Iran executes three men for sodomy

[King_David]

By Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent



Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Iran’s judiciary have executed three men for sodomy in a case that sheds new light on the official persecution of gay men and women in the authoritarian Islamic Republic.


According to a news report carried by the Iranian Student News Agency, the men were put to death by hanging on Sunday morning at Karoun prison in the south western city of Ahvaz. The agency quoted Abdolhamid Amanat, an official at the prosecutor office in Khuzestan Province, as the source of the announcement.

In total six people were executed. According to the published charges, two men were put to death for robbery and rape and one was executed for drug trafficking.

But in an unusual announcement the prosecutor office also admitted that three other men were sentenced for “lavat”, the phrase used in Islamic law for sodomy. The names of the three men have not been given – only their initials M.T, T.T and M.Ch.

Human rights groups have said the case is significant because gay men that come before the courts are usually charged with acts such as sexual assault and rape – crimes that convey an element of coercion rather than consensual sex between two willing participants.

The recent Ahvaz executions, however, specifically refer to sections 108 and 110 of the Iranian penal code. Section 108 defines sodomy under Iran’s interpretation of Sharia law and the latter rules that the punishment for lavat is death. Previous executions of gay men usually quote sections of the Iranian penal code that refer to “lavat leh onf” - sodomy by coercion.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, a researcher at Iran Human Rights who is investigating the executions, told The Independent: “Iranian authorities have previously presented such cases as rape, in order to make the execution more acceptable and to avoid too much international attention, but this time the news is not presented as rape.”


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-executes-three-men-for-sodomy-2350671.html

[MADem]

1. Why is this posted in the Israel/Palestine section? nt

[King_David]

2. Same reason these were posted

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x362822

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x363040

and my favorite :

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x362618

[MADem]

3. Well, the first one and the last one at least have Jews in them--even though they

are contextually inappropriate to this particular forum. The middle one is Libyan and makes no damn sense.

But IRAN? Come on--the only thing Iran has in common with Israel is that they both begin with the same letter.

Is your stuff that you are posting being MOVED over here? This is a GD topic, with perhaps a crosspost to the LGBT forum. It has absolutely no business at all in the I/P forum. Hell, they don't even speak the same language. The Palestinians who are muslims are sunnis, too, while Persians are shi'a.

This is kind of like putting an article about Indonesia in the "China" forum, because, like, ya know, it's sorta-kinda the same geographic area....kinda.

Who is making these decisions?

[King_David]

4. Hanging Gays in Iran is beyond repulsive ,and they should befall the same Fate as Libya ! nt

[King_David]

5. Envoy Oren: Iran-Israel relations could change if regime falls

http://www.haaretz.com/news/envoy-oren-iran-israel-relations-could-change-if-regime-falls-1.260932



What I posted is an excellent reason for the Iranian regime to fall in of itself !

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Actually Iran is doing whatever it can to attack the "Little Satan"

You may want to read up on that before making such a bold but false statement 'the only thing Iran has in common with Israel is that they both begin with the same letter. " again.

[MADem]

11. Please, spare me the fucking lectures.

Then read the article, and tell me why it is posted in the IP forum instead of in GD--there is no reason why the murder of gays in Iran should be highlighted in a forum that was set up--specifically--to quarantine shitfit fights over the Israeli-Palestinian question so they didn't crap all over the general forums.

Context, "Professor," CONTEXT. Big fucking "DUH" that Iran and Israel have a history--but that is NOT THE CONTEXT of this article (which is what I meant--and I should know, as I lived in Iran for many years).

This article is about the conduct of the regime against homosexuals, and in that CONTEXT has nothing the fuck to do with Israel.

This article does NOT belong in this forum.

Big eye roll.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. Clearly you need them

Note that Israel is the only nation in the Middle East that accepts gays, Bahais and other groups that muslims say should be stoned on sight.

[MADem]

13. And that's your halfassed justification that this article should be hidden in the I/P forum?

FWIW, Israel isn't universally in love with gays. Talk to some of those guys in the bigass hats, sidecurls, and Columbine coats and ask them how they feel about 'em.

That said, your "note" is irreleveant to the discussion. This is not the "Mideast" forum, it is the ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN FORUM, which, as I said, was set up to quarantine pissing contests over the I-P issues.

Articles about Iran do NOT BELONG HERE.

FWIW, Iran is considered "south west Asia"--not Middle Eastern--they do not speak Arabic and do not have an "Arabic" culture. They speak Persian and no small number of them regard themselves as vastly more cultured and superior to Arabs, and sincerely believe that they have a right to everything from Iran to the Med, and should have dominion over the Holy Places, and the people that reside therein. In their food, in their music, in their films, in their way of life, and in their language, they are closer to Afghanistan, Pakistan, even INDIA, than they are to Arabs living right over the Zagros.

[King_David]

6. Israeli Ambassador to US Calls for 'Regime Change' in Iran, Syria

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0428-07.htm


What I posted is proof he had the right idea .

[CanonRay]

7. A role model for America under the Dominionists

and President Rick Perry.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Horrible.

I am not sure of the relevance to I/P, but of course this is an extremely important issue in itself.

Here's a link to an article about persecution of gays in Iran and elsewhere, that mentions some new human rights groups and campaigns.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/13/gay-rights-world-of-inequality

You may be interested in the Iran Human Rights organization:

http://www.iranhr.net

[MADem]

9. I agree--and it won't get much play in this, the wrong forum.

This shit has been going on for YEARS in Iran. Anytime I hear any defense of those pigs running that country, I get sick and disgusted.

They will drive a drott crane into a village, and use the thing to hang people high, for crimes such as "rape" (code for being gay) or being "unvirtuous" (code for being a human being with normal urges). If you are a woman who gets molested by a pervert uncle, you get hanged and the uncle walks free. See, it is always the woman's fault, because she's a "temptress." Wish I was making this up but I am not.

They are KILLING people in the public square in towns all over Iran, and then they drive the crane away, off to another town, to hang a few more. Sick fucks.