The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has put out a press release reporting that almost 40 people perceived to be LGBT have been “kidnapped, brutally tortured, and murdered” in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad (right) and Basra last month.
According to Iraqi human rights activists, in early February 2012, an unidentified group posted death threats against “the adulterous individuals” in the pre-dominantly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad and Basra. The threats gave the individuals, whose names and ages were listed, four days to stop their behavior or else face the wrath of God, and were to be carried out by the Mujahedin. According to sources inside Iraq, as the result of this new surge of anti-gay violence close to 40 people have been kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered. The Iraqi authorities have neither responded to this targeted violence nor have they publically denounced it. It is widely believed that these atrocities are being committed by a group of the Shiite militia.
IGLHRC has called on the Iraqi government to take action, but perhaps we also need to call on the UN to start moving forward with its efforts to champion gay rights as human rights around the world.
Hillary Clinton made her landmark speech to the UN on the issue in December, and we have seen some commitment to activity in Ecuador and Honduras. But in the Middle East, we haven’t seen any commitment to intervention—yet.
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Curtis
So sad.
If your gay, and you live in the middle east, my heart goes out to you.
chip1218
Carrie Bradshaw: “It’s the New Middle East!”
Charlotte York: “It’s the MIDDLE EAST!”
No matter what anyone out there says, if you live in an Arab country, are gay, and don’t live/work in an international resort hotel zone like Dubai, you suffer risk of death.
They don’t love the gays much where I live in South Carolina, but they aren’t actively hunting us down.
Aric
Absolutely heartbreaking.
I don’t even know how to absorb this.
doug105
Yes and lets all go out and work extra hard to make Palestine independent.
Then they can join in on killing the gays. morons
Belize
@chip1218: It’s bad but perhaps not as bad as you think. The laws of Israel protect LGBT from this. Israel is like the South Africa of the Middle East. However, we cannot necessarily look past the unlawful acts of people who would actually. attack you in a dark alley for being gay. The laws are in place in that country. But I doubt that everyone within its jurisdiction has absorbed the spirit behind those laws.
I wonder how self-hating trolls like Isaac C. can comment on this. Rather interesting, really.
chip1218
@Belize: Oh, I am well aware of Israel’s LGBT protections, that’s why I said, “if you live in an Arab Country…” When my fiancee was worried about his status in the USA I spoke with the Israeli consulate, and they said they would include him as my spouse for an immigration application as long as we got married in a state that legally performed same-sex marriage. It was a simple, matter-of-fact response from that consular officer, it was a non-issue to them.
Usually I get flamed on Queerty when I comment about this stuff, but this article wasn’t about Israel, so all those haters aren’t paying attention. Hmm, makes you wonder if those posters actually care more about mocking Israel than the plight of LGBT Arabs…hmm…
CBRad
@chip1218: No, the reason posters are staying away from this story is because it doesn’t go along with the gay agenda and the official Gay Rules (it HAS to be that only Christian white males are the homophobes; Israel=bad; etc). I’m amazed Queerty even reported it.
mm1
In my view, homophobia, against LGBT people, + people perceived as LGBT, is [a scary and brutal thing to see, or to have thrown upon you].
I hope that the society in Iraq, and the world’s community, can build a society in Iraq, where these crimes and homophobia aren’t permitted or done anymore.