Transgender issue in contemporary Iran: A theological reflection

The Islamic Republic of Iran is recognised as a theocratic political system with a touch of democratic elements. Since the last decade of the 20th century it is the only Islamicrepublic with sophisticated system for sex-change operations and procedures related to this issues. This unique situation was developed on the ruling of Ayatollah Khomeini concerning the Fereydoon Molkara’s case. He was born as a man and later identified himself as a woman. Current legal regulation in Iran not just allows sex-change procedure, it isrecommended and even expected by the religious authorities that anyone who identifies himself with the other sex than he was born with would undertake the sex-change procedure.The paper deals with the historical and theological context of the issue