Despite dozens of reports on persecutions and executions over the years, UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith insists that there's no threat to gay people in Iran. As long as they're "discreet," of course…
…In her letter to Lord Roberts of Llandudno, Ms Smith rejected a call for an immediate halt to the deportation of gay and lesbian asylum seekers. "We recognise that the conditions for gay and lesbian people in Iran – and many other countries – are such that some individuals are able to demonstrate a need for international protection.
…
With particular regard to Iran, current case law handed down by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal concludes that the evidence does not show a real risk of discovery of, or adverse action against gay and lesbian people who are discreet about their sexual orientation."Gay campaign groups estimate that 4,000 Iranians have been executed because of their sexuality since the late 1970s. Ms Smith suggests it is far fewer.
Smith's letter came after activists took on the UK's asylum system, which some claim doesn't do enough to further gay rights.
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These comments are disgraceful, but even worse they ignore the reality of mass murder in both Iran and Iraq.
As the cases of Medhi Kazemi and Pegah Emambakhsh demonstrate, you cannot be discreet and expect to live if you're gay or lesbian in Iran. Pretending that you can is as cruel and as fatal as saying that if only they’d been a bit more discreet, the Jews wouldn’t have died in Nazi occupied Europe.
Smith, a leader of the Labour Party government is adopting the same program as the blatantly racist Tories. This, coupled with their decision to stay in Iraq and support Bush's genocidal war on muslims puts their election prospects in doubt. If people can’t see any difference they’ll begin searching for a left alternative or simply boycott elections as most American voters do.
Apparently some in Labour now agree with Conservatives that "that the 'wogs' begin at Calais." (That was a turn of phrase used by George Wigg, a Labour Party MP, to ridicule Tory insularity and racism. “Wog†is a racist term for anyone who’s not English.)
a woman hating gays…what a surprise….