BECOMING A WARIA SHALIHAH: ASPIRATIONS OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOSITY AT PESANTREN AL-FATAH, YOGYAKARTA

Abstract

The movement to become a waria shalihah has gained significant momentum at Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School) Al-Fatah Yogyakarta. However, this rise in religious piety among waria has faced resistance from segments of the local Muslim community that hold anti-LGBTQ sentiments. In the Indonesian context, waria is a locally specific term combining wanita (woman) and pria (man) and refers to individuals assigned male at birth who embody a feminine gender identity. This study, based on a qualitative ethnographic approach and the sociology of knowledge framework, identified two key findings. First, the Islamic religiosity aspirations of the waria congregants at Pesantren Al-Fatah are expressed through contextual interpretations of Qur’anic verses such as Surah An-Nisa:124, Al-Hujurat:13, and An-Nur:31. These interpretations affirm their waria identity and serve as a response to ideological attacks from the Islamic Jihad Front (FJI), which draws on verses such as An-Nisa:1, Al-A’raf:81, and Ash-Shu’ara:173–174 to challenge their religious legitimacy. The FJI’s actions are motivated by a desire to prevent the waria in Yogyakarta from achieving socio-political influence similar to transgender communities in Taiwan or Thailand. Second, the waria’s pursuit of Islamic piety has led to new devotional practices, including performing umrah. For instance, YS aspires to become a Nyai, a respected religious woman within the waria Islamic tradition who can guide future generations of students at Pesantren Al-Fatah. These findings suggest that a fiqh waria (waria Islamic jurisprudence) approach could inform inclusive and contextualized Islamic education in contemporary Indonesia. The waria congregants at Pesantren Al-Fatah affirms that being a waria shalilah is both a human right and aligned with Islamic principles. Pesantren Al-Fatah Yogyakarta has become a symbol of the deconstruction, rationalization, and contextualization of waria civic and political futures in contemporary Indonesia.