Trans Actress Dorce Wants to Be Buried as Woman, Muslim Clerics Disagree

TheIndonesia.co - A statement made by trans singer/actress/comedian Dorce Gamalama about wanting to be buried as a woman has received a wide range of responses, including from Muslim clerics who said she should be buried as a man, according to sharia principles.

The famous Indonesian entertainer, who is also a transgender pioneer in the country, has been ill lately and recently said that when she dies, she wishes to be buried as a woman.

Among figures who publicly commented on the statement was Gus Miftah, an Islamic cleric and leader of Islamic school Pondok Pesantren Ora Aji Sleman in Yogyakarta who that according to Islamic law, there are only two genders, and since Gamalama was born a man, it’s not possible for her to be buried a woman.

“It means that if they were born a man or a woman, they should also be buried as a man,” he said as reported by Suara.com.

This is also seen as an important matter as burial for man and woman is done differently, and Miftah said if the will isn’t in accordance to sharia principles, then it shouldn’t be executed.

“A will should be executed when there’s good in it – no immorality or violation to sharia. But when it does, surely it shouldn’t be done.”

One of the leading figures in the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Cholil Nafis also expressed similar view. He said that since gender-affirmation surgery isn’t recognized in Islam, then burial procedure should be done based on the assigned sex at birth.

“The body of a transgender will be treated according to their biological sex,” Nafis said, as reported by Suara.com.

“Gender transitioning isn’t acknowledged in Islam, and [the procedure will be] based on the assigned sex at birth.

Gamalama has also commented on the responses by asking everyone to respect her wishes in a video posted on Instagram.

“To all clerics who have explained about who should wash and bury me, my family will take care of it,” she said in the video.

“Whether the shroud is seven or eight layers, I’ll leave it to those taking care of [the procedure]. Men, women, or both, anyone can wash my body. So, even if you’re famous clerics, don’t make negative comments.”