Apr. 5th, 2009

mdehners: (Default)
Gays killed in Baghdad as clerics urge clampdown

by Reuters North American News Service




Gays killed in Baghdad as clerics urge clampdown


Wisam Mohammed and Khalid al-Ansary
Reuters North American News Service

Apr 04, 2009 07:14 EST

BAGHDAD, April 4 (Reuters) - Two gay men were killed in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, a local official said on Saturday, and police said they had found the bodies of four more after clerics urged a crackdown on a perceived spread of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is prohibited almost everywhere in the Middle East, but conditions have become especially dangerous for gays and lesbians in Iraq since the rise of religious militias after U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein six years ago.

"Two young men were killed on Thursday. They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honour," a Sadr City official who declined to be named said.

The police source who declined to be named said the bodies of four gay men were unearthed in Sadr City on March 25, each bearing a sign reading "pervert" in Arabic on their chests.

Sermons condemning homosexuality were read at the last two Friday prayer gatherings in Sadr City, a sprawling Baghdad slum of some 2 million people. The slum is a bastion of support for fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia.

The Mehdi Army has frozen its activities over the last year and government forces have wrested control of the slum.

Many young men who might have cut their hair short and grown beards when religious gangs controlled much of Iraq now dress in a more Western style as government forces take back control.

Some are now accused of being gay, and residents of Sadr City say at least one coffee shop has become a gay hangout.

A member of the slum's Sadrist office said the Mehdi Army was not involved in the killings, but said homosexuality was now more widespread since the Mehdi Army lost control of the slum.

"This (homosexuality) has spread because of the absence of the Mehdi Army, the spread of sexual films and satellite television and a lack of government surveillance," said the office's Sheikh Ibrahim al-Gharawi, a Shi'ite cleric.

Homosexual acts are punishable by up to seven years in prison in Iraq. A gay Iraqi man said any alleged crimes should be left to the law to deal with.

"If they've committed a crime, then there is the law. Killing is a big sin," he said, giving his name as Laith. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Writing by Mohammed Abbas: editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: Reuters North American News Service
mdehners: (Default)
Not really. Our bus turned left, away from Chixalub;>.....
When my brother and SIL gave us tickets to Chitzen Itza for our Anniversary, we initially weren't that enthused. Probably since Sandi kept on talking about climbing the pyramid!
The Yucatan in Late Winter is nothing like TV shows. It looks more like another Deciduous Hardwood forest, New England before the Snow. Pretty much the only Evergreens were those Imported, like Citrus, Mangos, Papayas and Bananas. A few were Blooming but without leaves.
Chitzen Itza was well-worth the two hr busdrive. Winter IS the best season; you can see everything sincethe leaves have dropped, the temps aren't too bad(though our tourguide pointed out that the end of March was the Hottest due to the PEasants burning the WOods for cropland...)and the bugs aren't out.
I was freed from climbing since no structure is open anymore. This is due to two groups; Americans that carve graffiti(appearantly the glyphs already there give them license to do the same...) and Mexicans that carve things off to sell to collectors.
I was Impressed with the Spiritual growth of my SIL. The Sandi that I originally met would have felt no compunction to climb onto a sacrificial altar and Open Herself, since there is no such thing as Danger to the Spiritual Person;>.
If you can, you should see this newly christened Wonder of the World. It's worth the trip...
Cheers,

Pat

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