Iraq - the homophobic killings continue unabated

I blogged on this a week or so ago after reading a CNN flash on the indiscriminate homophobic killings in Iraq.

It would seem that these killings are still persisting in Iraq and this week Amnesty has called on Iraqi PM Nori Maliki calling for "urgent and concerted action". Amnesty have also criticised the Iraqi admistration for it's failure to condemn the killings.

In the last few weeks, Amnesty have reported around 25 boys and men are reported to have been killed in Baghdad because they were, or were perceived to be, gay.

As with previous killings, these recent murders are said to have been carried out by armed Shia militiamen as well as by members of the tribes and families of the victims.

Reports have cited that three corpses of gay men were found in the Shia area of Sadr City last week - two of which were reported to have had pieces of paper bearing the word "pervert" attached to them.

Amnesty has also raised concerns that religious leaders may be inciting violence against members of Iraq's gay community. It is also alleged that statements by one senior police officer appear to condone or even encourage the targeting of gay Iraqis.

Amnesty has called on the government to bring those responsible for the killings to justice and to ensure that effective protection is given to the gay community in Iraq.

As we already know, Islam (as do other organised religions) considers homosexuality sinful. An Iranian website published in the name of Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shia cleric, says: "Those who commit sodomy must be killed in the harshest way".


Sistani's official website calls for gay men to be executed. The statement appears in Arabic section of the website, in a section dealing with questions of morality, but not in the English-language equivalent.

Mr Sistani's representative, Seyed Kashmiri, was asked to explain the ruling by a BBC correspondent:

"Homosexuals and lesbians are not killed for practising their inclinations for the first time," Mr Kashmiri said in a response sent via email.

"There are certain conditions drawn out by jurists before this punishment can be implemented, which is perhaps similar to the punishment meted out by other heavenly religions."

He added: "Some rulings that are drawn out by jurists are done so on a theoretical basis. Not everything that is said is implemented."

OH! So that's alright then! In Iraq, if, "theoretically" you are gay then "theoretically" you are screwed! You may as well take the pistol and shove in your own mouth and pull the trigger.

We are now in the 21st century. An age of scientific, technological and spiritual enlightenment. Why then are we all idly standing by and allowing this to happen? The fact that since the US led invasion of Iraq these killings seem to have gotten worse leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Should we be blaming the increase in violence on the ever growing influence of religious figures and militia groups in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was ousted.

If we (the US/UK led coalition) are the liberators of Iraq then why is that "liberation" not being extended to all areas of Iraq, liberation for all regardless of their sexual orientation.

If this kind of religiously sanctioned homophobiawas happening in the US or UK then you can just imagine the headlines!

This bigotry and persecution must stop.

You can read can read more here at the Iraqi LGBT blog.