Monday, August 22, 2016

The Maleficence of Masoom

Sumaia "Not so innocent" Masoom wrote an article titled On Pakistan, Homophobia & Violence Against the Trans Community.
In Pakistan, there are an estimated 50,000 trans men and women in the KP province, and at least half a million nationwide. Roughly 45 trans men and women have been killed in the province in the past year alone, says activist Farzana Jan. This number is, of course, only inclusive of the killings that have been publicly reported.
Masoom accurately describes the reality in Pakistan. She also understands that this particular ugliness is not limited to that country.
Just last week, model Gigi Gorgeous was detained and prevented from entering Dubai for being transgender.
Of course, staying within that context would require one to ask uncomfortable questions about the huge common factor between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates: Islam.

As we've learned, Islam can't be blamed.
Most importantly, violence against trans men and women is not just a non-Western problem. In the United States, 14 trans men and women have been killed in just the past six months alone [...]
Masoom is attempting to convince us that both Islamic and Western societies are violent against transgender people. Here's her big "American" example of violence:
On top of all of this, we also cannot forget about the recent tragedy in Orlando, Fla., when 29 year-old Omar Mateen walked into the Pulse Nightclub and opened fire on the crowd of LGBTQ+ patrons.
That's right. She started her article with the horrific assaults in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and then deviously switched to the carnage in the US caused by an "American" who just, by pure undiluted coincidence, happened to be a Muslim.
Transphobia and homophobia are not problems restricted to any one corner of the world, but are widespread issues in every society that must be rooted out and countered with radical love.
Here's my radical option: honesty regarding the evil of Islam.

(Originally posted at Isaac Schrödinger.)

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