In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Surah An-Nisa (119)
"I will mislead them and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest." (119)
As a Muslim I stand against all forms of oppression. Including the oppression of self. However, because mankind is weak, each and everyone of us have oppressed others as well as ourselves in some way throughout the course of our lives. Why? Because the attacks of Shaitan are well calculated and constant, crafty and subtle, obvious and inconspicuous. Sometimes we fail to recognize or realize that we are being seduced by Satan because he is cunning and devious and is consistently plotting and planning to attack us in any area of our lives where there is a weakness. In the same way that we have the power to disrupt someone’s life with a simple comment or suggestion, or even through visual stimulation of some kind, Satan attacks us mentally, emotionally, visually, and even through sound and the written word. One might ask how Satan attacks through sound or the written word while refusing to believe it to be possible, and so I ask you to consider the power that music has on influencing people to react with a variety of emotions, all of which generate lusts of the flesh produced in the form of thoughts or suggestions. The same applies to the written word as people are affected in various ways through what they are presented with. Then there is visual stimulation, which is the most dangerous form of attack against us because it influences man to lust and envy as things of this world are presented to us as appealing. But it is the responsibility of the individual to prepare for those battles ahead of time by seeking protection from Allah, who has warned us about these attacks in the Qur’an by stating:
Surah Al-Araf 7:16-17
(Iblîs) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path (16) Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)."
These verses are a gift and a warning from Allah. If you think deeply about what has been stated you will find that Allah has warned us that the attacks of Satan will be coming from all sides continuously with cunning and deception in an effort to lure mankind into his traps residing on each side of the straight path of Allah. Sometimes those attacks are blatant and obvious and sometimes they are extremely subtle, causing people to fail to recognize the snares that they are falling into. Despite the attacks, be they blatant or subtle, they come in the form of whispers or suggestions produced in the thoughts of mankind. It is then up to each individual to accept or reject the thoughts of persuasion. This requires wisdom and guidance and sincere prayers of protection against those attacks as individuals, and collectively as a society. Allah has given us the defense against those whisperings in the Qur’an by directing us to pray the following:
Surah An-Nas (114:1-6)
"Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (1) The King of mankind, (2) The God of mankind, (3) From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, (4) Who whispers in the hearts of mankind, (5) Of the jinn and of mankind. "
Those whisperings that Allah is warning us about come in many forms. They are strategic and meant to influence us towards evil which causes division amongst various groups as well as division between mankind and Allah. If Satan can find a way to undermine Allah, he is going to utilize it. Here are a couple of examples:
· Allah says to carry yourself in modesty (Qur'an 7:26, 24:30, 33:35, 33:59), Satan tells you that you have the right to do and dress as you please as sexuality is exploited in a society that says you only live once.
· Allah says to avoid eating the flesh of swine (Qur’an 2:173, 5:3, 6:145,16:115) (Bible Lev 11:7-8, Deut 14:8, Isa 65:4, Isa 66:17), Satan undermines Allah causing man to ignore the numerous warnings in the scriptures as well as scientific facts which prove that pork is harmful, and so pork is eaten routinely by so-called God fearing people (Non-Muslims).
There are numerous other examples which demonstrate things that were once rejected in society, are now seen as the norm. We live in a world pulsating with a heart of “anything goes” where freedoms are used to justify immorality, due to the “everyone is doing it” mentality. We see signs of this with pants sagging below the buttocks of our youth and people walking or cycling naked in parades proclaiming their rights of freedom of expression. If one can’t see the whisperings of Satan working in those examples, then it indicates one refusing to listen like one standing in the summer sun with their eyes clenched tightly closed claiming that they can’t see when all they would need to do is open their eyes to be blinded not by darkness, but by the light of truth beaming down on them. If one were to make such a claim as in that analogy, they would be simply pretending to be blind or deaf with it not being true. Can you imagine how you might feel if that person then expected you to treat them as if they are truly blind or deaf while logic and facts prove otherwise? Would that person not be attempting to oppress your logic and reasoning and basic common sense? Would you not request that the person open their eyes proving that they are not blind? Obviously a person who is not blind attempting to look up at the sun is going to either look away or close their eyes after a mere second due to the light of the sun shining brightly on them, but a person who is actually blind would not be affected because they are in complete darkness.
In my opinion, if a person were irrationally pretending to be blind while possessing the ability to see, that person would be in a state of self-induced darkness indeed. Not literal darkness but figurative darkness. How would you react if that person then expected you to play make believe along with them in believing or treating that individual as if he/she was blind? How would you feel if there were then others pretending to be blind along with that person who then formed an organization demanding that you refer to them as blind, when you know that none of them are? Should their denial of the truth take precedence over your logic and reason which is backed by scientific facts and simple common sense that state that all they need to do to see is simply open their eyes? Would you not question the mental condition of such individuals?
