Transsexuals in the Middle East Await the Wave of Change

[Natasha]

Transsexuals in the Middle East Await the Wave of Change

http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/09/transsexuals_in_the_middle_eas.html
Suad Hamada
9/2/09

Hell is what most Arabs think of when the word "transsexual" comes into any conversation since many mistake it with homosexuality, which is a sin in Islam. Most transsexuals prefer to remain anonymous since in some Arab countries they could face jail sentences for dressing or acting like the opposite sex. Many, especially men who feel trapped in the body of a woman, keep their problems hidden to avoid being punished or killed by their families. It is far easier for a woman to have a sex change to become a man than visa-versa. A man who becomes a woman is seen to have dishonored the family.