What much of the world does not realize is that Iran did not invent this policy; nor did Saudi Arabia. It is a part of Sharia law, justified with references to Muhammad's own orders: "Kill the one who sodomizes and the one who lets it be done to him." Thus, this aspect of Sharia becomes an issue for its potential enforcers or targets wherever it is proposed (or demanded).
From Adnkronos International, September 23:
Tehran, 23 Sept. (AKI) - Nemat Safavi, arrested almost three years ago at the age of 16, has been condemned to death by a court in Ardebil, in the northwest Iranian Azerbaijan region.
Nemat has not killed anyone, stolen anything or even carried out any political activism.
Nemat has been accused of having homosexual relations.While that was not stated during the court case, he was accused of "sexual relations that were not admitted".
A year ago, on a visit to Colombia University in New York, Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "there were no homosexuals" in Iran in response to a question from a student.
The UN will get right on this outlandish state of affairs in gentle iran! The death penalty might be better than what this guy would endure, if he
has not already at the hand of the islamofacists. What a shame we let nut boy back into the US to speak again. Is nut boy from iran going back to columbia university or better yet uc irvine? That is a a REAL hotbed of political freedom if you're
muslim and not a Chrsitian or Jew. So this must be the last gay person in iran, wow! And to think there were none except perhaps nut boy himself but his eggs were roasted by allah and fed to the prophet of nothing on a plate filled with lies, deceit and murder.
In Michael Yon's despatches from Afghanistan (he's embedded with a British para unit in Helmand province) you find the following:
in part I of III: Jurassic Park at
"On Thursday nights, the ANA have what the Brits call “man-love” night, or “man-love Thursdays.” Interestingly, Iraqis would sometimes say that a man is not a homosexual unless he has sex with other men when he is over thirty. At that age, they say, a man should stop, or else he’s a homosexual, which is a perversion of faith. I recall reading Ahmed Rashid’s fantastic and prescient book Taliban, which was published before the war. Mr. Rashid described a tank battle waged between warlords over the services of a young boy. Boys are for pleasure, women are for babies, they say"
[ANA = Afghan National Army, who occupy a compound in the vicinity of the Brits]
in part I of III: Jurassic Park at
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=34&layout=blog&Itemid=55
Admittedly the Pathans have a reputation for being particularly enthusiastic about this sort of thing (with its corollary - the immiseration of women- although I'm not sure if the ANA contains many Pathans) but the hypocrisy of the Muslim world on the subject of homosexuality is positively breathtaking.
I often hear people say, "So what? Iran hangs a few rapists. What's wrong with that?"
As a proponent of capital punishment for certain crimes, I see nothing wrong with such a punishment for violent rapists. However, in Iran, a "rapist" is usually a legal code word for "homosexual."
When this young man unfortunately goes to his execution, the world press will report on Iran's hardline approach that severely punishes rapists, the implication being Iran protects women.
It couldn't be further from the truth.
And not a whisper of protest from the people who should be most outraged! Why aren't gays, lesbians and trans-gendered folk everywhere speaking out against the appalling treatment of gays in muslim countries, all "religiously" sanctioned, of course, by the koran.
Why does billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz from Saudi Arabia get to keep a boyfriend in a house in London but this teenager in Iran has to die for being involved in the same sort of thing? Aren't they both Muslim countries with Islamic values? Or is it that when you have a lot of money you can do whatever you want?
Isabella - It's a variation of the Golden Rule. He who has the gold, makes the rules.
Larry King alive attempted to ask in last nights interview with Mahmoud A-mad-nut-job; what happens to Iranians who have been found guilty of homosexuality? Unfortunately King got stone walled by this flat out lying propagandist for the Mullahocracy, and King failed to re-visit the question again. To bad Larry King who has such a strong forum on CNN didn't sit down with a couple of real experts on what really occurs in Iran under the Mullahocracy.
"A year ago, on a visit to Colombia University in New York, Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "there were no homosexuals" in Iran in response to a question from a student."
Iran's president wouldn't...LIE, would he???
Or did he just mean that (almost) all the homosexuals had been eliminated?
I think it was his answer to that question at Columbia that brought laughter from the audience. It was priceless. At the time I doubt the student body realized exactly why the answer he gave might have been true though.
Where's Elton John when you need him? Anyone for "candle in the wind"?