The killing fields

feature Murdered Iraqi, 20-year-old Saif Raad Asmar Abboudi.

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hat do Derby in the UK, Santiago, Saint Petersburg and Baghdad have in common? They have all headlined in recent months due to significant anti-gay activity. While this may appear coincidental, human rights activists are worried that it’s part of a far more unsettling and growing global trend.

In February 2012, three men became the first in Britain to be jailed under new antihate laws. They were convicted after being found guilty of distributing three leaflets calling for the execution of homosexuals by hanging, stoning and burning. The three men who letterboxed the leaflets in their local neighbourhood in Derby, in the north of England, claimed that capital punishment was necessary to rid society of homosexuality. They believed gays and lesbians to be at the root of all society’s problems.

The first leaflet, called Death Penalty, depicted a wooden mannequin with a noose around its neck and quoted Islamic texts. It said, “The death sentence is the only way this immoral crime can be erased from corrupting society and act as a deterrent for any other ill person who is remotely inclined in this bent way.” The second leaflet was titled God Abhors You (GAY) and the third, Turn Or Burn. Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed were the first to be prosecuted under the new legislation. Ali was jailed for two years and Ahmed and Javed for 15 months each.

In sentencing the men, Judge John Burgess, told the three, “You have been convicted of intending to stir up hatred... your intention was to do great harm in a peaceful community.’’

Reaction to the prosecutions was mixed.

While some applauded both the new law and the first convictions, others saw the sentencing as too harsh, arguing that they hadn’t physically hurt anyone. According to an anonymous post on an internet discussion forum, it was “just a bit of fun,” an interesting conclusion to draw from a call to commit murder. Technically no, they didn’t physically hurt anyone but history has shown that propaganda can and does influence behaviour and lead to violence.

It doesn’t require a grand stretch of the imagination to picture a wayward youth, with a simmering resentment to anyone different, taking such vitriolic hate mongering and following it to the letter. We need only look to Chile to see an example of what can happen.

On 3 March 2012, 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio was attacked in a Santiago park by four men, three of whom had prior convictions for homophobic attacks. The group, who identified as neo-Nazis, kidnapped Daniel and subjected him to a horrific ordeal during which he was burned, his legs were broken, his face was beaten until it was barely recognisable and swastikas were carved into his chest with broken glass. Chileans held their breath for almost three weeks while Daniel, in an induced coma, battled for his life. Daniel never regained consciousness. He was buried on 30 March.

Historically, heterosexual Chileans have maintained an uneasy truce with their homosexual brothers and sisters. Although same-sex sexual activity has been legal in this South American country since 1998, the majority of the population tends not to approve of gays. The homosexual community is marginalised and treated by many as second-class citizens. According to MOVILH, a Chilean human rights organisation, from 2002 to 2012 there have been at least 837 cases

“Mazen had had his pectoral muscles cut off. There were drill holes in Namir’s left leg. Both had been shot in the head, apparently from close range.” of “brutal homophobia,” 17 of these cases were murders. Recently, three transsexuals were killed and even though one of them had their face horribly disfigured with a blowtorch, there was little public reaction.

But Daniel was different. Perhaps it was the before and after shots of him that were shown on Chilean television – before: an angelic face, with kind eyes the colour of chocolate – after: a vision of bandages and tubes, a machine to help him breathe. People were outraged; thousands turned out for his funeral, covering his hearse in flowers. The United Nations stepped in to call for the passage of an antidiscrimination law. Rupert Colville, speaking for the UN High Commissioner For Human Rights, said: “We deplore the violent criminal act that took the life of this young man and urge the Chilean Congress to pass a law against discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, in full compliance with relevant international

human rights standards.” He added that the tragedy should be seen in the wider context of hate-crimes against all sexual minorities, emphasising the recent UN report, which found “startlingly high levels” of homophobic violence around the world.

Gay rights activists were furious that a hate crimes bill, introduced seven years ago, was effectively blocked by religious and social conservatives. “At every turn, this law has been cut. At every turn, there have been efforts to trim it. There was even resistance to having discrimination based on sexual orientation included in the [proposed bill].

This is something Chile can no longer permit.

