Iraqi leaders attacked over spate of homophobic murders

[IndianaGreen]

Source: The Independent (UK)

Iraqi leaders attacked over spate of homophobic murders

Dozens of young men and boys killed by death squads in Baghdad

By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor

Monday, 13 April 2009

Iraqi leaders are accused of turning a blind eye to a spate of murders of homosexuals after 25 young men and boys were killed in recent weeks.

Gay groups claim the Iraqi government is giving tacit support to the death squads targeting young homosexuals who venture outdoors.

In an unusual move, Amnesty International will today write to the Iraqi President, Nouri al-Maliki, demanding "urgent and concerted action" by his government to stop the killings. Amnesty said the murders appear to have been carried out by militiamen and relatives of the victims, after being incited by religious leaders. Homosexuality has always been taboo in the country, but a surge of killings followed religious leaders' sermons condemning "deviancy".

The violence came after the improved security situation briefly encouraged some gay men to start meeting discreetly in public. This led to furious condemnation from clerics who have called for homosexuality – which can lead to a prison sentence of seven years – to be eradicated from Iraqi society.

Most of the killings have taken place in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, controlled by ultra-conservative Shi'ite militia. Murders have also been reported in Basra, Najaf and Karbala.

The bodies of four gay men, each bearing a sign with the Arabic word for "pervert" on their chests, were discovered in Sadr City three weeks ago. Following the discovery of another two corpses six days later, an unnamed official in the city told Reuters: "They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honour."

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraqi-leaders-attacked-over-spate-of-homophobic-murders-1668013.html

[ProgressIn2008]

1. .

[burning rain]

2. A sad and predictable consequence of the US "liberation" and....

"democratization" of Iraq. It was only reasonable to expect that the vacuum left by the collapse of Saddam's relatively secular regime would largely be filled by religious zealots. Women have been taking it on the chin there, as well.

[No Elephants]

3. The transitional

Constitution of Iraq had the seeds for this and much more. http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-iraqivoices/article_1737.jsp

Yet another thing for which Dummya can take "credit."

[totodeinhere]

6. It's not a consequence of our occupation. It's a consequence of fundamentalist Islam.

Gays were also targeted under Saddam's regime. Discrimination against and abuse of gays predated our involvement there.

[Laughing Mirror]

4. "for the most effeminate cases, we advise them not to go out at all."

Gives a lie to the common myth, even on DU, that gay people can "pass" for straight.

[Tempest]

5. There are straight people who can't even pass for straight

How many times have we heard of straight men getting assaulted because they looked or acted "gay"?