Rights and Wrongs

The year is 2010, as we count it. July 2010- and a woman is scheduled to be stoned to death for adultery.

Because scripture says so. The Bible, or the Quaran says so. Many times it is almost impossible to reason with a person who believes in the fundamental interpretation of writings, whether they are laws, or scripture, etc. Fact is, no one will doubt that almost nobody lives with the same values that people used to thousands of years ago, when those scriptures were written.

International outcry -- and the pleas of a devoted son -- seem to have saved an Iranian woman from being stoned to death for adultery.

But while Sakineh Mohammedie Ashitani has been granted a reprieve, she is not the only woman sentenced to be stoned for adultery in Iran. There have been at least six sentences carried out since 2006, says Ann Harrison, an Iran expert at Amnesty International in London.

Adultery is the only crime that carries such a penalty in Iranian law, she said.

The accompanying analysis of why and when the Iranian authorities stone or do not carry out the stoning is kind of interesting- especially, if you kind of extrapolate how the apparent will of god is carried out, or flaunted, in the eyes of some.

Oh, just a reminder, in Nigeria's nothern states which have Sharia Law, the interpretation of that is that Homosexual sex carries a 'death by stoning' sentence.

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Remember the Supreme court ruling in Britain that stated that people could get asylum in Britain because of persecution in their home countries for their sexual orientation? One of the guys who sued was from Cameroon. And, the country came out defending themselves... saying that there were no prosecutions nor persecution of gay Cameroonian. I happen to know that there have been a number of prosecutions, and that, in one particularly nasty case, a few guys were held in prison and one died, dragged to court while see, not getting adequate medical help. Yes, it was in Cameroon, and if I am not mistaken, the year was 2005. Their crime was that they were accused of homosexuality, and they were deemed too dangerous to be given bail. So, one lost his life.

But, because of the embarassment of this case in Britain, Cameroon decides to point fingers at gay asylum seekers. They just want the good life in Europe, and the US.

Cameroon's government has rejected the claim by a gay asylum seeker in the UK that he would face persecution if he returned home.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of the man, and a similar claimant from Iran.

Homosexuality in Cameroon is punishable by up to three years in jail.

However, Cameroon's communications minister told the BBC homosexuals were free to behave as they wished in private without any harassment.

"Homosexuality is forbidden by the law, there is not doubt. But what I can emphasise is the fact that no homosexual is persecuted in Cameroon"," Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma said.

He told the BBC's Network Africa programme that the claimant was simply using the law as an excuse to claim asylum in Britain.

"Do you think he is the only gay person in Cameroon?"

It is a matter of fact that this excuse is used quite often in our countries. Minister Buturo in Uganda taunted Victor Mukasa (and other gay Ugandans) to go to Europe and leave Uganda, because that is where our sexuality is okay. Just this year, dear Pastor Dr Martin 'eat da poo poo' Ssempa was regularly taunting us that Sweden was ready to accept us, because they were so unhappy at Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill. [Its funny, the taste of a man's Christianity might be how they treat enemies.... and Ssempa so regularly fails that test for homosexuals, I wonder why he deserves that label]

I would not really be surprised if Uganda came out and labelled gay Ugandan asylum seekers as only seeking for the good life. Of course we can be- but, it is a fact that fellow Africans are simply closed to the homophobia, hate speech and pain of 'living discreetly' in our closets.

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But, in lighter news... this cute South African DJ played Pastor Martin 'eat da poo poo' Ssempa's signature clip on a South African radio. Some listeners were not amused, and he was suspended. He has apologised...

Photo and excerpt from Mamba online.

Mukwevho, according a listener, was heard "laughing hysterically" at the tirade and asked a gay colleague, producer Junior Dikwa, if he engaged in the activities mentioned by the anti-gay pastor in the clip.

It emerged that DJ Mpho Maboi had earlier also played the clip on her show.

YFM will be facing the Broadcasting Complaints Commission today following a hate speech complaint from the listener. The two DJS have been suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary hearings.

On Tuesday, Mukwevho apologised for the furore on Twitter: "I'd like to profusely apologise to everyone I offended during my show last month when I made reference to homosexuality. Sincere apologies," said the DJ.