Let me be clear, by no means am I ridiculing those who may have some type of mental or emotional disorder. Those issues are not self-induced and people suffering from those issues should be dealt with patiently and with compassion. However, if one is irrationally pretending to be blind simply because they choose to be perceived that way, I am under no obligation to pretend along with them as if I am the one with the mental disorder.
As a Muslim, I must always speak the truth, or I do a great injustice against myself. Should I allow another person oppressing his/her self to cause me to oppress myself? Should I allow others to influence me to the point where I would deny the truth knowing that my Creator is recording all that I do or say? Would I not be suggesting that Allah is wrong, and the others are right, if I were to make believe that a person that I know Allah has given the gift of sight to, is blind? Would I not, by doing so, be placing that individual or group of them as gods before Allah if I were to agree with them that they are literally blind even if I know they aren’t? I refuse to do so. I refuse to allow others to make me play make believe in their fairytale world despite their protests and accusations. However, I concede that there are varying levels of mental and emotional illness so each situation should be handled with wisdom, while striving as a Muslim to ensure that no one is oppressed in any way. In all matters, we as Muslims are required to use logic and reason. Allah says in the Qur’an:
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:20
“We have certainly revealed to you a Book in which is your mention. Then will you not reason?”
I admit that the scenario above about people pretending to be blind sounds bizarre and farfetched, but it is a great analogy for a very serious issue in society today, where we see a similar situation occurring. I decided to write about this after seeing posts on social media by another Muslim Author who has written a chapter on the topic of, Transgenderism, in her upcoming book. Although I respect this very talented Muslim Sister greatly, I do not agree with her on this topic and I feel that she is not looking at the big picture regarding her potential influence on society regarding this issue. Although I have not had the privilege of reading her writings on this as of yet, I can tell based on her comments via social media as well as my personal conversations with her, she is an obvious proponent for accepting Transgenderism in Islam, which falls right in line with what I have previously mentioned in this synopsis regarding things that were once rejected now becoming the norm. I believe that in her naivety, she believes she is doing something just and noble by addressing the topic, but I don’t think she sees the obvious influence of Satan in suggesting that mankind can decide for themselves who and what they are despite their biological make up which proves otherwise. Just as man/woman can’t create themselves, no one can decide to change his/her gender and it be a reality. Biological makeup won’t allow it. In the same fashion, I can’t suddenly decide that I am eighteen years old again and expect people to agree with me, and then become angry and/or upset if they refuse to. Oppressing one’s self or others does not make the oppression a justified reality as to the intended result.
Imagine that I told you that I now self-identify as, Thor the Mighty God of Thunder, and I asked you to refer to me as such and to believe it whole heartedly. This means that I expect you to believe that I am a Man-God with powers that only an immortal possesses. Would you go along with it, or would you question my sanity? My genetic makeup would prove that I am nothing more than the man that Allah has created me to be and my desire to be or be perceived or addressed as anything other than that is nonsensical. This scenario leaves one of two possibilities. It could be that I am simply not happy with who I am and so self-identifying as Thor is a coping mechanism that I choose to implore in an effort to make myself feel better, or it could be that I am suffering from mental delusions that I am incapable of acknowledging, because I am suffering from some form of mental illness. With the first option, I feel that the only appropriate way for someone to deal with it is by saying, “Hey look, you are not Thor the God of Thunder. You are a man named Kenny Bomer, and I am not going to call you Thor no matter how much you insist that I do, period!” But if in fact I were claiming to be Thor the God of Thunder due to suffering from mental illness, the approach should be far different and well thought out, just as with those claiming to be a gender that biology proves they can’t be.
One’s satisfaction, or lack thereof, about who they are, should not override and take precedence over another person’s reality which is based on logic and reason as well as biological facts. Speaking of facts, this issue was defined as Gender Dysphoria in the past whereas it has been identified as Transgenderism in modern times. Notice the difference in definitions for these terms as well as the definition of, Identity and Transition:
Dysphoria
Dysphoria is a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. In a psychiatric context, dysphoria may accompany depression, anxiety, or agitation. The term is often used to refer to gender dysphoria, experienced by people whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth, and who may undergo sex reassignment surgery. Common reactions to dysphoria include emotional distress; in some cases, even physical distress. The opposite state of mind is known as euphoria.
