Pakistani priests have issued a fatwa (religious decree) permitting a Muslim marriage for transgenders, The Dawn reported.

A fatwа in the Islamic faith is the term for the legal opinion or learned interpretation that the Sheikhul Islam, a qualified jurist or mufti, can give on issues pertaining to the Islamic law.  Fatwa does not necessarily binding upon, they are often simply reflect the views of the author of the document and does not have legal consequences.

The fatwa was released on Sunday. At least 50 clerics affiliated with Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat religious community  approved it.

According to the authors of the fatwa, a transgender person having “visible signs of being a male” may marry a woman or a transgender with “visible signs of being a female” and vice versa.

But, the fatwa added, a transgender person carrying “visible signs of both genders” may not marry anyone.

In addition, priests called a sin any actions aiming to humiliate, offend or make a fun of a transgender. Also, priests stressed that funeral rituals for transgender Muslims shouldn't differ from those of any other Muslims.

Pakistani Supreme Court in 2009 officially recognized transgenders as a third gender and ordered the Pakistani government to put such mark in the ID. This decision was considered as a decisive step in the direction of improvement of the situation of transgenders in Pakistan, however attacks and murders of representatives of this group continue.