Iraqi Militia Violence Against Gays Continues, 82 Deaths Reported

"Why did Hitler start with gays?" asks Mithal al-Alusi, a secular, liberal Sunni legislator in a chilling piece by USA Today. "They are weak. They have no political cover. They have no legal cover."

Sadly, gay men in Iraq are proving al-Alusi to be correct. Iraqi LGBT, a London-based advocacy group, told USA Today that the death toll of gay mean at the hands of Iraqi militia has now reach 82. Earlier reports of torture, where the militia glue the anuses of the men shut and feed them laxatives, exposed the ghastly deeds of these fundamentalists groups, but it appears they haven't done anything to help curb the tide of human rights violations.

Excerpts from USA Today:

The young man turns to the camera and pleads with his tormentors.

"I'm not a terrorist," he tells the Iraqi police who surround him. "I want you to know I am different. But I am not a terrorist."

To some fundamentalist Iraqi Muslims, Ahmed Sadoun Saleh was worse than a terrorist.

He was gay. He wore his hair long and took female hormones to grow breasts. Amused by his appearance, Iraqi police officers stopped him in December at a checkpoint in a southern Baghdad neighborhood dominated by radical Shiite militias. They groped Saleh and ridiculed him.

The assault was captured on video and circulated on cellphones throughout Baghdad, says Ali Hili, founder of London-based Iraqi LGBT, a group dedicated to protecting Iraq's gays and lesbians. Shortly after the video was made public, Hili says Saleh contacted him, fearing for his life, and asked for his help to flee Iraq.

"Unfortunately, it was too late," Hili says. Saleh turned up dead two months later, he says.

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The militias usually send out warnings before they attack. Posters go up in Sadr City listing the offenders — gay and flashy straight men — by name and neighborhood. "If you don't give up what you are doing," said a recent one seen by a USA TODAY reporter, "death will be your fate. And this warning will come true, and the punishment will be worse and worse."

The poster referred to the offenders as "puppies," the fundamentalist epithet for gays here. "In Arabic culture, if you want to insult someone you call them a dog," human rights activist Yanar Mohammed says. "If you're a small dog, you can just be crushed."

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The militiamen pick their targets by entering cafes and looking for men who appear feminine or too showy, [Emad] Saad says. Then they ask around to get the offenders' names, and later put them on the death lists distributed around town.

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Unable to trust the authorities — and in some cases shunned by their own families — many Iraqi gays have gone into hiding. Hassan and some gay friends say they had found refuge in a house in Karrada. But as the threat against them increased, they became afraid the police would find them. So they scattered.

Hassan says he sometimes stays at home with his brothers — their parents are dead — but he's afraid even of them, afraid they will kill him because he has brought shame to the family.

He says he wanted to move in with his sister, who lives in Abu Dhabi. She turned him away, saying she didn't want her children to know they have a gay uncle.

Unwilling to trust the police, Iraqi LGBT has set up its own safe houses for gays in Iraq. The group has struggled to raise money and had to close three safe houses in the past couple of months, leaving just one open.

Hili says five safe houses are needed, each of them housing 10 to 12 gay refugees. Rent for a 2,150-square-foot safe house is usually $600 a month. Yet other expenses pile up: security guards, food, fuel, medical bills, pots and pans, bedding.

"We desperately need to add more because we have so many urgent cases," Hili says. "We receive requests for shelter every day, but are not able to help."

The persecuted gays say that life and safety were better during the reign of Saddam Hussein. Consider the irony. America goes into Iraq to bring freedom and democracy, and the most vulnerable of this country are now suffering more than ever before.

ACTION: You can assist by donating to Iraq LGBT who have assisted in securing safe houses in Iraq.

Sign this Change.org's petition to Congress demanding more be done to stop the torture and killing of LGBT in Iraq.

State Department Issues Weak "Official" Condemnation of LGBT Torture in Iraq (Disturbing Image)

Today, the Department of State held a press conference in which they issued a statement on the torture and murder of LGBT in Iraq.

US condemns acts of violence and human rights violations against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Training for Iraqis security forces includes instruction on proper observance of human rights.

The US Embassy will continue to raise the issue with senior Iraqi officials / Urged them to respond appropriately to all credible reports of violence against gay and lesbian Iraqis.

During the press conference, Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Ian Kelly was asked the following.

QUESTION: Iraq if I can. The other week, Muqtada al-Sadr said that the depravity of homosexuality must be eradicated. And while he went on to say that he was not advocating violence, there obviously has been a lot of rather gruesome violence directed at gays and lesbians in Iraq. So I was wondering if State has any reaction to that.