Transgenderism (first used in 1974)
: of, relating to, or being a person, whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.
Identity
a: the distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality
b: the relation established by psychological identification
Transition
a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another: change
b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another
c: a musical modulation
d: a musical passage leading from one section of a piece to another
e: an abrupt change in energy state or level (as of an atomic nucleus or a molecule) usually accompanied by loss or gain of a single quantum of energy
As we ponder and consider these four definitions, we notice a, transition, pardon the pun, based on choice and not biological reality. We see the attempt at change when the reality is that no change occurs without mutilation, disfigurement, enhancement, or alteration of the body. All of which occurs when someone is simply dissatisfied with who they are genetically.
Here is a great way to determine one’s gender……... look down. If you see testicles you are a man. If you do not see testicles, you are a woman. If you do have testicles, but you expect others to make believe that you don't, so that you can feel like the woman that biology says you are not, then you might as well be asking someone to pretend that you are the God that created you, when you obviously are not. The only exception to this is the extremely small percentage of people that are born with a physical deformity having both male and female anatomy similar to that of plants and animals referred to as hermaphrodites which I will address more later.
If one feels it is the right of the individual to define who they are biologically while unable to create themselves biologically, that would require the need to pretend that people have a power they do not have. Attempting to pretend to be a gender that logic and biological design proves one can’t be, and wanting and expecting others to pretend as well, is an absolute insult to our Creator Allah (SWT), and one’s choice to live in a world of make believe doesn't make it a requirement for others to join them. An individual’s unhappiness or disapproval about their biological makeup is a personal matter between that person and our Creator. One is free to refer to his/herself as whatever gender they wish and by any name one desires but expecting others to play along with the charade is an oppression of the others right to use logic and reason, which is in line with factual reality.
If one is born with testicles and thereby named Robert (Bob) by his parents, but he instead chooses to refer to himself as, Catherine (Cathy), I ask why not use the name, “Bobcat” in that scenario, due to his physically having testicles while self-identifying as a woman? Ok……. So he doesn’t want to use the name, Bobcat, fine by me. But what if I feel it is my right to choose to refer to that individual as, Bobcat, even though his genetic makeup doesn’t make him an animal or a woman? Would it be my right to call him whatever I wish while expecting him and everyone else to agree with me, or is it better for us to consider the facts, which indicate that the person in that scenario is man and not a woman or feline?
If one self-identifies as a woman yet has never experienced or had the remote possibility of experiencing the monthly discomforts of the menstrual cycle that women experience, and if one can't give birth to a child because their anatomy prevents them from ding so, then that person is not a woman and claiming to be one does not make it so. One’s decision to play make believe is not a prerequisite for everyone else to do so, and the lack of approval about another’s beliefs on these topics does not point to oppression or discrimination. Expecting someone to believe something that can be disproved by biological science, genetic makeup, and simple common sense, is an attempt to oppress and force irrational beliefs on others by expecting them to pretend and play make believe. The concept of, “political correctness”, which many feel is more significant than biology itself, is null and void when it comes to the ability to force others to accept someone as something, they are incapable of being.
In an imaginary world of make believe, pretending is required. But pretending generates mental deceptions followed by disillusions which prove imaginary things to be incapable of being reality. In an imaginary world of make believe, a man is more powerful than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound! But reality proves otherwise. In the imaginary world of make believe, one can't make anyone believe anything at all without pretending they can. If you believe otherwise, then make me believe it. If you can't, and you never will, then stop pretending that you can.
With this said, keep in mind that in Islam we are commanded to stand up against ALL forms of oppression. So, my words are not an attack against one’s freedom of choice, but a defense of one’s right to choose! I choose to believe that one born with male anatomy is a male and one with female anatomy is a female. Those beliefs are consistent with reality. One's choices should be in the obedience of Allah (Our Creator), or we are oppressing no one other than ourselves by those choices. Your choice to define yourself as a gender that biology says you are not is a form of self-imposed oppression against the very person you were created to be. You did not choose what day you would be born, and you can't choose the day that you will die, and you can't fly unassisted by man-made machinery, nor can you change your genetic make-up.
The term, "Transgendered", is a form of man-made machinery in the world where being, "Politically Correct", often oppresses the truth. In that world reality is replaced with deception and this is a tactic of Satan which is utilized to attempt to discredit Allah as Our Creator, suggesting that Allah must have made a mistake. It is an oppression of truth which implies that you weren’t really supposed to be born with the testicles that you can look down and see now if you are male, or the female anatomy that you see if you are not.
