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Women's wing of Nahdlatul Ulama offers hand to transgender boarding school in Yogyakarta
The boarding school was established in 2006 and is a place for transgender people to learn more about religion.
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Head of Al Fatah Islamic boarding school for transgender people Shinta Ratri (right) signs a memorandum of understanding with the head of the Yogyakarta branch of the women's wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, Khotimatul Husna, at the GMNU building in Yogyakarta on Jan. 22, 2020. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
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n line with its inclusive policy and moderate Islam approach, the Yogyakarta branch of Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama, the women's wing of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has expressed a willingness to provide female preachers to Al Fatah transgender Islamic boarding school.
“We don’t have a different view of transgenders,” the branch’s chairwoman, Khotimatul Husna, said on Wednesday.
The group signed a memorandum of understanding on the plan with the boarding school’s head, Shintar Ratri.
Witnessing the signing were students of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University’s School of Ushulludin, researchers and members of local transgender groups, including Yogyakarta Transgender Association (Iwayo) chair Kusuma Ayu.
Khotimatul said Fatayat NU Yogyakarta had a moderate view and aimed to make friends with anybody, including transgender people. The more friends it had, the more goodness it could generate for all mankind, she said.
“We can learn together. This is a good start,” she said, adding that with Fatayat, the transgender community could learn about gender issues and get access to counseling services on violence against women and children.
They could also avail of security aid from Garda Fatayat (Fatayat Guards), which is a women- and child-friendly group that promotes peace and tolerance and condemns violence.
