Ulemas lambaste transvestite contest in Aceh

Ulemas in Aceh have lambasted a transvestite contest held at the hall of state radio station RRI in Banda Aceh Saturday evening.

“We strongly deplored the contest as this event has tainted the implementation of the strict sharia law in Aceh,” secretary general of Aceh Ulema Association Tgk Faisal Ali said in Banda Aceh on Sunday.  

Faisal said that the contest was inappropriate whatsoever because it was clearly against the sharia law, which had been implemented in the whole province, which is also called the veranda of Mecca.

“Whatever the reasons, it is against the sharia law and we ask the organizers to be responsible for the event which is not in line with the local culture and Islam,” Faisal said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Tens of transvestites in Aceh joined the contest to select Aceh Cultural and Social Envoy 2010, an event which was also designed to enable transvestites to hold a get-together.

The contest elected Angga alias Zifana Lestisia, 19, who hails from Lhokseumawe, as the new Aceh envoy.