Aleesha Farhana: Not just Another Woman

Malaysian transsexual who lost name battle dies

A 25-year-old transsexual who lost a court battle in Muslim-majority Malaysia to change his name to that of a woman has died, a report citing heart problems said Sunday.

On July 18, a high court in conservative eastern Terengganu state ruled that a person's sex was determined at birth so Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz could not change the name on his identity card to that of a female.

The Sunday Star newspaper said Ashraf was admitted to a hospital on Friday for low blood pressure and chest pains, having earlier suffered a bout of vomiting and dizzy spells.

Ashraf, a former pharmaceutical assistant who underwent a full sex-change operation in neighbouring Thailand in 2008, was born with an abnormally small penis, and died on Friday due to a heart problem, doctors said.

He was buried as a man according to Muslim rites.

Ashraf's mother Mah Yah, 50, said her only regret was that her child was not able to wear a pink Malay traditional costume -- baju kurung -- which Ashraf was excited to wear for the upcoming Eid festival.

"Ashraf was an extremely loving and good person," she said.

Al-Fatihah.

Not Just Another Woman.

She is a stranger to me. She might be just another person who has feeling and opinion. I don’t know her but, I can felt her being. Indeed she is an extremely loving and good woman. And I would like to add more about her, she is a respectful, courageous, honest, sincere, true and real woman.

Aleesha Farhana, I bet that’s her “real” name was. On 30^th July 2011, while the Government finally releases the PSM leaders due to Bersih 2.0, there is another event happened in front of Bar Council Building at around 8.00pm perhaps. I remember that because, I was cursing the massive traffic along the town road headed to Dataran Merdeka. My intention to go inside the town is to find the petrol station, if have any.

When I turn right before the Dataran Merdeka, I witness numbers of people around 20 of them, mix race and gender and they were holding candle and one picture of a lady wearing hijab. “She’s beautiful, but who is she? What happened to her? She died? Why?”I asked myself. Only the next day, I found out about it and I am feeling devastated as well, although this human being have no connection with me when she is still alive. I never knew her as what her family and friends experience her. There is news about her wanted to do the sex change before in a local newspaper and all she received is criticizing from the public just because she was born with a small penis, with a name of Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz.

Woman & Sexuality.

I am born as a woman and I embrace every moment of it. Sometimes, I do ask myself what is I was born as a man? Would things will be different for me? What is it about sexuality? What do we understand about sexual? Is sex is a “sin” words in our community? Why aren’t we discuss about it openly and face our sexuality needs and right? Be connected and be true to our self, be comfortable about it.

Aleesha Farhana is just another example of a transsexual that faces the same issue in their life. Only be different that she took 3 step ahead by make an application to the Syariah Court Terengganu to change her birth name to her real name. It has been publicized by the media because of her bold action, the Court ruled that a person's sex was determined at birth and therefore, her application has been rejected.

Many of them, most probably had done sex change in oversea or in other country that allowed it by practice, and understand the consequences. I am sure, they must have thought about it very carefully and know about themselves more than anyone else. All they need in this life is a piece of mind and a lot of love for themselves to give and to share with others.

I am frustrated of what has happen. My point of view about transsexual wanted to exercise their right should not be stop. The law that has been made to suppress from exercising the life that they want and be who they are is injustice. There must be a medical research or about someone like her but, why don’t we be openly discussed about it?

Is it because of The Religion?

God Almighty create us, human perfectly and for someone like Aleesha Farhana, God put a little more time because she is special. For whatever reason that only God knows, she is here in this world with the purpose of testing us, testing our Iman. Let us really see things from a bigger view. As we all know, God create man with theit special biological belongings and same goes to the woman, perfectly. But, do we acknowledge that God do create khunsa? Why on earth God create someone is “middle”, born with 2 sexual organs with extra feminine hormone, perhaps.

She was born as a little boy and grew up knowing that there is a girl inside of her and when the time come, she decided that she is a woman. She is a true and real woman that she wanted to be. She faced up. She took that risk to do the sex change because she believed who she was inside. Or, maybe she is born woman but, their male hormones are dominant and she attracted to woman herself.

I am not an expert both in religion and also in medical terms to have discussed about this matter in details however, I have ability to respond to what had happen to her. The decision made by the Syariah Court Terengganu, personally for me it is obviously is foreseeable. If the Court still want to be in a comfort zone in making the decision especially with this “special” case without expended and look deep into ijtihad method discussing in details, what is much more important, and took different ways, I bet our Syariah Court will be one step higher than what is happening now.

A lot of Muslim country changing their Court decision and laws, hokum, because of the practitioner of the religion itself are being open and understand what is this religion really promotes. Goodness, fairness, justice, compassionate. This is what Islam are all about. Being human. So, why aren’t we do something about it. Aqidah started from within, the connection made between ourselves and God. Words of Shahadah means a lot to Muslim people but how many of us, really can feel it and understand what does it means? There is no God other than Allah, the Muhammad is the messenger.

Be righteous has caused one life. Another human being’s rights have been violated and we are OK with it? Silent is our Enemy.