News: Indonesia Muslim transgender school forced to close

Mekitor

Indonesia's first Muslim transgender boarding school forced to close after local hardliners the Islamic Jihad Front brand it 'immoral'

Indonesia's only transgender boarding school has been forced to close
Hardline groups have sparked a wave of intolerance in the country
The school was in Yogyakarta, a cultural and tourist hotspot
A festival for women's issues, and Catholic church activities also banned
It's been tarnishing Indonesia's image as a bastion of moderate Islam

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Indonesia's only transgender boarding school has been forced to close by Muslim hardliners.

Al Fatah, which claimed to be the world's only Islamic boarding school for transgender students, was long regarded as a symbol of the tolerant brand of Islam widely practised in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

But several months ago, amid a sudden backlash against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, a local hardline group called Islamic Jihad Front forced the school to close.

Despite the risk of retaliation, a small group of former students continue to quietly gather at the school building in the city of Yogyakarta every week to pray and study Islam.

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The closing of the school, which was founded in 2008, was one of the most visible signs of an alarming wave of intolerance sweeping across Yogyakarta - the country's cultural heartland which had long been regarded as an open-minded, accepting city.

In recent times Islamic hardliners have halted a festival focusing on women's issues and have targeted the Christian minority, seeking to close down churches and stop their community work.

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Observers say the trend in Yogyakarta is an acute example of creeping conservatism across the country, that has targeted everything from the gay community, to drinking alcohol and ****ography.

The Indonesian constitution officially recognises six different religions. Most of its 255 million inhabitants practise a moderate form of Islam, often infused with influences from local ethnic groups, and no one believes the country is likely to be transformed into a state ruled by sharia law.

But critics say the influence of fringe hardline groups, and the authorities' unwillingness to tackle them for fear of being labelled anti-Islamic, has fuelled a dangerous increase in intolerance.

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'It's so difficult for these transgenders to pray in the mosque because of the stigma,' Arif Nuh Safri, a 32-year-old preacher, told AFP.

'So when I came to this school the first thing I told them is they have the right to pray, because they are part of God's creation.'

Prior to the closure there had been little sign of resistance to the school in the surrounding area.

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Cases of intolerance have escalated in Yogyakarta since 2011, when hardliners began targeting churches. But there has been a sharp increase in recent times as Islamic groups have grown bolder.

In an alarming episode in April, Islamic hardliners and police together allegedly stopped a women's arts festival from going ahead, with organisers claiming they were verbally harassed and some attendees briefly detained by authorities.

The trend has sparked concern among the large community of local artists, who have expressed their frustration in graffiti that questions whether Yogyakarta is still an accepting place, such as: 'City of tolerance?'.

Ahmad Suaedy, a researcher on Islam appointed by the government as an ombudsman on religious and cultural issues, said the authorities' failure to stop acts of intolerance was causing minorities to suffer.

The headmistress of the boarding school, Shinta Ratri, speaks at her school in Yogyakarta

Participants take part in a meeting of a study group at the boarding school in Indonesia's only Islamic transgender boarding school

School headmistress Shinta Ratri (centre) leads a study group

Muslim hardliners have recently teamed up with local authorities, tarnishing Indonesia's image as a bastion of moderate Islam

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz4MbF4VjXK
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Kim Kardashian

So sad.

Funny that the DailyMail will pretend to care about transgender people when they wanna bash some muslims.

xclusivestylesz

them eyebrows tho

Swine

I didn't even know those kind of schools existed... amazing!!

But them closing it down... it was bound to happen

Stupid conservatives can stay pressed as always.

Eric.

Indonesia is going to hell.

Someone has to stand up to those Islamic freaks.

B'Day

Quote:

Originally posted by Kim Kardashian

So sad.

Funny that the DailyMail will pretend to care about transgender people when they wanna bash some muslims.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic

AvrilLaQueen

disgusting!

it's only going to be even worse! I feel so sorry for the LGBT people in Indonesia

AvrilLaQueen

Quote:

Originally posted by Kim Kardashian

So sad.

Funny that the DailyMail will pretend to care about transgender people when they wanna bash some muslims.

2+2=5?

opruh

freebitch26

don't be silly guys this has nothing to do with islam hehe

FOCK

Quote:

Originally posted by freebitch26

don't be silly guys this has nothing to do with islam hehe

Did you read the article?

It clearly states that before this extremist group - there was little to no objection or forcefulness by the community for this school to close. In fact, it's an Islamic based school.

So... your sarcasm is severely misplaced here. The issue is extremist ideologies of a few, forcing their views on others.

LilKim

**** Indonesia.

Inverted

It's scary how anti-LGBT sentiment in Indonesia has suddenly risen. It's become so active this past year. Universities, which are supposed to be progressive, are even banning LGBT clubs for students.

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Originally posted by AvrilLaQueen

2+2=5?

Are you slow?

A lot of conservatives and right wing media pretend to support LGBT issues when they have an opportunity to bash Muslims. There are politicians that have bashed gay people, but then turn around and use homophobia among Muslims as a talking point.

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Originally posted by FOCK

Did you read the article?

It clearly states that before this extremist group - there was little to no objection or forcefulness by
So... your sarcasm is severely misplaced here. The issue is extremist ideologies of a few, forcing their views on others.

Actually, it's not a few. Like the article mentions, conservatism has swept the country. It's the reason extremist groups are being tolerated by the government and people.

Also, there was little objection to transgender people (or even gay people) before because Muslim Southeast Asian countries retain Hindu/Buddhist culture from pre-Islamic conversion. There's a reason why the Ramayan and Mahabharat used to be compulsory reads, but that's fading out due to Islamic extremism.