Dikwa told the newspaper that his sexuality was no secret but he refused to comment on the matter.

“Hi Dikwa, I know you are gay. Do you do the things that Dear Pastor Martin Ssempa of Uganda accuses homosexuals of doing? He mentions 'eating da poo poo', pushing the hand 'deepaaa' into da anus, and others.... do you, gug?”

“Errr, dear Pastor, sorry, but your words are kind of offensive. Would you mind if I asked whether you masturbate? Do you go down on your wife??? I mean, like in giving her oral sex....

Is if offensive of me to ask you that? Is it? See how going into people's bedrooms can be quite embarassing? I don't want to imagine you having sex... the mental image is quite, err, disgusting.”

Have a good day, everyone.

gug

Why want to Kill me?

Sad, isn’t it? That someone would want to kill beautiful, fabulous, gug?

Of course it is a matter of perception. I think I am good. Fabulous, handsome, a wonderful human being. Oh, I am good, wanna bet on that? Of course I am gay, but that is neither here nor there. I mean, till I hit on you, and you say no (politely), and I insist on pressing my fabulous attentions on you, you shouldn’t complain. Or at least that is what I think should happen.

Think about it, (assuming that you are an adult), have you had 100% success rate on your passes? Of course, some have miss-fired. Others have succeded beyond your wildest dreams. And some have offended the recipients. Of course. But the problem then was not that you had made the pass. It was that it was not appreciated!

So, who wants to kill me? And why?

I was reading about the vigilante murders of gay men in Iraq. Human Rights Watch (errr 27^th, that hopeless international organization that is ‘neo-colonialist’ according to you…) has a report of murders of gay men in Iraq. Why are they murdered? Because they are gay. In the name of god, religion, country, patriotism. In the name of society, of morality. Is there any other reason I have left out?

So, I was wondering. Why do I offend people’s sense of decency so much that they would want to kill me?

It is not a totally rhetorical question.

Our neighbour to the north, Sudan, has death as the punishment for me making love to my lover. Forgive me if I say that I find that absolutely un-understandable. I mean, I love the man. I realy, truly love him. Mushy, teary, poetic kind of love. The kind that makes me ache when I don’t see him, which makes me long to be with him all the time. The kind that looks for him on a hot, long day, eyes lighting up with pleasure at the mere sight of him, memory of the smell of his warm skin. It is all good, oh yes. (Makes me get goose bumps to write this).

But, and a huge, sad, but. But some people are so outraged that they want me in prison because of this. Well, in Uganda. Life imprisonment is not good enough. For some people, including good, moral people.

Is death good enough?

And why?

Why would you want to kill me for loving someone? Another adult human being with whom we share this wonderful, beautiful, life time connection that we call love?

Why?

‘Course I am gay. Am not prepared to understand why a person would want to kill me. Using the law, and bearing that, going for extra judicial measures. Of course, that shows a level of hate which love will fail to understand.

Diametrically opposed. Am talking about love not being able to understand hate. And hate not understanding love.

Say a prayer for gay men and women in Iraq, and Iran, and Sudan. And all over Africa. For love we can, we are killed. But love is so fantastic, and we are so human that we cannot but love. And pray for those who fall prey to the wrath of the world’s hate and un-understanding.

gug

30 Men Arrested On Morals Charges In Raid On Iran Home

Thirty men have been arrested in a so-called morals raid on a private home in the Iranian city of Esfahan an international human rights groups said Friday.

Citing sources within Iran the New York-based Human Rights Watch said that the men were arrested in late February and have been held for almost four weeks without access to lawyers and without formal charges.

The men allegedly are accused of consensual homosexual conduct, drinking alcohol, and other related "morals" offenses.

Police reportedly referred them to a forensic medical examiner to look for “evidence” that they have engaged in homosexual conduct.

Human Rights Watch urged Iranian authorities to release the men.

"When police routinely break down doors to enforce a brand of morality, it means a line has been crossed to invade people’s privacy at any time," said Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

"Iran’s repressive system of controlling people’s dress, behavior, and personal lives violates fundamental rights."

