Katy Greene
April 10th, 2009
11:53 AM
In the newly democratic Iraq, there has been a recent rise in the population of openly gay Iraqis. The response to them has been horrific. In the past two months, over twenty five bodies of suspected homosexuals have been discovered in Sadr City, a Shiite enclave. Many of these bodies have been shot multiple times, and some have the world pervert written on them.
Because of the creation of a democratic Iraqi government, homosexuals are able to enjoy freedom that would have previously been unimaginable. Many women have given up wearing floor length dresses and veils, and people are able to go out at night without fear of being attacked.
However, many Iraqi's are still very hostile towards those who show less conservative values than their own. Although some homosexuals are killed by the death squads, others are killed by their own families, who murder them out of shame. In 2005, Grand Ayatollah Ali-al-Sistani made a statement saying that homosexuals should be killed in the worst and most severe way possible. Many other Shiite Muslims feel the same way. Not all of the bodies that have been discovered have been accounted for, and the police will only claim a certain small percentage. In addition to the deaths, several cafes that were frequently visited by gay men have been burned down in Sadr City.
I think that the Iraqi government needs to crack down on the senseless killings of homosexuals. They deserve the same rights and respect as everyone else, and these murders are unacceptable.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08gay.html?scp=6&sq=religious&st=cse
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