For Gays Under Islamic Rule: Living Hell (or a Bloody Execution)

Everett Rowson, professor of Islamic Studies at NYU, says that in the Koran, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah didn't contain overt references to homosexuality until the early 20th century, when Europeans introduced their prudish sexual mores to conquered Mideast countries:  "Many attitudes with regard to sexual morality that are thought to be identical to Islam owe a lot more to Queen Victoria than to the Koran."  (Which would explain the wave of homophobia that subsequently swept over the Islamic world, a place once known for fairness, tolerance - and homoerotic literature.)

These days, gays and lesbians live in terror under Islam.   Spiegel International:  In most Islamic countries, gay men and women are ostracized, persecuted and in some cases even murdered. Repressive regimes are often fanning the flames of hatred in a bid to outdo Islamists when it comes to spreading "moral panic." ...More than 30 Islamic countries have laws on the books that prohibit homosexuality and make it a criminal offense.  In most cases punishment ranges from floggings to life imprisonment.  In Mauritania, Bangladesh, Yemen, parts of Nigeria and Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran convicted homosexuals can also be sentenced to death.  In those Muslim countries where homosexuality is not against the law gay men and women are nonetheless persecuted, arrested, and in some cases murdered.  Although long known for its open gay scene, Egypt has recently started to clamp down hard.  The lives of homosexuals are monitored by a kind of vice squad who tap telephones and recruit informants.  As soon as the police have accumulated the kind of evidence they need they charge their victims with "debauchery."

Scott Long of Human Rights Watch:  "The most repressive are secular regimes such as those in Egypt or Morocco which are under pressure from Islamists and so try to outdo them with regard to morals.  In addition the persecution of homosexuals shows that a regime has control over the private lives of its citizens - a sign of power and authority."

One of the worst offenders is Iraq, where over 4,000 U.S. troops sacrificed their lives bringing "freedom" to the Iraqi people and where the murder of gays by roaming Sharia death squads is standard procedure.  From Guardian UK:  Sitting on the floor, wearing traditional Islamic clothes and holding an old notebook, Abu Hamizi, 22, spends at least six hours a day searching internet chatrooms linked to gay websites. He is not looking for new friends, but for victims.  "It is the easiest way to find those people who are destroying Islam and who want to dirty the reputation we took centuries to build up," he said.  When he finds them, Hamizi arranges for them to be attacked and sometimes killed.  Hamizi, a computer science graduate, is at the cutting edge of a new wave of violence against gay men in Iraq.  Made up of hardline extremists, Hamizi's group and others like it are believed to be responsible for the deaths of more than 130 gay Iraqi men since the beginning of the year alone.  (Many of them were tortured.)

While gays had no civil rights in the old Iraq, at least they didn't live in constant fear.  Ali Hili, a 34-year-old exile now residing in London says, "Homosexuality was generally tolerated under Saddam.  There certainly was no danger of gay people being assassinated in the street by police. Since his overthrow, the violent persecution of gays and lesbians is commonplace.  Life in Iraq now is hell for all LGBT people; no one can be openly gay and alive."

Meanwhile, the U.S. government stands on the sidelines, oblivious to the suffering, and boasts about Iraqi elections.  Freedom!  Democracy!  See what we accomplished?

Comments

[Amanda]

Thanks, organized religion, for showing us how benevolent god is. (sarcasm)