And American citizens are paying for this? That's right, the USA is underwriting religious based bigotry - and in many cases murder - and young Americans are dying to support the persecution and murders of individuals in violation of international law. President Obama, are you listening and paying attention? It is indeed a sad state of affairs that LGBT Iraqis had more tolerance under Saddam Hussein than is the case under the U.S. puppet government in Baghdad. Admittedly, I never supported the invasion of Iraq and felt almost physically sick as I watched the Chrimperator (for newer readers, that's George W. Bush) announce that the invasion had begun. At the time I even commented to several members of the media that I believed that the hubris of Bush and Cheney would only harm the USA long term. It's been a fool's errand based on lies from the outset and this latest persecution of gay Iraqis just further confirms that sad fact. What is unfortunate is that our current president seems to care nothing about the Iraqi government actions. Here are highlights from U.K. Gay News on the latest outrages by Iraq police:*
LONDON, July 13, 2010 – Hard on the heels of an Iraqi police raid on a Kerbala ‘safe house’ for gays, run by the London-based Iraqi LGBT, comes news that there has been another raid – on a Baghdad male beauty parlour, with five men arrested. Iraqi LGBT reported this evening that five gay mean were seized by “Interior Ministry forces” in the raid on June 25. The latest raid was on a house used as a business for services such as waxing and massage in the Baghdad district of Karada.
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Neither waxing nor massage is illegal in Iraq however it is ‘forbidden’ by Shia clerics. Despite claims to the contrary, homosexuality is illegal in Iraq, and it is on this basis that the raid happened and the men were arrested, the London group claims.
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Eyewitnesses who were outside the building say Ministry of Interior forces raided at 3pm. Those on rooftops heard screams for help and saw the men being severely beaten by uniformed men carrying cattle prods. They say one was taken into custody on a stretcher, Iraqi LGBT reports.
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Iraqi LGBT has received no information about where the men were taken. However, previous seizures of gays, lesbians and transgender people have resulted in them being handed to religious militia and their subsequent torture. Often this is followed by the discovery of their mutilated bodies.
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This evening, Iraqi LGBT is calling on the British and American governments to follow the lead of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and investigate – and condemn – the raids.
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However, Iraqi LGBT notes that in her latest speech outlining the American government’s support for oppressed LGBT people throughout the world, made just two days before the latest known raid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to mention Iraq.
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“What needs to happen – what can we do – before the world pays any attention, and before people start pressing their leaders to tell the Iraqi government to stop? What? We plead for an answer.,” he said in desperation.
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“We know why politicians would rather people forgot about what is happening in Iraq. But Iraqi lesbians, gay men and transgender people particularly feel that they have been forgotten by their fellow LGBT, especially those in power in the West. Why?” Over the past five years, Iraqi LGBT has documented 738 deaths of LGBT persons.
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738 deaths. Would Obama be so indifferent if the dead were 738 blacks and youths? Somehow, I suspect not.
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