Solidifying interstitial space (the third gender) for hijra/khwajasara through Islamic feminist hermeneutics: a trans inclusive approach

The phenomenon of being a khwajasara has not by any means been resolved. In Pakistan, having a trans identity still puts khwajasaras at the social stigma, social exclusion, exclusion from language and human rights, and discrimination. In this article, we argue that Islamic feminist hermeneutics have the potential to debunk negative/un-Islamic attitudes towards khwajasaras in Muslim societies. First, it adumbrates a discursive account of Islamic feminist hermeneutics and proposes “the egalitarian paradigm” for complete gender equality. Next, it applies Islamic feminist hermeneutics to the Quran to restore the Islamic notion of gender equality underpinning the existential status of khwajasaras, who have been jostling for the “third space/gender.” The theoretical and activistic cooperation between Islamic feminism and khwajasaras offers an opportunity for khwajasaras to transform and tackle negative/un-Islamic attitudes and discourses, developing an alternative pedagogical strategy and counter-discourse—narrative visibility. The article’s main argument identifies the need to form cooperation between Islamic feminism and khwajasaras to question the gender-oriented interpretations of the Qur’an and move gender activism into an effective sphere. It concludes that the subaltern—khwajasaras—can speak from their own realities to claim an egalitarian existence.