Tired of male domination, 5 Saudi women change sex

[im10ashus]

Tired of playing second fiddle to men in conservative Saudi Arabia, five women decided if you can't beat them, join them.

Al Watan newspaper said the five women underwent sex change surgery abroad over the past 12 months after they developed a "psychological complex" due to male domination.

Women in Saudi Arabia, which adopts an austere interpretation of Islam, are not allowed to drive or even go to public places unaccompanied by a male relative.

The newspaper quoted a senior cleric as saying the authorities have to fill what he described as a legal vacuum by issuing laws against sex change operations.

An interior ministry official told al Watan such cases are examined by religious authorities, and sometimes by psychologists, but those who undergo sex change are never arrested.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060403/od_nm/saudi_sex_dc;_ylt=AsAt4HSlxW13.8iMC4zFM5DtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Right, because transsexuals are so well regarded there.....

:wtf:

[im10ashus]

2. That's what I was thinking.

Even if they did have the surgery abroad, wouldn't they still be ostracized? Makes no sense.

[shain from kane]

6. They'll be treated as bad as the Muslim that became a Christian. n/t

[crikkett]

10. I wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

I read there's a don't-ask-don't-tell policy towards homosexuality in Arabic cultures.

Can't wait until they take wives.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. It's possible they'll be OK - Iran is surprisingly tolerant

"I believe he was the first Islamic scientist in the world of Islam who raised the issue of sex change," says Hojatulislam Kariminia.

The Ayatollah's ruling that sex-change operations were allowed has been reconfirmed by Iran's current spiritual leader.

That has meant that clerics like Hojatulislam Kariminia can study transsexuality - unlike homosexuality which is completely forbidden in Islam and illegal in Iran.

"I want to suggest that the right of transsexuals to change their gender is a human right," says the cleric, who is so fascinated by the subject that he says he dreams about the transsexuals he has studied at night.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4115535.stm

So if Iran can think that way, Saudi Arabia might too.

[nickinSTL]

3. that's a HUGE mistake

if they think their problems will be solved by a sex change.

Sex changes make non-transsexuals MISERABLE. I've seen it happen...if you aren't truly TS and have surgery for some other reason (and don't work out your issues with a therapist) - you WILL be miserable.

They have NO idea the psychological problems they're about to encounter.

[liberal N proud]

4. Once they are men, do they then start oppressing women?

[NYCGirl]

5. I have a strange feeling this was an April Fool's story that got picked up

as real somewhere along the line.

[im10ashus]

7. I thought so too.

But the linked page says 55 minutes ago.

:shrug:

[NYCGirl]

9. But they're getting it from another source. NT

[boobooday]

8. If you can't 'beat 'em' join 'em?

Not the most well-thought out plan for equality . . .