In May 2007, during a nationwide crackdown to enforce dress codes and conduct, police raided another private party in an apartment building in Esfahan. They arrested 87 persons, including four women and at least eight people whom they accused of wearing the clothing of the opposite sex. Victims told Human Rights Watch that police stripped many of them to the waist in the street, and beat them until their backs or faces were bloody. Several reportedly had bones broken.

Of those arrested, 24 men were tried for “facilitating immorality and sexual misconduct,” as well as possessing and drinking alcohol. In June 2007, an Esfahan court found all of them guilty of various combinations of these charges. Most were sentenced to up to 80 lashes and to fines up to $5,000 (US). The verdicts are under appeal and have not yet been enforced.

Citing its unnamed sources in Iran, Human Rights Watch said that since the May 2007 arrests, police have intensified surveillance, harassment, and abuse against people connected to the 87 arrested men, or otherwise suspected of homosexual conduct. Several described being detained by police and interrogated to reveal contacts.

According to one man’s account, provided by Human Rights Watch, police “poured water over me. … They threatened me, they said ‘cooperate with us.’ … They are after everyone, they said, ‘You are completing your gang, you are creating new members, where do you gather?’” They told me, ‘Go out and meet people.’ In essence, I should spy for them."

Iranian law provides punishments up to death for penetrative same-sex sexual activity between men on the first conviction, and punishes non-penetrative activity with up to 100 lashes.

Homosexual conduct between women is punishable with death on the fourth conviction. Iran’s Penal Code requires four reiterated confessions, or the testimony of four “righteous men” as eyewitnesses, to prove lavat, or sodomy. However, judges are permitted to accept circumstantial evidence or inference. At the May 2007 raid in Esfahan, police reportedly brought four civilian witnesses to prove that “immorality” was taking place.

Iranian Execution Held

This is a short one.

I am just simply delighted that this execution has been held off.

OK, there is another trial. And then maybe the guy may be killed. And of course the Iranians believe that a person like me should be killed. I am not blowing things up. They believe that because I am gay, (correction, homosexual) I deserve torture and death. Here is that link.


But for now, the guy lives. Ironic. In Uganda, it is 14 years to life imprisonment. It is rarely applied, because it is a stupid law. Yet we are held to ransom because of it. We hate it. We hate the fact that we are considered worth of prison because of what we are.

In Iran, they believe we should be tortured, and killed, by stoning, or hanging. In Saudi Arabia, stoning, or 7,000 lashes.

My thanks to all those who did write in to the Iranians.

gug

Iran and Homosexuals.

I got this in my email. I cannot comment really. It just leaves me in tears.

Yeah, there are no homosexuals in Iran, because they have been murdered off. A genocide, because of sexuality. Indeed it is.

Iran: Stop the Execution of Child Offender Convicted of Sodomy

Summary

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has learned that Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year old Iranian citizen of Kurdish origin from the city of Paveh, in the Western province of Kermanshah, has been sentenced by the government to execution. Makvan has been convicted of multiple counts of anal rape and sentenced to execution for crimes allegedly committed when he was 13 years old. IGLHRC calls for an international response to stop this scheduled execution.

Imposing the death penalty for crimes committed by juveniles is prohibited under international law as well as by the Iranian legal system. In addition, IGLHRC calls on the international community to condemn the use of the death penalty as a punishment for any sex or morality-related crime, whether consensual or non-consensual, as unnecessarily extreme. In this case, since none of the alleged victims ever claimed to have been raped, and all of them admitted to the court that their initial accounts of sexual intercourse with Makvan were false and had been acquired under coercion, the imposition of the death penalty is especially objectionable.

As an organization dedicated to defending the rights of sexual minorities worldwide, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) objects to any law, policy or ruling that penalizes consensual homosexual relationships among adults.

