KOCHI: At a time when the whole world is debating transgender rights and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Movement is gaining momentum after the landmark Irish referendum on gay marriage, a magazine brought out by students of the Darul Huda Islamic University, Malappuram, has come out with an edition on ‘other sexuality’.
The latest edition of the monthly, ‘Thelitcham’, which has kicked off a debate in the Muslim community, has articles on the plight of transgenders, including a write-up on ‘Hijaron Ki Khanga’ or the Sufi retreat of transgenders in New Delhi.
The magazine explores the possibilities of ‘counter readings on the third gender and the Arab dynasty.’ Elaborating on the ideas of Joseph A Massad, author of ‘Islam in Liberalism’, the article moots a ‘reading that is free from interventions of the Euro-centric capital in the debate on third gender.’ Thelitcham,’ known widely as an intellectual read from the E K Sunni faction (named after Shamsul Ulama E K Aboobacker Musliar, former leader of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, Chelari), has a wide reach across the State. The Vice-chancellor of the Darul Huda University is the chief-editor of the magazine.
“We decided to focus on the issues of transgenders this time in the context of the Irish referendum on gay marriage and appointment of a transgender as principal in a college in Kolkata,” said editor-in-charge Muhammed Shareef Hudavi. “As expected, the edition has ignited a positive debate and we have been receiving calls from across the State,” he added.