Islamicreform. Gay Muslims need support | Inayat Bunglawala | Comment is free | Some religious communities are not reciprocating the tolerance and respect they insist on from others when it comes to gay rights, particularly in Muslim and some Christian communities. That seemed to be the bleak message at the heart of To Be Straight With You, which was performed at the O'Reilly Theatre in Dublin last week following a sell-out three-week run at the National Theatre in London. I had been invited to Dublin for a public discussion on issues surrounding religious freedom and sexuality alongside the production's director, Lloyd Newson, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Dr Katherine Zappone and Father Michael Collins.
In Muslim communities the issue of homosexuality is very rarely discussed in a candid manner and is all too often wished away as if it is an affliction that involves other groups, not them. Not far from the surface, however, are reports of gay Muslim men being pressurised into rushed marriages by parents desperate to avoid any social stigma. Pakistan: Islam and Homosexuality. ABC has a four-page expose on Saudi gay. Saudi Gay Scene: 'Forbidden, but I can't Help It' For Samir*, a 34-year-old gay man living in Saudi Arabia, each day is a denial. He lives in Mecca, the holiest city according to Islam, and is acutely aware of the stigma that surrounds his gay lifestyle. "I'm a Muslim. I know it's forbidden, but I can't help it," he tells ABC News, clearly conflicted. "I pray to God to help me be straight, just to avoid hell.
But I know that I'm gay and I'm living as one, so I can't see a clear vision for the future. " Samir, like many gay men in the Arab world, guards his sexual orientation with a paranoid secrecy. To feel free he takes long vacations to Thailand, where he has a boyfriend, and spends weekends in Lebanon, which he regards as having a more gay-tolerant society. But at home in Saudi Arabia, he is vigilant. "You can't let a word slip that makes you seem gay-friendly or gay," he says. Samir occasionally goes to Saudi cafes known to be popular gay hangouts, but his public engagements stop there. Online Freedom but With Entrapment Risks. Browsing and Cruising in Gay Damascus. Some moments with Tanvir Alim « LGBT Bangladesh. Tanvir Alim a prominent Gay Rights Activist from Bangladesh shares his views on the mindset of the Homosexuals in this pre-dominantly Islamic society.
He also gives a vivid description about the contribution of BoB towards educating the gays about their rights and aspirations. Ashok Deb: Dear Tanvir tell me about your association with BOB Tanvir: I was basically an inactive member of BoB. Few BOB well wishers cajoled me to be active way back in 2005, but I refrained being scared of disclosing my sexual identity. The prevailing Homophobia in society and office created an invisible wall which prevented me to COME OUT. Ashok Deb: and then what happened? Tanvir: Later at a certain stage I felt isolated and lonely in this homophobic society and decided to come closer to like-minded people. Ashok Deb: When I talked to Himadri last time, he said that it is quite difficult to make people COME OUT and proclaim their sexual identity. Tanvir: Absolutely right. The reply is always, “ki dorker.” أخبار الأخيرة | ميليشيات تعذّب الشواذ في العراق بـ"الصمغ ال. جثتا شاذين في أحد شوارع مدينة الرمادي دبي - حيان نيوف، بغداد - علي العراقي كشفت ناشطة حقوقية عراقية بارزة عن إقدام ميليشيات على أنواع شديدة من التعذيب بحق الملثيين في بلادها منها "إغلاق مؤخراتهم بالصمغ الايراني"، فيما ذكر طبيب بمشرحة في بغداد أنه تم رمي 7 جثث أمام مشرحته، في حين قال ضابط شرطة إن الفاعلين لا زالوا مجهولي الهوية، وذلك في سياق تحقيق تنشره "العربية.نت" حول المثليين في العراق.
وكانت تقارير صحفية نشرت منذ أيام أفادت نقلاً عن مصادر محلية في مدينة الصدر شرق بغداد، عن قيام مجموعة مجهولة تطلق على نفسها اسم "أهل الحق"، بملاحقة مثليي الجنس من أهالي المدينة بعد مقتل عدد منهم في الأيام الماضية. وقالت المصادر إن "3 قوائم تحمل 10 أسماء لفتيان مثليي الجنس علقت لساعات قصيرة في مدينة الصدر". وأكدت وجود عبارة تقول "سنقوم بالقصاص منكم أيها الفاجرين". وعثر مطلع الشهر الجاري على جثث 3 شباب مثليي الجنس قتلوا بالرصاص. الصمغ الإيراني وأكدت الناشطة العراقية أن الهجوم ضد الملثيين انطلق منذ 3 أسابيع وطال عشرات منهم، بناء على فتاوى دينية تدعو لقتلهم.
تعذيب 63 شخصاً وقال "حسن": "نحن منظمة ممنوعة في العراق. Speaker discusses difficulties as a homosexual Muslim - News. Middle East | Fears over Iraq gay killing spate. The Iraqi government must do more to protect homosexuals in the wake of a reported spate of killings of gay young men, Amnesty International has urged. In the last few weeks, 25 boys and men are reported to have been killed in Baghdad because they were, or were perceived to be, gay, Amnesty said. In a letter to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, the rights organisation called for "urgent and concerted action".
It also criticised the government's failure to condemn the killings. 'Corpses found' The recent killings are said to have been carried out by armed Shia militiamen as well as by members of the tribes and families of the victims, Amnesty said. It cited reports that three corpses of gay men were found in the Shia area of Sadr City last week - two of which were reported to have had pieces of paper bearing the word "pervert" attached to them. Amnesty called on the government to bring those responsible for the killings to justice and to afford effective protection to the gay community in Iraq.