Action

IGLHRC requests that you send letters in English or Persian to the following Iranian officials, demanding that the order of execution in the case of Makvan Mouloodzadeh be withdrawn:

• The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei,: istiftaa@wilayah.org and info@leader.ir and info@khamenei.ir
• The Honorable Chief Justice, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi: Shahroudi@Dadgostary-tehran.ir and ijpr@iranjudiciary.org
• Iranian President, His Excellency Dr. Mahmood Ahmadinejad: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
• Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Council (Parliament), His Excellency Dr. Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel: hadadadel@majlis.ir
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Manuchehr Motaki: matbuat@mfa.gov.ir

1. Please also email a copy of your correspondence to IGLHRC at: halizadeh@iglhrc.org
   
   Sample Letter
   
   His Eminence Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
   
   Your Eminence,
   
   I am writing with regard to reports of the pending execution of Mr. Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year old Iranian citizen from the city of Paveh in Kermanshah Province. On June 7, 2007, Mr. Mouloodzadeh was found guilty of multiple counts of anal rape (ighab), allegedly committed as a minor when he was 13 years old. The Seventh District Criminal Court of Kermanshah sentenced him to death. Despite his lawyer’s appeal, the Supreme Court has upheld his death sentence.
   
   Mr. Mouloodzadeh’s sentence violates international law, as well as various legal codes of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Article 6(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Articles 49 and 111 of the Islamic Penal Code, crimes committed by minors cannot be punished by death.
   
   Moreover, although no one ever accused Mr. Mouloodzadeh of rape, the judge used a principle known as “Knowledge of the Judge” to issue a ruling finding the defendant guilty. This is a violation of Article 120 of the Islamic Penal Code, which clearly states that the knowledge of the judge should be obtained through “conventional methods.” All parties involved in this case told the court that their statements made during the investigation were either untruthful or coerced, facts that make the court ruling invalid under Article 116 of the Islamic Penal Code.
   
   Furthermore, unlawful techniques and procedures were used to gather evidence for this case, which according to the Section 3 of Article 3 of the Legal Amendment of the Laws Governing Public and Revolutionary Courts, puts into question the legality of the court ruling.
   
   As the highest-ranking religious and political authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is within your legal and constitutional power to order the postponement or the cancellation of the execution, request a reexamination of the case, and even grant amnesty to Mr. Mouloodzadeh. I plead with you to use your authority to save the life of this innocent citizen.
   
   I would like to thank you in advance for your kind attention to this important legal case, and potentially for saving the life of Mr. Makvan Mouloodzadeh.
   
   Respectfully,
   
   ( Name, address. Organization)
   
   Background information
   
   The District Attorney’s office issued an order for Makvan’s arrest on October 1, 2006, after the local office of the Intelligence Service received a complaint from Makvan’s cousin claiming, in rather vague language, that Makvan had “victimized” him when both were minors. During subsequent investigations, the cousin also claimed that Makvan had engaged in homosexual sex with other people when he was aged 13. These individuals were brought in for questioning and each confessed to having had homosexual sex with Makvan. But according to media reports, none of these individuals claimed to be a victim of rape. During the interrogation process, Makvan was forced to confess to one case of sodomy while he was a middle school student.
   
   Makvan’s trial took place at the local branch of the Criminal Court in Kermanshah City. However, several key witnesses refused to appear in court, and the three witnesses who did appear before the judge each retracted their earlier testimony, claiming to have lied to the authorities under duress. Makvin also told the court that his confession was made under coercion and pleaded not guilty. But the judge refused to accept the witnesses’ retractions. Although it is standard practice in the Iranian legal system to send alleged rape victims for a medical examination to check for evidence of sexual crimes, including sodomy, the judge did not require this procedure in this case, which could have potentially proved the innocence of the defendant.
   
   In the absence of adequate evidence, the judge used an Iranian legal principle known as “Knowledge of the Judge,” to declare that he was certain Makvan had raped his victims. According to the Iranian legal code, when there is not enough evidence to convict a defendant of sexual crimes, the judge may use his knowledge (in a deductive process based on the evidence that already exists) to determine whether the crime took place or not.
   
   The judge found Makvan guilty of full penetrative homosexual sex (ighab) and sentenced him to death on June 7, 2007. The following month, Makvan’s lawyer lodged an appeal with the Iranian Supreme Court. In a ruling on August 1, 2007, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision.
   
   Makvan is currently in Kermanshah’s city’s jail. Since the execution order has already been issued by the Attorney General’s office, he is in danger of being the victim of a public hanging at any time.