trans people resources for queer and trans folks who are arab and/or Muslim bibliography for trans people of color	Subj: Islamic Inheritance and Transsexuality Date: 05/11/97 Subj: Sex-Change Son Wins Court Decision Date: 97-05-11 15:03:50 EDT From: AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net AP-NY-05-11-97 1500EDT Copyright 1997 The Associated Press. Al Azhar approves SRS Cairo (AFP) from the Jordan Times, November 12, 1995. Seven years after throwing out a medical student who changed from a man to a woman, Al Azhar, the highest Sunni Islam authority in Egypt, has permitted transsexuality under some conditions. "A man can undergo an operation to become a woman and a woman can do the reverse if a doctor deems the intervention necessary to bring out signs of femininity or masculinity which are present but hidden" a new fatwa or religious decision said. "Since 1988 around 20 sex change cases have been registered in Egypt. Most of them involve men who become women," the head of the civil status bureau, Ibrahim Beseila, told AFP. Sex change operations are authorized by Egypt's doctors' union "but are done quietly due to the sarcasm they raise fro the public" a union source said. Sayed Abdullah, the first known case in Egypt, ran into more than just sneers. Al Azhar University threw him out of its medical school in 1988 after he underwent the operation and emerged Sali Abdullah. At the time the university condemned the transsexual as a "disgusting imitation of a woman forbidden by Islam". An administrative court later overturned the university's ruling and ordered Sali placed in Al Azhar's medical school for women. But Sali had no problem in avoiding military service, required only for men in Egypt. She also succeeded in changing her identity card after a surprised ministry of interior committee assigned with reviewing changes in the document called in doctors to testify to the first-ever change in the 'sex' category of the card. Sali also married after working as a belly dancer in a Cairo cabaret where she attracted numerous clients, not to mention the interest of the press in which her photo was everywhere. But Sali turned down an interview with AFP, saying, 'My husband is jealous and has forbidden me to speak to the press. I obey him to preserve our happiness.' The instant press interest the revealed transsexual raises has apparently given ideas to men looking to get out of their military service and women wanting more than their half-share of inheritances. 'Once a farmer arrived in a niqab (a veil that completely covers the face) and speaking in a feminine voice. He didn't expect to be examined by doctors who confirmed that he was male,' Biseilla said. .c The Associated Press CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Under Islamic law, a male heir inherits twice the amount that a female does. So what happens if one of the heirs has had a sex-change operation? The son of a deceased millionaire recently asked the Alexandria personal statute court to limit his brother to a half share of his father's estate on grounds the brother had undergone an operation to become a woman, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Sunday. The court ruled that the brother was entitled to a full share since he didn't have the operation until after his father's death.
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