Despite how badly one wants to wish away or change their anatomy, they can't. Anatomy is artwork and structural design of our Creator alone. So why oppress yourself and then claim others are oppressing you for not agreeing with your self-imposed oppression? Should one look away when others attempt to commit self-induced homicide on themselves? Isn't suicide a form of oppression? Suicide is the taking of one’s own life, and that is indeed oppression of a life they themselves did not create and therefore have no right to take! In the same manner, one cannot decide their own genetic make-up and make it a reality, and so they have no right to pretend it away by oppressing that reality regarding who they are designed to be, and they certainly don't have the right to force anyone else to accept something that simply isn't true. Our Creator wasn't developed in a womb and a man can't develop a child in a womb he doesn't have. So, the oppression is in the attempt to force or expect others to believe something that doesn't exist.
The word Transgender is a man-made invention that suggests a duality of self. It is like the man-made belief that Our Creator has a duality of make-up which suggests that a Father is the Son that he is the Father of, while a third portion of Him is on standby somewhere or residing in people. This thinking is a means used by Satan to reduce God and elevate man. So, in the minds of some people there is a God Sr. and God Jr., and a third portion (Holy Spirit). In their minds Jr. is seated in a throne at the right hand of Sr. but the 3rd portion doesn’t have a throne. Those three portions are supposed to be one in a world of make believe which requires you to force yourself to believe that 1=3 and 3=1.
Both beliefs in the duplicity of God and of self, are attempts to undermine and reduce Our Creator, and elevate Man over him. But I refuse to be oppressed by someone else's imaginary world of make believe, and I refuse to make believe that you can tell the world that you are a woman when you have no womb or that you are not a woman if you do have a womb! You are not a woman if you do not have ovaries and a womb, and if you have ovaries and a womb in which another human can develop, you can't be a man or God. If you expect someone to believe otherwise, then be prepared to prove it by making me believe in your make believe.
A man choosing to apply make-up and dress up in a costume proclaiming himself to be a woman, doesn't make it a requirement for others to defy logic by agreeing with him. The makeup and costume don’t transform a man biologically and no world of make believe is going to make me believe they can. Oppressing one’s self and then criticizing others for disagreeing with it and choosing to accept the individual for who they were genetically engineered to be, is irrational. Oppressing another's acceptance of reality, by claiming oppression because some choose to ignore reality, demonstrates the rejection of, and hence oppression of, that reality.
Despite people’s choices, as a Muslim I will defend them against oppression from others as Islam mandates. But please don't expect me to accept someone oppressing themselves by asking me to accept them as a gender they can't possibly be. Such a request is asking me to oppress myself by suggesting that our Creator made a mistake. Nothing will ever make be believe that. I can't force my religion on you, nor can you force your imagination on me.
I often say, "The consistency of a Man defines who he is". If you consistently look down and see testicles, then consistently.......you are a man. If you don't see testicles and no physical alteration or trauma has occurred, you are a woman. Welcome to reality, where circus clowns paint over their frowns, masking and hiding the person they really are and/or what they really feel. While deep down underneath their self-imposed veil of make believe, they know that when the make-up is washed away and the show is over, they will be forced to eventually face the reality they have been hiding from.
I believe the Sister that I previously mentioned is being sincere in her efforts to show compassion for others and I commend and respect her for that. When I first discussed this topic with her, she mentioned that she has a transgendered friend that she is trying to help. Her genetically male friend, claims that he has attempted suicide on eight or nine occasions with no success. I have interacted with that individual via social media as well and it is my opinion that he suffers from mental illness. Mental illness is treated through counseling, therapy, and medication as needed, not by physical surgery on perfectly functioning body parts. People suffering from mental illness are not to blame if in fact mental illness is truly the issue. It is of my opinion that people such as the Sister mentioned are conflating the issues by insinuating that people with physical defects and those without them, are all justified in their choices to have surgery done, while these are totally different issues. One doesn’t go see a psychiatrist because they have a broken leg, and one should not mutilate themselves due to mental illness.
The fact is, most people that desire to alter their physical bodies in an effort to change their gender are fighting a lost cause. A Volkswagen Beetle can be modified and painted like a race car, but it would still be a Volkswagen Beetle. I choose to believe my eyes, and not someone else’s lies. A study done by Dresher and Paula in 2013-2014 revealed that 75-90% of people who suffer from Gender Dysphoria eventually grow out of it. Unless there is a true physical deformity, there is no mismatch between mind and body. A person either has a physical deformity, or they do not. A person is either a hermaphrodite or is not. There are no transgendered people. The root word for transgender is trans which means to change or transition. The desire for change is a choice. People are not born as one gender only to change to the other through genetic metamorphosis. People aren’t born with biological gender duplicity.
