Learning From Dorce Gamalama's Will, MUI Explains Procedures For Funeral Of People Who Change Sex

Dorce Gamalama (Instagram @dg_kcp)

JAKARTA - Dorce Gamalama is battling his illness but in the middle of the process, he became the talk of the town after expressing his will. Dorce is known to have requested that he be buried according to his current gender which is female. He also doesn't need his grave cemented or named, but rather with grass.

It turned out that this statement caused conflict among religious leaders. One of the voices was Miftahul Huda, Secretary of the MUI Fatwa Commission.

"At least there are four MUI Fatwas related to this issue. The first is that waria are male and are not seen as their own gender,” said Miftahul Huda.

According to him, sex change is called haram. This rule was also confirmed by the MUI in the MUI Fatwa no. 3 of 2010 which states that changing gender is haram.

"This (sex reassignment) operation also changes Allah's creation, but sometimes in his power, some of us have double genitals," said Miftahul Huda.

For that reason only a person can change their gender. In addition, the MUI stated that a person must be buried according to the gender at birth.

"When a person dies, the state doesn't regulate whether he is buried as a man or a woman. That's the realm of religion, right," said Miftahul Huda of Dorce Gamalama's planned funeral. "If it's done, Alhamdulillah, if not, that's his responsibility. Back to each," he continued.