Clerics issue fatwa, make transgender marriage lawful in Pakistan

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Islamabad: At least 50 clerics have issued a fatwa (religious decree) that marriage with a transgender person is now lawful in Pakistan, a media report said on Monday.

The fatwa, released on Sunday by the clerics affiliated with Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat, said a transgender person having "visible signs of being a male" may marry a woman or a transgender with "visible signs of being a female" and vice versa, Dawn online reported.

But, the fatwa added, a transgender person carrying "visible signs of both genders" may not marry anyone.

It declared that robbing transgender people of their share in inheritance was unlawful and that parents who deprive their transgender sons/daughters of inheritance were "inviting the wrath of God".

The clerics called upon the government to take action against such parents.

The decree also dwelt upon societal attitudes towards transgenders. It went to the extent of terming `haraam` any act intended to "humiliate, insult or tease" them.

The fatwa ended with a word on last rites, declaring that all funeral rituals for a transgender person will be the same as for any other Muslim man or woman.