And then off the back of that, is there any extra responsibility that the U.S. feels towards these groups who were, by their accounts, safer and more free to live their lives under Saddam?

MR. KELLY: Well, let me say that, in general, we absolutely condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against individuals in Iraq because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is an issue that we’ve been following very closely since we have been made aware of these allegations, and we are aware of the allegations.

Our training for Iraqi security forces includes instruction on the proper observance of human rights. Human rights training is also a very important part of our and other international donors’ civilian capacity-building efforts in Iraq. And the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has raised and will continue to raise the issue with senior officials from the Government of Iraq, and has urged them to respond appropriately to all credible reports of violence against gay and lesbian Iraqis.

"In general"? "Our training"? In general, the training isn't working. And the passive action of "raising the issue" is absurdly not enough.

Recently, a press release issued from Iraqi LGBT stated that they have been calling attention to the persecution for over four years, claiming that Iraqi police officials were also a part of it. (It's been reported that at least 30 have been killed just in the last three months.)The US Embassy responded, "We have no evidence that [the Iraq government's] security forces are in any way involved with these militias." (Unlike other Muslim countries, such as Iran, Saudia Arabia and Pakistan where homosexuality carries the death penalty, Iraq has no such laws.)

The release went on to state, "[Iraqi LGBT] Group members speaking from Iraq said that they are 'fed up with such 'political' words' and that the Americans are doing nothing to stop the terror campaign against them. They believe that the priority for Hillary Clinton's State Department and Obama's administration is to not upset the Iraqi government as they have no other allies within the country."

So why the outrageous laziness from our own country, the leader in human rights enforcement (a title we obviously can't claim now after the Bush debacle)? Could it be that the embassy is too busy celebrating Pride to help their fellow LGBT? Or is it because, as Vice President Biden told a friend of Unite the Fight, that the US and Iraqi governments are afraid of pissing off the religious militias even more than they already are, confirming the Iraqi LGBT press release?

Why should this matter? We're already at war, aren't we? Are we going to appease these homophobic torturers just because we're losing and are afraid of their reaction? I wonder if America would react differently if it were straight victims being tortured and murdered.

The amazing point is that it appears the State Department thought their statement today would somehow address these issues, but all they did was point out their incapacity to do anything right when it comes to the human rights violations of LGBT. And though it was under Bush's administration, America wouldn't even sign the UN Statement condemning criminalization of LGBT relationships. Thankfully the Obama administration immediately signed the document, but do they think that it tidied the whole mess up and they can now ignore what's happening under their very noses in Iraq?

Until our country, which has caused these problems by illegally invading Iraq without any forethought of consequences, takes responsibility for what happens in the country we're occupying, then we're just as guilty as the Iraqi government.

We're accountable. We have blood on our hands.

ACTION: PLEASE sign this petition demanding that Obama and Congress be more active in ending these human rights violations. So far only 681 have signed, and the goal is for 2,500.

IMAGE: Bodies of 6 gay men found in Baghdad.

Click on "Iraq" under this post to read related posts on this issue.

Obama and Clinton Accused of Inaction As Iraqi LGBT Torture and Murder Continue

The Iraqi LGBT population have been suffering from severe persecution ever since the US invaded Iraq, exposing them to torture and murder.

Back in April, Colorado Rep. Jared Polis sent a letter to the chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Iraq about the situation and as a result, recently had the opportunity to meet with them.

It didn't go so well. LGBT Asylum News and Iraqi LGBT issued the following press release:

Iraqi gays condemn Obama/Clinton inaction on pogrom
Embassy statement 'offensive and insulting'

Iraqi lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT) has spoken of their deep anger and offence at a statement by the Baghdad US Embassy concerning the violence and murder campaign against gays.

In a response to US Rep. Jared Polis, following a meeting with Iraqi government officials, chargé d’affaires Patricia Butenis said "We have no evidence that [the Iraq government's] security forces are in any way involved with these militias."

Iraqi LGBT has been reporting for four years on police involvement with the terror campaign.

Group members speaking from Iraq said that they are "fed up with such 'political' words" and that the Americans are doing nothing to stop the terror campaign against them. They believe that the priority for Hillary Clinton's State Department and Obama's administration is to not upset the Iraqi government as they have no other allies within the country.

They believe that no-one is trying to help them and feel that the current timid diplomacy "will not do much good".

"These words from the American embassy officials are insulting to us, and to those many friends of ours who have murdered. This statement is evidence that the Iraqi government is doing nothing to protect its citizens."

"They are responsible for these crimes through bringing no one to justice, refusing to acknowledge their police's involvement and providing no rights for Iraqi LGBT in law."

"People should not forget that what's happening in Iraq right now is a direct result of the unlawful US invasion."

Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Program, has also criticism the State Department. In an interview with EdgeBoston, responding to State spokesperson John T. Fleming's pointed statement that 'homosexuality is not a crime in Iraq', Long responded that the fact that homosexuality is not a crime punishable by death "would be an interesting fact if the law, or the rule of law, mattered in Iraq."

Long has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Iraq where he spoke to 25 survivors from Baghdad and other cities, including Najaf, Basra and Samarra.

As a consequence of what they found, Human Rights Watch has been organizing ways for as many LGBT Iraqis as possible to get out of the country.

Colorado U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, who has spoken about Iraqi government involvement with the violence, has written with Reps. Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank to U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill.

"As LGBT Americans and co-chairs of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, we are disturbed and shocked at allegations that Ministry of the Interior Security Forces may be involved in the mass persecution and execution of LGBT Iraqis ... The persecution of Iraqis based on sexual orientation or gender identity is escalating and is unacceptable regardless of whether these policies are extrajudicial or state-sanctioned."

The letter called on the U.S. embassy in Iraq to "prioritize the investigation" of the allegations and work with the Iraqi government to end the executions of LGBT Iraqis. Polis is drafting another letter that would be signed by more members of Congress and sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

So let me get this right. This is the same embassy who decided to throw a "first-ever U.S. Embassy Gay Pride Theme Party" blocks away from persecuted LGBT a couple weeks ago?

Unfortunately, by this point, their insensitivity is not shocking but something to be expected.

I was honored to have the chance to speak in front of the Los Angeles City Council about this issue and witnessed as they passed a resolution condemning the persecution last month, but it doesn't seem to have made a dent in our government's reaction to the crisis.

The day after the resolution passed, my friend Mike Bonin, Chief of Staff to LA City Councilmember Rosendahl, directly asked Vice President Biden what was being done about the persecution, but the answer wasn't all that encouraging. Came down to, "Not much."

WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR AMERICA TO LIVE UP TO ITS OWN PRINCIPLES AND STAND UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE VERY COUNTRY IT'S OCCUPYING?

I implore you to:

1. Contact the Embassy and tell them to launch a formal investigation into the Iraqi's government involvement and to demand the Obama administration to act.
2. Contact Secretary of State Clinton and demand action to put an end to this!
3. Sign this petition going to the President and US Congress demanding an investigation to the torture and murder.
4. Join this Facebook group to stay involved, to be informed and to show support for Iraqi LGBT.

6 More Gay Men Tortured and Killed in Iraq, 30 All Together

I'm on the verge of tears.

ABC News reports:

Two gay men were killed in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, and police confirmed they found the bodies of four more men, all killed during a 10-day period after an unknown Shiite militia group urged a crackdown on homosexuals in the country.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs believes as many as 30 people have been killed during the last three months because they were -- or were perceived to be -- gay.

In a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the human rights group Amnesty International called for "urgent and concerted action" to end the violence against the gay community, the group reported on its Web site.

Homosexuality is prohibited almost everywhere in the Middle East, but conditions have become especially dangerous in recent years for gays and lesbians, as religious militias have become more powerful since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

But an Iraqi military source claimed the recent killings were linked to tribal violence, not militias, and his characterization of the killings hints at how deep homophobia runs in Iraqi society.

"Two young men were killed Thursday. They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honor," an Iraqi army member who did not want to give his name told ABC News.

ABC continues to report that a previously unknown Shiite group called Asaieb al-Haq (the righteous leagues) is suspected of playing a role in these killings. The bodies of four gay men were found in Sadr City March 25, with "pervert" marked on their tortured bodies strung up on poles. Two of the bodies were wearing diapers and women's lingerie.

Two other men who were found alive had been burned with cigarettes and sodomized by iron bars, while others had their nipples cut off.

Popular gay hang outs, such as coffee shops, have been set on fire in the last ten days.

Unite the Fight has been reporting on these developments for some time and will continue to keep you updated. (Click on the Iraq tag at the bottom of the post to see more.)

ACTION: PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION that will go to the President and Congress, urging them to step in and do something.

We, the United States of America, occupy this country and have a moral obligation to do everything we can to convince the Iraqi government to put and end to this vile human rights violation.

IMAGE: Two Iraqi young men kiss in a rural village near the southern city of Basra.
(AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

US Embassy in Baghdad Celebrates Pride While Gay Men Are Tortured Blocks Away

A Washington Post article talks about how much change is coming to Baghdad with a "first-ever U.S. Embassy Gay Pride Theme Party next Friday at Baghdaddy's, which is the embassy employee association's pub", commemorated with a drag show.