In a thesis titled, Biological Explanation for Gender Differences, a biological theory was presented which demonstrates the unique differences in genetics between males and females.
Key Assumptions of the Biological Approach concerning Gender Differences
· Hormones play a huge role in gender differences and it is our DNA that dictates our behavior as men and women
· Hormones play a huge role in gender differences and it is our DNA that dictates our behaviour as men and women
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· Men and women have different brain structures.
· Women have evolved to be the care givers of children whilst men have evolved to be the providers for their families.
· Women have predetermined characteristics like being more: caring, protective and loyal than men.
· Men have predetermined characteristics like being more: aggressive, competitive and dominant than women.
· The fundamental cause of our gender differences is our genetic makeup, more specifically, the DNA found in our two 23rd chromosomes - the chromosomes that dictate which sex we are.
Studies reveal that the so-called transgendered people most commonly function normally in all aspects of their lives accept where their sexuality is concerned, but this does not negate the existence of mental illness. It does however demonstrate that it is a choice to self-identify as a gender they are incapable of being. Implants and genital surgery do not change DNA and Genetic makeup. That reality causes some people to become overwhelmed because they internally know that their attempt to change their gender is impossible. This leads to the obvious question, why would someone choose to or want to change their gender? Obviously, it is because they are dissatisfied with their lives and so many people who begin to cross dress or go through with surgery continue to be unhappy. Some even regret their attempts and so they suffer from embarrassment, anxiety, and depression. As previously mentioned, 75-90% of children diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria eventually grow out of it. It may be that people realize that they were fighting to achieve the impossible. One simply can’t change their gender.
In a documentary about world record holding body builder, Matthew Raymond
‘Kroc” Kroczaleski, who now self identifies as a female, Bruce Jenner is mentioned, and it is stated that even after surgery, he suffers from depression. Depression and suicide rates amongst cross dressers and people who self-identify as a gender opposite of their own is extremely high. The average suicide rate in America is 4% (highest of every country in the world) and the rate is 36% higher at 40% amongst people who self-identify as genders they are not. That rate is similar to the rate of those who are diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenics. Their unemployment rates are 3-4 times higher than the national average. This indicates the obvious existence of mental disorder, but it is a complicated issue. There are most likely many more people that suffer from this disorder who simply choose to accept the gender that they are, instead of attempting to self-identify as the gender they are not. That means that dealing with the issue is possible without help, which indicates choice over mental-disorder.
Do we expect people who do not suffer from a mental disorder to agree with those that do, by referring to people as a gender they will never be? If someone insists that they are a one-eyed pirate with a peg-leg, should others concede and refer to that individual as such, when reality proves otherwise? Or should we recommend that the so-called pirate seek help for a mental disorder? According to Anderson School at UCLA they state, “It makes no difference statistically speaking whether someone recognizes you as a Trans-Person or not” in referring to those who suffer from that mental disorder. The suicide rates remain the same amongst that group of people before and after there attempt at transformation.
If one takes a realistic look at a person such as, Bruce Jenner, the obvious question comes to mind, Why would a man who was gifted with physical abilities that far exceed most men on this earth, who has had great fortune and fame due to his tremendous and extraordinary abilities as an Olympic Gold Medalist, decide that he is actually a woman? Physically he is a man with great abilities and no one that met him would ever think even for a second that he was a woman before he mutilated himself. He was dissatisfied with the gifts given to him by Allah (our Creator) and so he decided he wanted to be something that he can never be. Why? Because of mental disorder, not physical design or anatomy. Mental disorders should be treated in the field of psychology and not plastic surgery.
It is my personal belief that people who wish to change their gender are suffering from feelings of guilt. It is my belief that most have homosexual tendencies and so they cope with it by making the excuse that they are really supposed to be the opposite gender. Whatever the excuse, their efforts to play make believe will never make me believe anything other than the obvious. We live in a time where tolerance for everything is promoted and it is all by the whisperings of Satan. Muslims should be patient and defend people against all forms of oppression, but by no means should we deny a truth that is plainly obvious. Allah does not make mistakes. Everything in this life is a test and so we must use the faculties of logic and reason that we have been blessed with. I do not hate or have anything against any group of people. I will defend them against oppression. But I will not allow anyone to make me believe in their make believe, despite how much they insist on it. Allah does not make mistakes.
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:256)
“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from Error; whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knows all things.”
Author Kenny Bomer
4/7/19
