Iran's Secret World of Sex

Remember how former Iranian President and utter nut case Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that there were no gays in Iran?  Well, a new study shows just how out in fantasy land Ahmadinejad was - 17% of the Iranians interviewed sad that they were gay.  Not only, that sex is much more prevalent among unmarried heterosexuals than the mullahs (who bear a bizarre resemblance to the Catholic Church hierarchy when it comes to being obsessed with policing the sex lives of others) want to admit.   Note how clerics are suspected of being the most common users of "sigheh," i.e., temporary marriage, to cover their adulterous affairs.  It seems whether it is the Catholic clergy of Islamic mullahs, no one is more engaged in hypocrisy than the "holy men."    The Economist has details: 

IT IS the last thing Iran’s religious rulers want to talk about, but they may just have to. An official report has documented the nation’s worst-kept secret: sex of every kind is taking place outside the marital bed in the Islamic Republic. Something, in the ruling ayatollahs’ view, must be done.

An 82-page document recently issued by Iran’s parliamentary research department is stark in its findings. Not only are young adults sexually active, with 80% of unmarried females having boyfriends, but secondary-school pupils are, too. Illicit unions are not just between girls and boys; 17% of the 142,000 students who were surveyed said that they were homosexual.

In Tehran, the capital, long known for its underground sex scene, chastity is plainly becoming less common. The scope and pace of change are challenging the government and posing a headache for the clerics who dispense guidance at Friday prayers.

The report is also a rare official admission of the unspoken accord in Iran: people can do what they want so long as it takes place behind closed doors. Parliament’s researchers, on this occasion, were allowed to say the unsayable.

Their suggestion for stopping unsanctioned sex is remarkably liberal. Instead of seeking to cool the loins of the youngsters altogether, they should be allowed publicly to register their union by using sigheh, an ancient practice in Shia Islam that lets people marry temporarily.

Clerics themselves have long been suspected of being among its biggest beneficiaries, sometimes when they are on extended holy retreats in ancient religious cities such as Qom.

Iran’s media, always wary of being shut down, have played safe by ignoring the report. So have members of parliament. In most official circles, sex in Iran is still too hot to talk about.

Historically, Iran - or Persia as it has been known through most of history - was an advanced culture, something that continued under the Shah.  That all ended when the Islamic extremists overthrew the Shah and brought in a reign of terror that either killed or drove into exile some of the country's best and brightest.  If one wants a glimpse of what America would be under Christofascist rule, Iran offers a good example.  Fundamentalist religion and knowledge/modernity and personal freedoms are mutually exclusive.   It really is that simple.

Homosexuality at Wingnut Patrick Henry College?

Virginia sadly has more than its share of loony bin crazy educational institutions including Pat Robertson's Regent University and the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.  But perhaps the craziest of all is Patrick Henry College ("PHC") located in Purcellville, Virginia, which is an Evangelical institution with an enrollment of approximately 325.  Patrick Henry College was founded by home school champion Mike Farris, a failed right wing politician, who takes Kool-Aid drinking to nearly unknown levels.  Now, Farris is acting like Iran's Ahmadinejad (Farris is indeed just as crazy and extreme) and claiming that homosexuality cannot possible exist at his bizarre Christianist institution.  The firestorm started back in July when three anonymous writers with ties to the school launched a controversial blog titled Queer at Patrick Henry College. Frankly, I am not surprised that closet cases exist at PHC.  Friends who used to live in Lynchburg, the home of Liberty University, have related how the gay chat rooms and hook up sites were always filled with married Liberty faculty members and Liberty students.  The Loudoun Times looks at this entertaining controversy.  Here are highlights:

Gay students at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville don’t exist. They can’t exist.  So says Dr. Michael Farris, the college’s founder and chancellor.  It’s simple, really. Homosexuals can’t exist at Patrick Henry College because the students sign an honor code, Farris claimed. “[Homosexuals] could not sign our honor code,” Farris said, adding that he considers the actions of gay men and women “sinful.” “Part of the honor code is to be sexually pure,” he added.

So you can imagine the chancellor’s consternation when he learned of Queer at Patrick Henry College, a six-month-old, provocatively-titled blog operated by three pseudonymous writers – all of whom graduated from or have taken classes at the school.

Queer at Patrick Henry College’s intent is to be a “safe online space for closeted students and alumni to share thoughts about LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) issues, without the risk of school punishment,” according to one of the blog’s founders, who goes by the nom de plume Kate Kane.

“Currently there are three contributors, though we are in contact with other students and graduates who are LGBTQ or identify as straight allies,” Kane said.  Kane and co-founder Alan Scott told the Times-Mirror the reasons for anonymity range from not yet “coming out” to friends and family to professional connections to the school.

