E-book to bring LGBT Muslims back to the ‘straight’ path
Jakim’s book aims to help them return to right path
THE Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) has endorsed and launched an e-book to facilitate self-migration for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Muslims, amidst increasing focus on the issue from both sides of the political divide.
Jakim is making the book, titled Penghijrahan Diri Menuju Jalan Yang Benar — Strategi Untuk Mengatasi Masalah Homoseks (Self-Migration Towards the Right Path — a Strategy to Overcome Problem of Homosexuality) available online for free.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the book and various other programmes were intended to help LGBTs return to the right path.
He said while the government would not accept the LGBT lifestyle, it would continue to reach out to the community through its specialised programmes,
as well as other booklets that could be of use to rehabilitate Muslim LGBT people.
“(Other) books titled Hadith Sahih Mengenai Perlakuan LGBT (legitimate hadiths on the
LGBT actions) and Understanding LGBT from the perspective of a Muslim can also be downloaded.”
“The Malaysian Islamic Development Department, as the Islamic agency at the federal level, has taken the initiative to help the LGBT community by organising outreach activities at identified areas and inviting Muslims to join the treatment and rehabilitation programme carried out under the Mukhayyam programme since 2011,” he said in response to a question by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (BN-Bagan Datuk) on efforts by the government to tackle the LGBT issue in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He said the government was discussing with employment agencies to get them to provide opportunities for transgenders with work.
A glance through the 146-page book showed that it contains nine chapters, which is a step-by-step guide to utilise the book to meet its purpose.
Among the chapters are “Start of the Journey”, “Realisation”, “Understanding the Challenges and Tests” and “Controlling Your Lust”.
It contains sub-chapters to explain things like “A Suitable Regime to Change Behaviour”, “Attitudes” and “Creating a Barrier”, among others.
The New Straits Times was made to understand that the book was based on a real-life story of an Asian gay man in his 20s, who used to live in the United Kingdom, and how he returned to the right path during the month of Ramadan.
A source said the man’s experience had been written in English before it was translated into Malay.
Earlier, Zahid had said that the recent earthquake that hit Palu, Indonesia, was God’s punishment for the immoral activities committed by the LGBT community there.
While raising a supplementary question, Zahid said he heard claims that the calamity at Palu was due to the involvement of over 1,000 people in LGBT activities.
“The incident in Palu... it was said that over 1,000 people were involved in the (LGBT) activities and the area was hit (by the disaster). This is a punishment from God.
“I would like to ask, as part of Jakim’s tasks to implement the Mukhayyam programme to help the LGBT community, on steps taken by the government agencies and other states on this issue.
“How effective are such programmes, so that we can avoid similar punishments from God?” he said.
Mujahid said the LGBT situation in Malaysia was under control, thanks to the success of the Mukhayyam programme where some of its participants made efforts to change their physical appearances to reflect their birth gender.
“There are LGBT members, who despite appearing physically different than their gender at birth, are making efforts to leave deviant activities and adhere to the basic teachings of the religion, such as performing the daily prayers.”
When replying to a supplementary question from Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa), he said people should not be too hasty in passing judgments that natural disasters were divine punishments.