Since the begin of early 2009, the Iraqi military has been carrying out an operation of murder and torture of men suspected of homosexual conduct. Spokesmen for the militiary have claimed that it is merely a 'remedy' in terminating the 'feminization' of Iraq, and the possibility of a 'third sex'. Militia has been seen to raid these people's homes, and even kidnap them off the streets. Interrogation and torture is used before murdering the victims in order to extract names of others.
These actions violate Sharia law of legality, proof, and privacy. Under Iraqi Law, consensual homosexual conduct is not a criminial offense. Furthermore, the International Human Rights law forbids torture and inhuman treatment, and guarantees the right to life. In 1994, the Human Rights Committee declared that this right extends to the protection of sexual orientation as well; thus, making this a human rights issue.
Homosexual men in Iraq can not find safety in neighboring countries, because the consequences of homosexual behavior are similar there, if not worse. The fear of 'unmanly' behavior, and a threat to family reputation has propelled the impact of this movement. Friends and families have began to give away there homosexual loved ones to militia. Social norms and religious beliefs have mobilized this movement. If you havent seen this video from my previous blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNMggq_NADg&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0 . It is interesting to see how deep social norms are instilled in us, and also to compare and contrast the situation of homosexuals in Iraq to the situation for homosexuals here in America.
The situation for homosexuals has only become more violent since the fall of Saddam Hussein, and the occupation of American troups. What do you think may have caused this? Is it the clash of civiliations, the "West vs. the Rest"? As homosexual behavior has become more prevelent in media and political debate, have conditions only become worse for these individuals?
If you are interested, here are some personal accounts:
"They did many things to us, the Mahdi Army. ... They kidnapped [my partner] for six days. He will not talk about what they did to him. There were bruises on his side as if he was dragged on the street. They did things to him he can't describe, even to me. They wrote in the dust on the windshield of his car: ‘Death to the people of Lot and to collaborators.' They sent us veiled threats in text messages: ‘You are on the list.' They sent him a piece of paper in an envelope, to his home: there were three bullets wrapped in plastic, of different size. The note said, ‘Which one do you want in your heart?' ... I want to be a regular person, lead a normal life, walk around the city, drink coffee on the street. But because of who I am, I can't. There is no way out."- Mohammad, in Iraq, April 21, 2009
"At 10 a.m., [Ministry of Interior officers] cuffed my hands behind my back. Then they tied a rope around my legs, and they hung me upside down from a hook in the ceiling, from morning till sunset. I passed out. I was stripped down to my underwear while I hung upside down. They cut me down that night, but they gave me no water or food. Next day, they told me to put my clothes back on and they took me to the investigating officer. He said, ‘You like that? We're going to do that to you more and more, until you confess.' Confess to what? I asked. ‘To the work you do, to the organization you belong to, and that you are a tanta' [queen]. For days, there were severe beatings, and constant humiliation and insults. ... It was the same form of abuse every day. They beat me all over my body; when they had me hanging upside down, they used me like a punching bag. ... They used electric prods all over my body. Then they raped me. Over three days. The first day, 15 of them raped me; the second day, six; the third day, four. There was a bag on my head every time."- Nuri, on April 15 and 27, 2009
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/08/17/iraq-stop-killings-homosexual-conduct
August 17, 2009.
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It seems eerily conceivable that the laws the US put in place in Iraq are also the laws that the US are breaking. As history loves to repeat itself, it appears that imperialism and colonialism do also. If the US is trying to look out for the better good of Iraq, why must it occupy it with westernized laws that a western country won't even follow? Also, who is making these decisions about homosexuals? As gay rights seem to be diminishing in the US, someone very powerful is influencing these decisions. But the question is who is this influence and what is our president for "change" going to do about it?
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