In light of the appalling story below the fold, it may seem like our struggle for equal rights for marriage in the US and developed countries is trivial. These are crimes against humanity, and to think that they are driven by religious views only hardens my disgust at religion.
We must not forget that in many countries, notably Muslim-dominated ones, to be gay (or to appear to be gay) gives religious extremists license to torture and kill. Whether they are motivated by intolerant, antiquated religious views, or simply use that as an excuse to commit these horrible acts, we must do what we can to bring this heinous crime to the front pages, and support organizations fighting to prosecute the perpetrators and change public attitudes about gays and other despised minorities.
This story may have been diaried before, but I find nothing recent and it needs to be on the forefront for those of us who care about human dignity and the end of homophobia.
Ghastly details below the fold, and actions you can take.
Reports are coming out of Iraq of a new form of lethal torture used against those identified as gays. The nature of it tells a lot about the ingrained hate for gay sex these monsters have. And to think that this is an outcome of our 'liberation' of Iraq sickens me again as an American whose country invaded under false pretenses and in many ways made things worse for the people of that nation.
As the murder campaign targeting Iraqi gays intensifies, a leading Arabic television network last week revealed the use of a horrifying new form of lethal torture against Iraqi gay men - anti-gay Shiite death squads are sealing their anuses with a powerful glue, then inducing diarrhea, which leads to a painful and agonizing death. The use of this stomach-turning new torture was first reported by the Al Arabiya network, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates and was alerted to the story by a leading Iraqi feminist and human rights activist.
Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), told Al Arabiya that the torture substance "is an Iranian-manufactured glue that, if applied to the skin, sticks to it and can only be removed by surgery. After they glue the anuses of homosexuals, they give them a drink that causes diarrhea. Since the anus is closed, the diarrhea causes death. Videos of this form of torture are being distributed on mobile telephones in Iraq."
Al Arabiya said its reporter confirmed the use of this anal torture by "visiting the Baghdad morgue in Bab-al-Moazaam in central Baghdad, where Neman Mohsen, the medical examiner, confirmed they have the bodies of seven homosexuals in the morgue. He said, 'We were not able to identify the culprits, who dumped the bodies in front of the morgue and fled without being seen.'" A two-person team from Human Rights Watch (HRW) currently in Iraq to investigate persecution of LGBT people has also confirmed the use of this form of torture. In a widely-circulated email from Iraq, the head of HRW's LGBT desk, Scott Long, said he and his colleague had gathered evidence which confirms the Al Arabiya report and that HRW would make its own detailed report after the organization's two staffers return to the United States next week.
Gay City News, May 9, 2009 [emphasis mine]
The whole article is worth reading to see how this campaign of "sexual cleansing", thought to be driven the fundamentalist Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, is being carried out.
It is totally unconscionable that civilized people stand by and let this happen without an outcry.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, a protest is planned for Wednesday May 13 at 10:00 am.
A Facebook event page on the issue and the protest is here. Even if you cannot attend, share it in your profile to help get the word out.
Protest details:
Next Wednesday, May 13, the Los Angeles City Council will consider a resolution, sponsored by Councilman Bill Rosendahl, putting the City of Los Angeles on record condemning this atrocity. A representative of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission will be on hand to testify.
I invite and urge you to attend and to speak out. A large crowd of members of the LGBT community and human rights supporters will help us draw media attention to these crimes.
The council meeting will be held at 10 a.m., May 13, in the John Ferraro Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, 90012.
Doug Ireland, reporter for Gay City News who is following this matter, posted this other exposé of the recent rise in crimes against gays in Iraq.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is also reporting on the story here.
This is an epidemic that must be stopped!
Support these organizations working to end the campaign against gays and sexual minorities in Iraq:
Human Rights Watch
Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
Feel free to add more resources in your comments below. And PLEASE spread the word!
I have to work today so I will not be able to stay on top of all the comments - this is an informational diary to urge people to take action. Not a discussion forum per se - what's there to discuss???
Do what you can!