The pseudonyms were not chosen by accident. Katherine Kane is the name of “Batwoman” in DC Comics. Kane’s character has received attention for being arguably the most prominent LGBT superhero. Alan Scott is the fictional name of DC Comics’ Golden Age “Green Lantern,” who was recently reintroduced in the series as a gay superhero. The third regular blogger at Queer at Patrick Henry, Captain Jack, takes the name of Jack Harkness, a character from the BBC’s “Doctor Who” and its spinoff “Torchwood.” Harkness is the first non-heterosexual character in televised “Doctor Who.” 

Dr. Farris is not a fan. On Dec. 1 the chancellor sent a message to Queer at Patrick Henry through Facebook.   “This page is in violation of our copyright of the name Patrick Henry College,” Farris wrote. “... you must remove this page at once. On Monday, we will began (sic) the legal steps to seek removal from Facebook and from the courts if necessary. In the process of this matter we can seek discovery from Facebook to learn your identity and seek damages from you as permitted by law. The best thing for all concerned is for you to simply remove this page.”  The next day, Farris withdrew his legal bluff. Again through Facebook, the chancellor and constitutional lawyer stated: “After further consultation, I withdraw my note from yesterday. While we believe in the inappropriate nature of the use of our trademarked name, we believe that litigation is not appropriate.”

But Farris’ correspondence had already put in motion a stirring week on campus, according to people familiar with the situation.  A  source close to the college, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Times-Mirror the blog was “all anyone [was] talking about” on campus.

Upon launching Queer at Patrick Henry (queerPHC.wordpress.com), Kane and Scott were inspired by blogs at other Christian colleges, namely BJUnity at Bob Jones University in upstate South Carolina. Kane and Scott recalled wishing there was a similar support network and outlet for Patrick Henry College students that felt they had no one to talk with about sexuality and the range of emotions that go with realizing one is gay.  “Since we didn’t see any other PHC students or alumni stepping forward to create such a network, we decided to start QPHC,” Kane said.

Known as a favorite institution for Evangelical parents and their children, Patrick Henry College has an estimated enrollment of 325, many of which were homeschooled in their pre-college years. In addition to the college, Farris is the founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which maintains a close connection with the school – the Purcellville campus serves as the HSLDA headquarters.

 

Scott said he knows numerous students who have experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness because of their sexuality. The college can feel “very oppressive at times,” he said, which is why the blog is so essential.  “Queer at Patrick Henry wants to make sure [students] know theyaren’t alone and that it is possible to both accept one’s queerness and continue strongly in one’s faith,” Scott said.

In his comments to the Times-Mirror, Farris made clear Patrick Henry College is not a friendly environment for homosexuals.

One question naturally comes to mind when considering Patrick Henry College and gay rights and tolerance: “Why would an openly gay, bisexual or transgender person, or someone who’s questioning their sexuality, choose to attend a hard-line Christian institution?”  "It’ s a good question,” Kane said. “And there are a few answers ... I know for me, if my parents were going to sign off on a loan for school, it had to be fundamentalist college.” (Farris said he does not consider the school to be “fundamentalist.”) 

Scott and other sources maintain a surge of conversations about gay issues have come about since word of Farris’ threat spread.  “I remain hopeful for the possibility of more positive interactions with [administration] in the future,” Scott said. “I look forward to when it is possible to have mature, open, honest and loving conversation about LGBTQ issues at PHC without students or alumni experiencing fear of reprisal, rejection, or shaming.” 

In my opinion, few people are more unhinged from reality than Mike Farris.  I love it that Queer at Patrick Henry is forcing Farris to have at least some slight experience with reality and the fact that God made some of us gay notwithstanding the writings of ignorant Neolithic herders that Farris embraces as the literal truth.

Blog Color Changes

In solidarity with the anti- Ahmadinejad and anti-dictatorship protesters in Iran I have changed some of the colors on the blog to green. Where the protests will lead no one knows, but one can only hope that the outcome will be an overthrow of the theocratic dictatorship and a renewed move to modernity.

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I also hope that watching the protests and desire for democracy among younger Iranians will help Americans realize that Ahmadinejad and his fellow thugs do not represent the hearts and minds of many, many Iranians.

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Moreover, too often Americans forget that Iran (formerly Persia) is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 7000 BC. A series of four dynasties governed Iran for more than 1000 years with high cultural advances - more than three times the duration of the United States. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, the culture of the Persians made the Greeks look like barbarians.