And now, after the death of Daniel, which has brought this moment of sensibility, it is time to pass [the legislation],” Caroline Taha, president of the Liberal Party For Democracy, said.

The tremendous outpouring of grief in Chile finally persuaded the government to pass the long-awaited anti-discrimination law on 4 April 2012. Despite Daniel’s brutal death, 56 from the House Of Deputies voted against.

Fifty-eight voted for the new law. The change in legislation prohibits, “any discrimination, exclusion or restriction that lacks reasonable justification, committed by agents of the state or individuals, and that causes deprivation, disturbance or threatens the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights”.

It’s not just the British and Chileans who are introducing new laws concerning gays.

The Russians too, have been busy drafting new legislation – but to persecute not protect. In March this year the governor of Saint Petersburg and former KGB agent, Georgy Poltavchenko, signed a bill preventing, “propaganda of homosexuality to minors”. The new law was passed as the same time as amendments to statutes to protect children from pedophilia. The authors of the legislation claim that the mass media advertises homosexuality as “normal behaviour”. They went on to say, “This is especially dangerous for children and youths, who are not yet capable of thinking critically about the avalanche of information they see on a daily basis.” The exact implications of the homosexual propaganda law are still somewhat uncertain; the generality of the term “propaganda” makes its ramifications almost universal. Opponents of the new legislation are certain of it’s meaning: a gag for the LGBT community. Tatyana Glushkoya, a lawyer for a Russian civil rights organisation, states, “Practically any action that is connected to homosexuality in any way could be construed as propaganda. Basically, saying anything positive or even neutral about homosexuality in front of children would be forbidden.”

Moneywise, the new law is cut and dry: it’s a 125 Euro fine for individuals and a 25,000 Euro fine for organisations. >> DNA 35

feature >> Head of the Russian LGBT Network, Igor Kochetkov, was the first to be charged for violating the city’s gay propaganda law.

While the early arrest of an outspoken homosexual was no surprise, the charging of Sergei Kondrashov, a straight lawyer from Saint Petersburg, was more unexpected. He was arrested for holding a sign that read, “A dear family friend is lesbian. My wife and I love and respect her ... and her family is just as equal as ours.” What makes Sergei’s case interesting is that he was targeted even though he did not address children. He chose a public space where there were no young people at all, yet still he was arrested. Logic begs the question – what is the real motivation for this new legislation? Saint Petersburg local Irina Bormashenko says, “This is not about children.

This is about homophobia. Saint Petersburg has a history of persecuting minorities that echoes down the years. If it’s not the Jews, it’s the gays. It’s hate mongering pure and simple.”

Is Saint Petersburg, the exception and not the rule in Russia, or is the situation there indicative of a shift towards a more nationalistic homophobic sentiment? There are already similar laws in three other Russian regions covering 5.5 per cent of the country’s population, or about eight million people. It’s looking likely that Moscow will follow suit; Russia’s Orthodox Church has called for a similar gay propaganda ban nationwide, and culturally the whole country is notoriously homophobic. Many Russians believe that if the anti-gay legislation can be passed in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second and most Western city, it can happen anywhere. Already the storm clouds are gathering. In the country’s capital, the gay community has been unsuccessfully applying for permission to hold a parade

One of three anti-gay leafl ets distributed in Derby, UK.

“first they throw concrete blocks at the boy’s arms, then at his legs, then the final blow is to his head, and if he is not dead, then they start all over again.”

the three uk men jailed for distributing leafl ets graphically detailing how to murder gay men.

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for several years. Former Moscow Mayor, Yury Luzhkov, refused and branded them “satanic”. In a darkly comic episode, police in Kaliningrad mistook a marathon for a gay pride parade. Several athletes (including children) gathered in the town center of Sovetsk for a run, but were approached by police, who detained some of them.

In response to the recent developments in Russia, Stephen Fry tweeted, “Hell’s teeth.

Something must be done to stop these fanatical monsters. Will talking about Tchaikovsky be banned?” Even Madonna has stepped into the fray, labeling the ban, “a ridiculous atrocity”. She posted on her Facebook page, “I will come to Saint Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed... I am a freedom fighter.” While no doubt well-intentioned, Madonna’s promise has some Russians worried. They believe her actions may exacerbate the situation for the gay community. Homosexuality, while decriminalised since 1993, is seen by the vast majority of Russians as “licentious” and “disgusting”. They blame the West and those that represent it, like Madonna, as responsible for the gay lifestyle – what they see as a choice.

