Intersex in Saudi Arabia

[Betsy]

Not sure what to think about this article (which is usually the result of being troubled by it): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3814041.stm


Gender correction for Saudi girls
Sebastian Usher
BBC world's media reporter

Five sisters in Saudi Arabia are having operations to become men.
The doctor carrying out the surgery stresses that he is performing what he calls "gender correction" rather than sex change operations.

As a conservative Islamic state, Saudi Arabia does not allow surgery for transsexuals, but permits operations on people with an intersex condition.

Three of the five sisters have already been operated on. The remaining two are to have surgery next week.

The sisters' ages range from 19 to 38.

Dr Yasser Jamal - who is performing the operations at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah - says the sisters are not Saudi by origin but Arabs who have lived in the country all their lives. None of them is married.

After their operations, they are moving to a different district, although Dr Jamal says they are not facing problems in their community.

'Smooth transition'

In tacit acknowledgement of the sensitivity of the subject in Saudi Arabia, Dr Jamal, himself a Saudi, emphasised that the sisters fell into the intersex category - without clear male or female sexual characteristics.

He said that he would never perform surgery on transsexuals - people with normal genitalia but who believe that they belong to the opposite sex.

He said Islam did not allow people to change what God had created.

In Saudi Arabia, transsexuals are associated with homosexuality, which is banned in the kingdom.

Dr Jamal has performed more than 200 intersex operations.

He said the transition from being treated as a woman to a man in Saudi Arabia usually went smoothly, but that there could be problems for men becoming women.

He said they found the restrictions of being female in Saudi Arabia difficult to cope with.

Reversing sexuality

But he said most of the operations he performed were on babies.

Their condition, he said, was often a result of close family relatives getting married.

But such early operations on people with an intersex condition have come under increasing criticism elsewhere - with some of those operated on subsequently accusing doctors of assigning them their sex without consulting them.

Some have chosen to reverse the sexuality given them as babies with a second sex change operation as adults - an option unavailable in Saudi Arabia.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/3814041.stm

Published: 2004/06/17 01:57:47 GMT

© BBC MMIV

[Shodan]

Some things stand out:

* Firstly, this "doctor" almost comes off sounding proud that he does this surgery on babies.
** The last statment by the BBC regarding:

But such early operations on people with an intersex condition have come under increasing criticism elsewhere - with some of those operated on subsequently accusing doctors of assigning them their sex without consulting them.

** Its seems to be a rather neutral response by the paper, forgive me for sounding cynical, but I find it impossible to accept someone supporting the idea of assigning a sex to a child through surgery. Its morally corrupt and we all know it, I wont continue on the subject.

* The fact that these sisters are changing their assigned sex because of the restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia, is a testament not to their gender identity, but perhaps to the struggle for equality with males in the Male dominant Islamic culture.

* I am disturbed by the suggestion of gender problems related to in-breeding, I can honestly tell u my mum and dad werent bro & sis! The BBC should have clarified furthermore that NOT all intersexes are thanks to in-breeders. It places un unnecessary stigma on us.

* The suggestion that changing gender was a 'Smooth transition' is insulting to not only intersexes, but transexuals too. I've spoken with several transexuals who have undergone "the change" and none of them said it was easy. I doubt any intersex found it easy to change sex either. Correct me if I'm wrong however.

Oh, and again, I see it ridiculous to ban homosexuality, the universe HAS NO RULES, Intersexes are proof of this!
Nothing is in plain black and white, lets embrace the gooey greyness, LOL!!!

[Dana Gold]

The penalty for "homosexuality" (and anything associated with it) in many Islamic countries (Middle east, Asia, North Africa) is death and not a simple one, but very cruel one. Anywhere from 5 yrs to life in prison is penalty in many Latin American and Asian, and some European countries.

I rent a converted studio (used to be master bedroom) from a Persian (Iranian) family who are non-orthodox Muslim. (they accept and love me whole-heartedly)....my landlady, who regards me as a sister told me this. I verified it by this list.

http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/world.htm

The list is technically penalties for sodomy, but as my landlady stated (and it is so).....if one is perceived to merely be "homosexual"...whether TS, gay, or ambiguous body appearance...then you're dead meat or prison fodder.

Until June, 2003 (US Supreme Court ruling) here in US, one could get up to 20 yrs imprisonment...depending upon the state.

PS: another article (less detailed) about the sisters:

http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/AFP/2004/06/15/487953?from=search

[Dana Gold]

Arab News
Wednesday, 16, June, 2004 (28, Rabi` al-Thani, 1425)



JEDDAH, 16 June 2004 — Three Saudi sisters have undergone surgery at a hospital here to become men and two others will follow suit.

Dr. Yasser Jamal, a professor of surgery at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital who operated on two of the sisters and is preparing for the other operations told Arab News the patients ranged in ages between 19 and 38.

“This is not the first case. What is bizarre is that it happened to five girls in the same family,” Dr. Jamal said.

Dr. Jamal insists on the term “gender correction” rather than “reassignment”. “We are taking the person back to his or her original sex according to the intensive tests that are done, but we will not operate on people that are actually men or women to change them to the opposite sex just because they want to,” he said.

The chromosomes decide. “If the test shows xx, the person is female, and if it is xy they are male,” he said. “Also, tests are performed on the testicular or ovarian tissue as well as the patients’ internal organs — for example, does this person have a uterus? Then that is a strong indication that she is a female.”

He added that every person is born male or female — the only problem that might cause sex “misinterpretation” is a defect in the external organs. Unqualified midwives assisting at home births might not understand the complications, he said.

Reasons for deformities could include inherited factors, parent’s exposure to radiation or the mother taking certain medicines during pregnancy.

Dr. Jamal said that when all the tests results point to a correction, psychologists start a rehabilitation program with the patient. However, “in this case we did not need to do that because the patients themselves knew that they were men, not women, and wanted so much to correct their sex. “It is unlikely that someone reaches the age of 38 without discovering their real sex,” he added.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=46891&d=16&m=6&y=2004

It's perhaps expected, but notable that all 3 newspapers have different versions of the same event:rolleyes:

[Shodan]

I have to say this,

Somthing controversial...

So much in that paper was CRAP!

Thankyou

* Hold the applause