How to Setup a Proxy for Iran Citizens

My thoughts continue to go out to the brave opponents of the Islamic dictators in Iran. As Andrew Sullivan has reported for several days now, many Iranian protesters are using twitter to get news out as to what is happening in Iran. The problem is that the Islamic dictatorship may well seek to shut down Internet access and shut off the news outflow. Here are the points being circulated by the opposition to the mullah's regime via Andrew's blog which I am sure are not welcomed by Ahmadinejad:

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This list was being passed around among the resistance in Iran today:

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1. Remove Khamenei from supreme leader because he doesn't qualify as a fair supreme leader

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2. Remove Ahmadinejad from president because he took it forcefully and unlawfully

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3. Put Ayatollah Montazeri as supreme leader until a review group for the ghanooneh asasi ( "constitution" ) is set up

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4. Recognize Mousavi as the official president

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5. A goverment by Mousavi and start a reform of the constitution

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6. Free all political prisoners without any ifs ands or buts, right away

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7. Call off any secret organization such as "gasht ershad"

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Obsidian Wings has more on this issue - some of which is technically way over my head when in comes to computer savvy. If this information is correct and one has the know how, it is possible to set up proxies to help by pass Iranian restrictions. Here's an overview:

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From my tentative understanding, Iran's network is a lot like China's in that it's very centralized. This post explains (and illustrates) that the Iranian Internet traffic passes through a centralized bottleneck. (Imagine if the Holland Tunnel were the only way into Manhattan). With this bottleneck in place, it's easy to filter traffic. Just like the post office could theoretically block every envelope going to San Francisco, Iran can block packets going to the IP address for "Facebook" or "Twitter." (Great NYT article on these basics here).

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So here's where "proxies" come in (and techies, please help me out here if my understanding is off). Let's say you want to send a letter to San Francisco, but the post office doesn't allow it. Well, if you know that some dude in Kansas would forward your letter on to San Francisco, then you could go ahead and mail your SF-bound letter, but it would appear to the post office like it's going to Kansas.

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So that's how tweets are getting through. They're essentially being sent to "middlemen" proxy servers -- which, in turn, allows the information to pass "in disguise" through the filter. It's like a digital Underground Railroad. (Great overview of proxies and services like Tor here).

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For those with the technical know how, instructions on how to set up a proxy can be found here. I admit that it is beyond my capabilities. Without a simple platform like Blogger, this blog would not exist.

Neither Free nor Fair

As turmoil in Iran continues the Washington Post's editorial correctly notes that even if Mahmoud "We Have No Homosexuals in Iran" Ahmadinejad won the election as he claims - something I tend to personally doubt - the manner in which protesters are being attacked, wounded and likely killed makes it clear that the Islamic fundamentalist government is a fraud and holds on to power by force and the use of terror. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered an investigation into allegations that the country's presidential vote was marred by ballot fraud, but I suspect that the result of that investigation is already a foregone conclusion unless done under the eyes of international observers. Here are some highlights from the editorial:

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What we can say for certain is that the election was neither free nor fair. When a regime peremptorily chooses which candidates can run; shutters newspapers, Web sites and television bureaus; silences text messaging; and throws critics into prison -- such a regime should not expect its pronouncements on election results to garner any respect.

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[T]here are principles that the [Obama] administration could be defending even now, squarely supporting the rule of law and democratic expression in Iran. The United States could make clear that a government wanting to be taken seriously by the international community should not use violence against peaceful protests, arrest opposition leaders and their followers, jam radio broadcasts, or block Internet use. It could call for a transparent process to address opposition claims of fraud.

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But it is now undeniable that many, many Iranians reject the Ahmadinejad regime and much of what it stands for, at home and abroad. The presidential campaigns revealed tremendous popular ferment in Iran and large swaths of discontent with current economic, foreign and social policies, including the repression of women. U.S.-Iranian relations are unlikely to flourish as long as so many voices there remain suppressed. As Mr. Obama began doing in his Cairo speech, the United States has to find a way to speak to Iran's people as well as the leaders who claim to represent them.

Oppostion Members Detained in a Tense Iran

One of the ironies of history is that the western democracies seem to make the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to labeling monarchist regimes as dictatorial and then standing by as far worse regimes over throw them and make past alleged atrocities look like child's play compared to the bloodshed that the "reformists" unleash. The parallels between what happened in Tsarist Russian and Iran are amazing. In each case the monarchist regimes - whose secret police killed perhaps numbers in the few thousands - were labeled as murderous despots and over thrown by alleged reformers claiming to be populous leaders who went on to murder tens of thousands (if not millions in the case of the Bolsheviks) of people. Both the pro-western, pro-modern Russian Tsar exiled Lenin and the Shah of Iran exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, respectively, which actions ultimately had disastrous consequences for the world. Had they been the murderous despots alleged, these agents of revolution and forces of evil would have been executed.