An embassy spokesman told the post by way of explanation: "This is an event organized and sponsored by a group of employees. Given the lack of places to meet in Baghdad, the embassy allows groups to use its social facilities for events on a first-come, first-served basis."

As my friend at NG Blog put it, WTF?!

Literally, blocks away in Baghdad and elsewhere in the country of Iraq, gay men are being rounded up, tortured and executed.

The lack of sensitivity and couth that these Americans are showing within their cushy safety zone behind the walls of the embassy, strikes me as a slap in the face to their fellow gays struggling to stay alive nearby. As the spokesman mentioned, there's a lack of places to meet in Baghdad.

Gee, you think?

To give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they thought this wouldn't get out. But when you title it "the first-ever" such pride event at the Embassy in Iraq and have a hard time finding any Iraqi citizens able to join, you're bound to get noticed.

Instead of expending energy on figuring out what drag outfit they should wear, I would prefer that they focus on seeing how they can assist their fellow LGBT in saving their lives.

Murder For Everyone!- Prop 8: The Web Series- Ep. 4

San Francisco Leaders Want End to Torture and Murder of GLBT Iraqis

The Los Angeles City Council recently passed a resolution condemning the torture and murder of gay men in Iraq, and now San Francisco is chiming in.

A broad, united coalition of human rights advocates and politicians held a spirited rally Sunday, May 17, in solidarity with the LGBT citizens of Iraq.



We need to keep speaking up about these atrocities. If we're loud enough, maybe the administration will finally do something.

EVENT REMINDER: On May 13, Speak Out Against Torture and Murder of Gay Men in Iraq

Mike Bonin, Chief of Staff for Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Co-Founder of Courage Campaign's Camp Courage, issued the following letter urging attendance to a consideration of a resolution that would put Los Angeles on record condemning the torture and murder of gay men in U.S. occupied Iraq.

Friends-

While we eagerly await a court decision on whether California will recognize our relationships, our people are being tortured and murdered in Iraq. In a story largely ignored by the media, death squads are rounding up Iraqi gay men, sealing their anuses with powerful glue, then inducing diarrhea, which leads to a painful and agonizing death.

The annihilation of our people, ordered by religious decree in a nation where our troops have sacrificed their lives to restore religious freedom, is appalling. In San Francisco, activists have protested. Here in Los Angeles, we cannot remain silent while this happens.
More...

Next Wednesday, May 13, the Los Angeles City Council will consider a resolution, sponsored by my boss, 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.(Map)

If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Anataly DeJesus in my office at anataly.dejesus@lacity.org or 213-473-7011. We will do our best to arrange parking.

Please help spread the word by forwarding this email.

For more information on what is happening in Iraq , please see the following links: Gay City News, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and another from the IGLHRC.

Councilman Rosendahl, the IGLHRC and I hope to see you next week.

THANKS

Mike Bonin

Please go and show your support for the resolution. With the U.S. occupation in Iraq, we are morally responsible for what happens within the country's borders. As part of the international LGBT population, we need to speak up for our brothers and sisters who cannot speak up for themselves.

Let the Los Angeles City Council know how important this resolution is by attending and showing our numbers in solidarity.

Charlize Theron Speaks Up for Marriage Equality - Urges Everyone to "Meet in the Middle"

Academy Award-winning actor Charlize Theron has backed up her recent and powerful statement comparing laws against same-sex marriage to apartheid with a call to everyone, particularly straight allies, to rally for marriage equality.

In an email blast through the Courage Campaign, Charlize urges, "We need to take a stand for equality. All of us. On the Saturday after the California Supreme Court rules to either uphold or overturn Proposition 8. In Fresno, the heartland of California.

"We know the people whose lives are on the line -- those who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender -- will be there. But we need everyone there. Especially straight people."

The talented actor has a long and impressive history in the progressive social movement. Born in Benoni, South Africa, Charlize witnessed the death of her alcoholic father when her mother was forced to shoot him in self-defense when she was only 15.

Such painful memories not only has given the successful artist deep emotional ties to those who suffer from lack of rights, she has also turned such pain into a productive drive to change the inequalities in the world.

Theron keeps actively involved in women's rights organizations as well as marching for abortion rights, animal rights and has recently appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-puppy mill campaign.

Remarkably, she has taken a vow not to marry until same-sex couples can have their relationships recognized. She has continued her outspoken support for marriage equality with her call for everyone to meet in Fresno, CA the Saturday after the Supreme Court rules on Prop 8 to show support for not just the LGBT population, but equal rights for all.

"This isn't just about California. It's about America," she says in her email. "This isn't just about marriage. It's about human rights."

Join Charlize in the call for equal rights. Go to Meet in the Middle!