Midnight Thoughts #6: Part One — Where is the LOVE? Appreciate the LGBTQ+ Community, Not #tolak Them


It's 2018 and you would assume our society will be more compassionate, loving and have a better understanding towards minority groups specifically the LGBTQ+ community. BUT things are a little bit different here in Malaysia. For whatever reasons may be, there is an increase of discrimination, victimization against the group and till this very day, they still can't live in peace and continue to be marginalized.

Did some compiling and research so here are some of the major issues that surrounded the LGBTQ+ crowd just two months into 2018, I repeat, TWO MONTHS. 

1. Jakim — Nur Sajat Saga 

It started when Izwan Yusof, Senior Assistant Director of the Social Branch, Family & Community Development Division of Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) wrote an open letter to entrepreneur Nur Sajat on 15 January who believed that she is a 'man'. He wanted to meet Sajat so both parties can understand each other and Jakim is willing to 'help and advise' those who are confused about their identity and gender. His action was supported by Jakim Director General, Tan Sri Othman Mustapha.       

Before I go further, here's an important fact: Jakim is no expert in Gender Studies, they are in fact a federal agency that oversees Islamic religious affairs in Malaysia. More importantly, sex and gender are two different things. It doesn't matter which sex organs one owns, but rather how they identify themselves, and that is how you define gender. It definitely raises some eyebrows when Jakim made comments related to LGBT issues and questioned their knowledge on gender identity and sexual orientation.  

Image Taken: Malay Mail Online.

Sure enough, Sajat responded the letter and met an officer from Jakim the next day. This meeting led Jakim to verify Sajat's gender which Izwan Yusof, also claimed to be an expert in handling LGBT issues, believed will take around a month for the process to be completed. Although he claimed there were "third-party interference" during the verifying process (still no explanation given till today), on 15 February, he finally said Sajat is a khunsa or hermaphrodite, meaning a person with both male and female sex organ after her parents had sworn on it. 

Will the saga end? Nobody knows for sure. However, there are still people not satisfy with the outcome and outlined that professionals were not present to identify her gender. Here's a thing, why don't you folks mind your own business? Why so ke po ji? Sajat had complied to meet with Jakim and Jakim also endorsed that she is a hermaphrodite. What more do you people want?! 

2. Papagomo Never-Ending Harassment on Sajat

In case you don't know, Papagomo is the infamous blogger sued by Anwar Ibrahim for defamation and was ordered to pay more than RM 900,000 in damages.

Those familiar with Malaysia politics will know him. Image taken: Malay Mail Online.

On 15 January 2018, Papagomo or his real name Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris issued a complaint to minister in charge of Islamic affairs Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom about Sajat's gender identity, citing her presence have negative effects on the society.



He even harassed her sister and threathen to take away Sajat's adopted children from her. Funny how this guy is still not being questioned by the police for being violent towards a women and people around her. It doesn't stop there, a quick browse on his YouTube page, Sir Azri, you are able to see his continuous intidimationation on Sajat.  Out of the 20 videos he posted recently, 17 of his videos directly targeted towards her. So for those who read about it and want to do something, do report all his videos, or better yet, his YouTube channel. This link will teach you how to do so.

What is this guy problem huh? Image taken: YouTube Channel, Sir Azri

So what is his problem/ obsession with Sajat? Sajat herself provided some answers in her Instagram posts.





She accused him of sliding in her dm's and commented on her post but gave no response to him. He also invited her to his gym (which operated on 21 January) but again no replies from Sajat. She suspected the attack made by Papagomo was due to his dissatisfaction not being entertained by her. So is it because of the attention, as a way to promote his newly-opened gym? Personal vendetta because of not being responded? Or simply because he's a transphobe? I hope we can find out the answer soon. 

Speaking of Sajat, she is just being herself. Yet, the abuse/ cyber attacks she received on a daily basis are hideous and definitely uncalled for. To top it off, she is a sucessful entrepreneur and recently slay the Anugerah Juara Lagu 32 crowd. Basically, she is better than all the haters on the internet. 


You ROCK!!!!! Image Taken: NST

3. Anti-LGBT Sentiments in Universities.

This horrifies me the most and I am concern how much undergraduates, particularly with the Islamic faith lack the knowledge regarding on the community (gender and sexuality too) and tend to ignore or worse despise basic human rights. These students, mainly active participants in their university Islamic society, came out with the hashtags such as #tolakLGBT, #MalaysiabebasLGBT, #MalaysiazeroLGBT.

Millennials with their cool hashtags. Image taken: Facebook

First off, how can you tolak/ reject LGBT? What exactly are your plans? Secondly, how are you going to free Malaysia from LGBT when our country failed to curb rapists, father who tortured their own sons and daughters, kes buang bayi, corruptors? Just tell me HOW? And coming out hashtags such as these? You people are simply driving them away. The fact that these people might one day be in policy-making me worries me. Such disgusting act is a violation of human rights set by the United Nation (UN). As they pointed out:

"The right to equality and non-discrimination are core principles of human rights, enshrined in the United Nations Charter, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and human rights treaties."

But the biggest problem is these people believe strongly concepts such as human rights is a product of the west and it has corrupt the Islamic values. This mindset right there, needs to be corrected asap.

Then, associations in universities such as Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Semalaysia (GAMIS) had organized two anti-LGBT forums in February alone. Titles for both forums clearly discriminates the community with the latter forum titled as LGBT: A Chronic Cancer in Malaysia.  These forums were run by Islamists without inviting any members belongs to the community. As a result, these people can spin and tarnish the community as much as they could. On one of the forums, a student claimed that in his quantitative research, almost 90% of university students reject LGBT. What kind of bulls**t is this? It is important to note that anti-LGBT forums have been held since last year, with one even titled as "Ticket to Hell (Tiket ke Neraka)".

Barah Kronik = Chronic cancer. Image taken: Facebook

It is an irony when during the recent CEDAW 69th annual session, a representative from Minister of Education said in line with Safe Schools Declaration & Resolution 225, schools should be a safe environment. BUT, why are so many anti-LGBT programmes taking place in schools?


Though they are able to use religious means to explain why LGBT is sinned and should be eradicate, but with their little to none knowledge in sociology, science, anthropology, history, gender studies, or plain biasness on themselves, they failed to understand these people should be accepted for who they are and why they should not be marginalized. For example, they often argue gender identity is a product from the west which corrupted the minds of the people here. In reality, according to Michael Peletz, the author of Gender Pluralism: Southeast Asia Since Early Modern Times, gender fluidity among lower class in Southeast Asia is a norm during the pre-colonial period. Moreover, it seems to me lately, some of them plainly use religious means to justify their anti-LGBT agenda, which again, an absolutely horrible thing to do.

However, again, are they willing to accept these facts? Or continue to live in their own bubble, being satisfy with their own 'alternative facts'? As time progresses, you would assume people would think more constructively, especially when they are undergraduates. This is not the case apparently.

This will be long and I shall stop right here. Part two will be up soon. See you!

Comments

  1. hey carlson, im fatimah. what a great write up i enjoy all. of them!

    ReplyDelete

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