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Now, it seems that the population of Iran may be waking up to the fact that Islamic rule is not such a wise choice even as the forces of theocracy appear to be likely rigging elections and using military force to cling to power. People forget that Iran under the Shah was modernizing rapidly and that it had a educated sizable class unlike a number of its neighbors. Note how Ahmadinejad's remarks parallel something out of the old Soviet Politburo. Here are highlights from the New York Times on the after math of last week's election:

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The Iranian authorities detained more than 100 prominent opposition members, and on Sunday unrest continued for a second day across Iran in the wake of the country’s disputed presidential election.

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The leading opposition candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi, issued a fresh statement calling for the election results to be canceled, as his supporters skirmished with a vast deployment of riot police and militia members on the edges of a victory rally organized by the government in central Tehran.

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A moderate clerical body, the Association of Combatant Clergy, issued a statement posted on reformist web sites saying the election was rigged and calling for it to be canceled, warning that “if this process becomes the norm, the republican aspect of the regime will be damaged and people will lose confidence in the system.”

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Calling the opposition protests “unimportant,” Mr. Ahmadinejad suggested that they were the work of foreign agitators and journalists. . . . . But Mr. Ahmadinejad’s electoral rivals appeared to be holding firm in their protest against the vote. Mr. Moussavi issued a statement saying he had asked Iran’s Guardian Council, which must certify the election for it to be legal, to cancel the vote. He also said he was being monitored by the authorities, and was unable to join his followers. His campaign headquarters have been closed down, he said. Another candidate, the reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi, echoed Mr. Moussavi’s demand for the election to be canceled.

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“No one led these people in the streets,” said Basu, a 28 year-old opposition supporter who, like many others, was afraid to give his full name. “This is the least we can do — we cannot stay at home and watch them celebrate a fake election.” He opened his shirt to show long red welts on his chest where a Basij militia member had whipped him with a chain. Next to him, a female friend dressed in a black Islamic chador stood with a bloody scar on her forehead; she said she had been attacked by the police.

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My thoughts go out to Iranians who want the nightmare of Islamic fundamentalist rule to end.

Gay Execution Back On In Iran? Justice Flip-Flops, Reinstates Execution for 21-Year Old, Say Activists

Sadly, it looks like more international attention and pressure needs to be again applied to stop this outrage in Iran. Queerity is again reporting (http://www.queerty.com/news/gay-execution-back-on-in-iran-20071204/) that a 21 year old Iranian is to be executed based on pathetically weak and questionable allegations that he had gay sex many years ago. Even in the worse Kangaroo court in most civilized nations, the prosecution would never have been able to secure a conviction. Unfortunately, when fanatical religious dogmas come into play, real evidence, credible witnesses and civil legal matters do not matter. Here is a summary from Queerity:

Iranian gay Makwan Moloudzadeh’s luck may have changed. The 21-year has been in prison since this summer for allegedly having sex with another boy when they were both thirteen. Though he had been sentenced to death, the Iranian Chief Justice halted the execution on November 14th. Apparently he changed his mind, because Everyone Group posted a distressing message this morning:

This evening, December 3rd Makwan’s family phoned Ahmad Rafat, a journalist of AKI – ADNKronos International and member of the EveryOne Group, and gave the alarm: Makwan’s case has been re-examined by the Judiciary Authority of Teheran, and yesterday, Sunday December 2nd, the dramatic sentence reached Kermanshah prison, where the young man has been held for some time. “There is a need for immediate international protest action from the Italian Goverment, the European Parliament and civilized society. We have to make Iran listen to our request for Makwan to be spared. Makwan is innocent, he has been sentenced to death for his homosexuality”.

For those who want to take action, contact information is as follows:

Send postcards, letters, fax and e-mails to:

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Ministry of Justice, Panzdah Khordad (Ark) Square,

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

(In the subject line: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986

(If the call is not answered first time, please keep trying. When it is answered, say “fax please”.)

Leader of the Islamic Republic

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic Republic
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir

President

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad –
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 6 649 5880
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
E-mail: via web: http://www.president.ir/email/

Speaker of Parliament

His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami
Baharestan Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 3355 6408
Email: hadadadel@majlis.ir
Majlis-e Shoura-e Islami’s President (Islamic Assembly):hadadadel@majlis.ir

Embassy of Iran in UK

info@iran-embassy.org.uk
Ambassy of Iran in Turkey
Tehran Street, No.10 Davaklidere, Ankara - Turkey
P.O.Box: 33
Fax +90-312 4632823
Email: iranembassy@hotmail.com

info@iran-embassy.org.uk