http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1266207403/ulemas-slam-at-transvestites-pageant
Ulemas slam at transvestites pageant Monday, February 15, 2010 11:16 WIB | National | | Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - Ulemas in Aceh province denounced on Sunday the transvestites pageant held in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh the day before. "We denounce the transvestite pageant. The event has marred the implementation of sharia law in Aceh," Secretary General of the Acehnese Ulemas Association (HUDA) Tgk Faisal Ali said. There was no place to organize a transvestite pageant in Aceh which implemented the sharia law, he said. "Whatever the reason the pageant is surely against sharia law. We hope all parties concerned will be held responsible for the event which runs counter to the local tradition and culture as well as Islam," he said. Faisal Ali who is also chief of the provincial branch of the Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said Islam forbade transvestism. Darmuda, member of the Aceh legislative assembly also denounced the pageant. "We do not tolerate the pageant. Whatever the reason it is against Islam to which the vast majority of Acehnese people adhere." He wondered how the pageant could have taken place. "We will question the event`s organizing committee, including the management of the venue of the transvestite pageant" he said. Some 40 transvestites took part in the 2010 Aceh Social and Cultural Ambassador pageant which has also become a transvestites gathering forum in Aceh on Saturday night (Feb 13). "The Aceh Social and Cultural Ambassador pageant was held as an Acehnese transvestites gathering forum in Aceh," chief of the event`s organizers Jimmy said here Sunday. A contestant from Lhokseumawe, Angga alias Zifana Lestisia, was chosen ambassador in the event at the state-run radio station, RRI, in Banda Aceh on Saturday (13/2). Besides to strengthen the Aceh transvestites group, the event was also held to eliminate negative stigma on transsexual communities, he said. "The event is to prove that transsexuals can also make positive contributions to the society," Jimmy said. He claimed that the organizers had obtained permission from the Banda Aceh Ulemas to hold the event. (*)aceh ++++ http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1266187396/aceh-holds-2010-transvestites-pageant Aceh holds 2010 transvestites pageant Monday, February 15, 2010 05:43 WIB | National | | Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - Some 40 transvestites took part in the 2010 Aceh Social and Cultural Ambassador pageant which has also become a transvestites gathering forum in Aceh. "The Aceh Social and Cultural Ambassador pageant was held as an Acehnese transvestites gathering forum in Aceh," said chief of the event`s organizers Jimmy in Banda Aceh, Sunday. A contestant from Lhokseumawe, Angga alias Zifana Lestisia, was chosen ambassador in the event at the state-run radio station, RRI, here on Saturday (13/2) Besides to strengthen the Aceh transvestites group, the event is also held to eliminate negative stigma on transsexual communities. "The event is to prove that transsexuals can also make positive contributions to the society," Jimmy said. Before holding the event, the organizers had also obtained permission from the Banda Aceh Ulemas, Jimmy said. A week before the event`s final, all the participants are quarantined in an orphanage to learn about human rights and social affairs matters, according to Jimmy. During their quarantine the participants in the orphanage were promoting their social awareness, because the juries are not only judging their beauty but social awareness and mastery of science as well. On election night, each contestant had to wear Acehnese traditional clothes from where they came from, and the winner will participate in a national transvestites pageant Zifana Lestisia said that the elected Social and Cultural Ambassador will try to introduce Aceh culture at national level and proof that transvestites in the region also apply Islamic law in the event. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