One anonymous blogger wrote, “It’s all well and good for Madonna to come to our country and stand up for gays, but after the concert when she is taken back to her five-star hotel surrounded by body guards, we have to live in a community that will seek vengeance for the things she has said.” While there is certainly some truth to this argument, is the standidly-by-and-do-nothing response the correct action to take? It’s a tricky one. Petitions against the legislation have been circulating on the internet, but some Russian human rights groups

have asked people like Madonna and other high profile Westerners not to act. They argue that the only way to demystify homosexuality and integrate into Russian society is by Russians taking action. Bormashenko explains, “Russia is so vast, it is made up of hundreds of minority groups, only by Russian LGBT people taking action can we begin to break down the prejudices and convince them that this is not a Western illness.”

The events in Saint Petersburg have scratched the scab off one of the most ignominious aspects of Russian society – its fervent and deep-seated homophobia. And while rightwing nationalists are partly to blame, it’s the Orthodox Christians who have whipped up the majority of prejudice to a responsive majority. Jonathon Swift could have been describing Russia when, in the early part of the 18th century, he wrote, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” Although things seem to be going backwards for LGBT citizens, there are some positives – the situation has garnered enormous interest around the world, the spotlight is firmly on Saint Petersburg and the queer community, for so long stifled, has finally found a voice.

Further south, in Iraq, is one of the most worrying and terrifying situations facing gay people anywhere in the world - the latest wave of rampant hate crimes against young gay men.

Conditions have deteriorated significantly since the US-led invasion of 2003. Although no one can dispute the genocide, torture and murder perpetrated by Iraq’s former leader, Saddam Hussein, his despotic rule provided a semblance of stability and pseudoacceptance for the gay community. Izzat al-Bakr, an engineer from Baghdad, explains, “The previous era was a golden era, because homosexuality was tolerated.”

Not any more. Ali al-Hilli, chairman of Iraqi LGBT, a human rights group based in London, estimates that approximately 750 gay Iraqis have been killed because of their sexual orientation since 2006. The violence comes in waves and usually begins with the vitriolic denouncement of “subversive” culture by a religious cleric or government official. Scott Long, visiting fellow at the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, blames the Iraqi Ministry Of Interior for announcing a campaign against emos back in February 2009 in Baghdad. (Emo is short for emotional and describes a youth subculture. Emos dress in black, have a long fringe obscuring their face, wear tight jeans and typically listen to punk or goth music. They are not usually associated with homosexuality.) Flyers sprung up “like fungus” naming suspected homosexuals – warning them to cut their hair and change their clothes or face the consequences. It was around this >>

Russian LGBT rights activist Nikolai Alekseyev arrested during a protest in St Petersburg.

Peter Tatchell, beaten and arrested at a gay pride rally in Russia.

San Francisco calls for an end to the murder of gay Iraqis.

Muqtada al-Sadr calls the country’s emo youth a “plague”.

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feature 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio, tortured and murdered by neo-Nazis in Chile.

thousand of people attend Daniel’s funeral in Santiago.

Daniel’s death prompted the government to enact anti-discrimination law.

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>> time that reports began to trickle through to foreign news agencies of young Iraqi men who were suspected of being gay having their anuses glued shut and force-fed laxatives and liquids until their insides ruptured.

In October 2009 a story appeared in the New York magazine telling the story of 18-year-old Fadi. By day he cleaned toilets for Americans in the Green Zone, by night he would meet with friends, Mazen, Ahmed and Namir. They would drink coffee, discuss the latest events in their troubled city and dream of a better life. According to the New York, “On 4 April, at about 8pm, Fadi’s cell phone rang. It was Mazen’s brother. ‘Mazen and Namir have been killed,’ he said. The maimed bodies of the two friends had been discovered together in the vast Shia district of Baghdad named Sadr City, which is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, a powerful Shia militia. Mazen had had his pectoral muscles cut off. There were drill holes in Namir’s left leg. Both had been shot in the head, apparently from close range.”

