Iraq has become a death trap for gay men
The BBC has directed a renewed spotlight on the extreme peril that gay and transgender people face in Iraq.
Its report by Natalia Antelava, titled “Witch-hunt in Iraq,” builds on previous accounts of death squads, unopposed by the Iraqi government, that repeatedly attack Iraqis who either are gay or have adopted a goth-like “emo” style. Human rights groups earlier this year protested the deaths of dozens of gay and “emo” Iraqis.
The BBC report now says the police and army are involved in raping and killing gay men. Iraqi LGBT sources working inside Iraq have found that militias that operate death squads are getting intelligence about the identities of sexual minorities from the Ministry of the Interior, the BBC said.
In a safe house at an undisclosed location in Iraq, run by an undisclosed human rights organization, Antelava interviewed three gay men who described why they sought protection. All three reported receiving death threats.
“They came to me face-to-face and told me I have to stop being gay or we will kill you,” one of them said.
- Ahmed has not left the room for over two months. He was threatened by his immediate family and people from his neighborhood. With the post-war return of relative stability to Iraq, Ahmed said, “Now they have nothing to do but to look for gays to kill them.”
- “Nancy,” a transgender male-to-female woman, said she was raped by nine men at a security checkpoint.
- Allou said he too was raped. “The threat is much bigger now than before. It’s the militias, the police, the government who are going after us,” he said.
Without support of international organizations, they can’t see a way to get out of the country, Antelava said.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of gay people have been killed in recent years, activists say.
The BBC reported:
Once targeted, most gay people in Iraq have nowhere to hide. There is only one safe house in Baghdad which can house three people. Because other shelters have been raided and shut down by the government, we have not revealed the name of the group behind the safe house.
Qais, a former policeman who is gay, says he was ordered to go after gays, and so he quit his job. He said:
In 2007, 2007, 2008 we were busy fighting terrorism. We didn’t pay attention to gays. On top of it, the Iraqi government had to respect the rule of law more when the Americans and the British were here. But now they have a lot of free time and the police are going after gays.
Antelava reported, “Seventeen gays interviewed said they believed they were being singled out and hunted by the state. All see the police as a major threat. All have had friends or boyfriends killed.”
Homosexual activity is not a crime under Iraqi law. But Iraq’s Human Rights Ministry says it cannot help gay people because they are not considered a minority in Iraq, the BBC reported.
Government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh denied that any organized persecution of gays is under way and says gay Iraqis should “live their lives a normal way as long as they don’t practice their homosexuality in public.” He said that in Iraq:
The homosexual is not a phenomenon like it is in the West … The gays should respect the behavior and the moral values of the others in order to be respected.
The BBC quoted analysts saying that other Islamic countries are less repressive of gays than Iraq:
In Lebanon, the radical Shia Islamic group Hezbollah shows a degree of tolerance towards homosexuals. In Iran, where homosexuality is illegal and often punished, the underground gay scene is tolerated. Even in Saudi Arabia gay people have not experienced persecution on Iraq’s scale.
During Saddam Hussein’s time, gay people enjoyed some liberty and security, and after the US-led invasion, some liberal-minded Iraqis expected more freedom. But the conservative Islamic forces that won power were unwilling to tolerate Western values, including open homosexuality.
Two advocacy groups work on behalf of gays and lesbians in Iraq — IRAP (Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project) in New York and Iraqi LGBT in London. Many of their members in Iraq have been killed, and the remaining ones must remain undercover.
Safe houses have been raided and funding for new ones has dried up, they say.
Iraqi LGBT founder Ali Hilli says other countries should push Iraq to protect its citizens:
There are actions that the international community could be taking to improve the situation. … Iraq has relationships with a lot of countries that it values. If part of the missions of those countries in Iraq were to better enforce the rights of minorities or of ‘transgressive’ individuals, it might really make an impact.
Related links:
- Witch-hunt in Iraq (BBC)
- Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (on YouTube)
- Iraqi LGBT
- Judge to gay man: ‘You don’t deserve to live’ (76crimes.com)
- IRAQ: Attacks and killings of homosexuals continue to escalate (kajunman.wordpress.com)
- ‘Honor killings’ require tougher laws, say Iraqi women (Alarabiya.net)
This is so sad. Are men who rape homosexuals like Allou not considered gay? It’s so unfortunate that families prefer to see their homosexual children tortured rather than accepting them. The Human rights ministry does not protect human rights. Ali Al-Dabbagh is a hypocrite and liar. The police are a corrupt organisation in many countries of the world. I would feel safer in a country without a police authority.
My greeting .I wish you publish this comment .first I am not guy .and also I didn’t have any organization.iam just alone .represent my self .also I didn’t have any organization for guy or samesex..what I tell u know will shock u .I live in diwanyah city .In afak town .I am alone and poor and didn’t work with police or security .or government .or chief of my trib .. In afak town there is kind of organization for guy and same sex and all the responsible in government know this and they work with police .This organization gave some one in alnasrria he lead and he is guy .but he made him self as chief of trib .but he is guy ..This guy organization hide it self but it control to afak entelgent .and every thing it want it do ..This have some one work with police and he is guy also ..He lead guys .This guy .The only organization in this town .cause I didn’t have any organization . This organization have big spy net . And it spy on me . In past they cheated .others that this .guys belong to me or I lead them but I don’t .also this organization .use mind control programs .and this so dangerous .. guy organization .use it pistons in police and security and government to do big cheat against me .They buy my family by their money and buy their house .and by big trick .It began to provoke my family and their wife son .against me ..their wife son is butch .and she belong to guy organization ..and she record a lot of batches with heir . .I inform all legal department in government .that I don’t have any organization .and any use my name is fake ..cause this guy organization .hide it self and cheat by my name .and this .made me in dangerous .I don’t lead any one . I don’t have any organization .but this guy’s have in afak and all kinds know .This .and this organization I don’t have any relation with them. If some one want to open organization let open but not on no head .and cheat .by my name ..Those guys have position in police .and no when I told the laws against them and what they cheat . It use it position to delete it . They do like some one want and shy ..If they see this shameful and hide them self and need made my name to hide . Why they opening it .and any one want some thing must do it by himself and nanny bund must be responsible about it .not through it on the head of others …Thanks
Sorry .just few articles to add .to more clear to my problem. I don’t have any organization .I live in iraq .In diwanyah .city .In afak town ..In this town .There is guy and samesex organization .but whom lead this organization .hide them self .and throw this on my head ..and this not true .cause they lead this guy organization .not me .But those .used spy net on me to cheat .others . And say .He lead ..I don’t have any organization .at all . And I told all by this .But those still work .by my name .Using cheat and lie .and using their position in government and intelgent and police .. to delete any legal punishment .cause this guy organization use my name .and this not true .I don’t have any organization .but unfortunately .The curreption here became and who have some in government .will be okay and who alone will crush under feet .and delete his tongue. Entirely .what ever he talk No care ..about and this became as forest laws .strong live and week must be slave .