Iraq's Position on LGBT Rights: "Homosexuality is a Disaster"

categories: International Gay Rights, LGBT Rights and Politics, Obama Administration and Gay Rights

Published May 29, 2009 @ 11:53AM PT

Moqtada Sadr

Well, here's one step forward, and about 9,000 steps backwards when it comes to LGBT rights in Iraq. Fundamentalist Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr addressed Iraq's ongoing violence toward LGBT people in Iraq, by urging Iraqi people to reject killing LGBT people, which has become a nationwide epidemic, with several dozen men being murdered in the past few months because of their sexual orientation (or their perceived sexual orientation).

The downside to all of this? Sadr took the occasion to call homosexuality fundamentally evil, and preach conversion therapy through Islamic preaching and teaching. Kind of an odd thing to say, since most of the people murdering LGBT people in Iraq are doing so in the name of radical Islamic teaching and preaching (or, well, at least in the name of how they see Islamic teaching and preaching). *Sigh*

A few of Sadr's zealot colleagues also took the opportunity to call homosexuality a "corrupt phenomena from the West," which is a line of thinking that has proliferated throughout the Middle East and Africa, as grassroots LGBT groups struggle to push for equal rights. Another Sadr ally called homosexuality a disaster, and said it was plaguing the Iraqi population, according to AFP.

All of this highlights the growing need for folks, particularly our own State Department, to spotlight the issue of global violence toward LGBT people. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised to make violence on the basis of sexual orientation a priority for her office. With the U.S. so heavily invested in Iraq, this has to remain on the radar screen of the Obama administration.

We've got a letter up here on change.org that urges folks to contact their Congressional Reps, as well as the White House, to draw attention to the issue of LGBT violence in Iraq. With dozens of people already murdered because of their sexual orientation in Iraq, it's important to let our voices be heard on this issue, and to push our leaders to act to stem the cycle of violence.

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Comments (3)

Moqtada Sadr is doing the incorrect and intolerant thing by stating that LGBT people need to be preached against their sexual orientation. In addition however, it's good that Hillary Clinton is keeping an eye on the murderous situation against the LGBT community in Iraq. There's no justification for violence against LGBT people on the basis of their sexual orientation, thus although Moqtada Sadr says murder against LGBT people is wrong, he's doing nothing at all to improve.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 05/29/2009 @ 02:13PM PT
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Just recently, the California Supreme Court has been in the news. The California Supreme Court has been ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a controversial law passed in November. Proposition 8 makes it so that the state of California will not recognize gay marriage, but will allow civil unions, which will have the exact same legal weight. The Prop 8 decision is that is has been upheld, as the Justices including Chief Justice Ronald George felt it didn't violate the Constitution. Next might be whether you can go to a loan company for quick cash. Who I can get my cash now from, though isn't up to the California Supreme Court. The proposition 8 has been the hot topic nowadays, we cannot blame why it seems to be a big deal in the community since it talks about the moral values that we are ought to practice. We should not tolerate immorality maybe that is the reason why Proposition 8 receives many critics

http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/05/27/california-supreme-court/

Posted by Allan D on 05/31/2009 @ 10:33PM PT
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gay rights are cool far as they go, because it is human. but it makes a difference if looked at Gods's perspective. over the past 6000 years of our history as humans, divine patience has forborn with man exept Sodom and Gomorrah. i love gays as individual souls, and would wish they saw the truth as revealed in the Holy Bible, and make immediate reforms before we face our last night in Sodom.

Posted by mate rex on 06/17/2009 @ 03:27AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.