MUI Issues Three Warnings for Independence Day: Men Dressing as Women, Competition Fees

The Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) Fatwa Commission has issued a new edict prohibiting men from wearing women’s clothing, particularly during carnivals celebrating Independence Day on 17 August. KH Abdul Muiz Ali, Deputy Secretary of the Fatwa Commission, stressed that cross-dressing, or tasyabbuh, is forbidden under Islamic law. He cited a sahih hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari in which the Prophet Muhammad cursed men who imitate women and vice versa. The prohibition applies without exception, whether in private or in public spaces such as stages and streets. Beyond the religious violation, Muiz highlighted the social dangers, claiming such actions are vulnerable to being exploited to promote the agenda of LGSP (Lesbian, Gay, Sodomy, and Pencabulan), a term promoted by MUI to replace LGBT. He stated that in the modern context, cross-dressing tends to campaign for the LGBT movement, which is clearly prohibited by religion and contradicts social norms. Regarding other Independence Day activities, MUI urged parade organisers to ensure routes do not disturb the comfort of other road users. On the matter of competitions, Muiz affirmed that holding contests is permissible, but warned that using participants’ registration fees to fund prizes is classified as gambling (qimar) and is therefore haram. He explained that Islamic jurisprudence strictly forbids schemes where registration fees are pooled to provide prizes for winners, as this places participants in a state of uncertainty between profit and loss. As an alternative, prize funds should ideally come from sponsors, the committee’s own funds, or non-binding third-party donations.