Then as quickly as they began, the gay pogroms ended. Although the wholesale executions had ceased for now, general persecution, abuse and torture continued, it was just more surreptitious. What was more worrying was the gathering of information – the secret police and conservative groups began to make lists of gay men, suspected gay men and anyone who associated with them.

In November 2011, the attacks against gays began again in earnest, verbally at first.

Shi’ite leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, publicly condemned emos, saying “They are a group of lunatics and are a disease in a Muslim society, so those who are responsible should get rid of them from the outset, in accordance with the law.” By saying “in accordance with the law” he had endorsed the killings and provided credence. The religious call to arms found an enthusiastic audience in the Baghdad Morality Police and many in the reactionary Islamist parliamentary groups willing to carry out the murders – but first the emos were warned.

As in 2009, flyers and posters appeared in heavily Shiite areas of Baghdad. One read. “To every licentious man or woman, we are warning you: in case you don’t stop these filthy actions within four days God’s punishment will come upon your heads by the hands of those who fight for his own name. Remember that we warned you.”

The emos were cautioned because they dressed in Western style, listened to Western music and in Iraq this is strongly associated with homosexuality. In February 2012, the Baghdad Morality Police published a statement on the Iraqi Interior Ministry website criticizing emo youths for wearing, “strange tight clothes with pictures of skulls

The face of grief: Daniel’s family at his funeral.

on them [and] for wearing rings in their noses and tongues”. The website said the Morality Police had been given official approval by the Interior Ministry to eliminate the phenomenon. The killing started.

On 17 February 2012, Saif Raad Asmar Abboudi, a 20-year-old from Sadr City was beaten to death by Shiite militia with concrete blocs, a form of execution repeated so frequently it has become known colloquially as “blocking”. A grotesque picture of the young man began to circulate on the internet, his bloodied corpse tossed in the back of a truck. According to a story in Beirut-based newspaper, Al Akhbar, “First they throw concrete blocks at the boy’s arms, then at his legs, then the final blow is to his head, and if he is not dead, then they start all over again.” Saif was the first of many. In the following weeks, several more Iraqi teenagers were brutally tortured and murdered. Again photos of the slain were distributed online by the perpetrators to act as a deterrent – a boy swinging from a noose, another blocking victim, three youths shot in the dessert, a man thrown from the roof of a high-rise – all merely suspected of being gay.

Iraqi police squads who are specifically assigned to protect social minorities are almost powerless to stop the threats against gays and emos. While the extremist militia

are the ones carrying out these attacks, many Iraqi families condone and even take part in so called ‘honour killings’. It’s a numbers game – when the volume of killers outnumbers the police (and some of those police are taking part in the murders) there is little hope. The violence is pervasive and

The group kidnapped Daniel and subjected him to an horrific ordeal: he was burned, his legs were broken, his face was beaten and swastikas were carved into his chest with broken glass. getting worse. Ahmed, who DNA contacted, is a doctor from the northern Iraqi town of Sulaymaniyah. He is resigned to his destiny.

The 30-year-old, who like most Iraqis of his generation still lives at home says, “Iraq

is a beautiful country. It’s very liberal in the north, but still I must be very careful and discreet; it is God’s will”. Very liberal in comparison to Baghdad perhaps, but he is still too scared to provide his real name, come out to his family, meet other gay men or have a meaningful social life – all of the things so many of us take for granted. “I will never have a boyfriend,” he says, and perhaps the following is the answer for all Iraqi gay men, “The only way I can ever lead a normal meaningful life, my only hope to find love and acceptance is to leave this country.”

According to Peter Tatchell, “LGBT communities have made great progress in many countries, winning increased public support and overturning homophobic laws.

However, even in many Western countries homophobic bullying in schools and queerbashing violence on the streets remain a serious problem. The situation is much worse for LGBT people in countries like Jamaica, Iraq, Russia and Uganda. LGBT people have been murdered. Even in parts of Mexico and Brazil, right-wing death squads target LGBT people for assassination. It shows that we can’t take LGBT freedom for granted. We need to constantly defend and assert it. There is no room for apathy and complacency.

Homophobic hate crimes are a global reality that must be challenged.” H DNA 39