04/09/2008
Egypt Sentences Five Men to 3-Year Prison Terms for Being Gay
Because they're gay. Disgusting:
"An Egyptian judicial official says four HIV-positive men have been convicted of being homosexual and sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of close police supervision. The official says on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press that a fifth man without HIV was also convicted and received the same sentence. The defense lawyer for the five, Adel Ramadan, says the judge convicted the men of the 'habitual practice of debauchery,' a term used in the Egyptian legal system to denote consensual homosexual acts."
Yesterday, I posted about reports that Egypt's recent crackdown on gays was an effort to out-moralize Islamists condemning the "perceived depravity" of Arab autocratic states. That article said that "Four of (nine men arrested) were sentenced to a year in prison for debauchery, a crime that Egyptian law defines as having sex for money or with a number of partners over an extended period. Five of the remaining eight face trial April 9 on the same charge even though they were found to be free of disease."
We now know the outcome of the other five cases.
Egypt sentences 4 HIV-positive men to 3 years in prison for 'debauchery' [iht]
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 11:10 AM EST by Andy in AIDS/HIV, Egypt, News | Permalink
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I will continue to believe that most Egyptians, most Arabs, most Muslims--if they knew about this cruelty, would think it was inhuman, and a corruption of Islam. It is misusing Islam to do evil. I'm going to continue to believe that.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Apr 9, 2008 12:09:38 PM
Well...cross Egypt off my list of countries to visit.
Posted by: peterparker | Apr 9, 2008 12:42:43 PM
If I am not mistaken, after Israel, Egypt is the second largest recpient of US foreign aid annually (taking Iraq out of the equation). For figures that only run though 2005, it appears that $65+ BILLION has been pumped into this nation.
Posted by: Keith in Boston | Apr 9, 2008 12:43:09 PM
You & I both,DERRICK...You & I both!**Ugh**
Posted by: Shabaka | Apr 9, 2008 1:06:19 PM
Not to put too fine a point on it, but....I guess it's better than being killed, like in some other Middle East countries.
Posted by: PistolPetey | Apr 9, 2008 1:16:46 PM
fuck them.
i hate this shit. the only reason the bastards get away with this is because of american patronage. i will bet anyone dollars to donuts that if this country had not been neutered by bush/cheney and the neocons, we as a unified, dignified people could use our power to exact changes in these brutal countries. but, we cannot; we are flaccid, deflated by our hubris.
did you hear that? no? then listen again. listen every-fucking-second. and you will hear the silent scream of another life snuffed out by ignorance.
i did not sign up for this banana boat ride. why have the buffoons taken over? why are my tax dollars and yours' being thrown into the vortex of false hope and limp aspirations? why do we continue to pay the impotent monkey-boys their salaries?
ok, i need to simma, simmahdonnah.
Posted by: nic | Apr 9, 2008 1:24:06 PM
I WILL CONTINUE TO BELIEVE ALL MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS AND MUSLIMS ARE CRUEL AND NEED TO BE DEALT WITH DEADLY FORCE.
Posted by: THE PUNISHER | Apr 9, 2008 3:06:01 PM
The Egyptian government is persecuting GLBT citizens to placate the Islamic Brotherhood and other muslim fundamentalists, just as the Republican Bush Administration promotes antigay legislation and policies to placate christian fundamentalists.
The same sick thinking was behind the Democratic (sic) Clintons support for federal and state DOMAS and DADT. It’s why Bill Clinton bought campaign ads on southern religious radio stations owned by vermin like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell to brag about his support for DOMA. It’s why Barney Frank trashed ENDA and why the Democrats (sic) ditched it and the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act. It’s the ‘reasoning’ behind Democrat (sic) Obama hopping in and out of bed with gay bashing vermin like Donnie McClurkin and Mary Mary and why he refused to take clear positions on abortion.
It’s the worst sort of hypocrisy and racist islamophobia to call for US intervention in the affairs of muslim nations. The genocidal murder of over one million Iraq’s is all the proof anyone needs. LGBT folk, unionists and other groups will take care of both the ayatollahs and the zionists in the muslim nations when the time is ripe.
Posted by: Bill Perdue, RainbowRED | Apr 9, 2008 7:14:09 PM
The US $$ in Egypt might be keeping the economy going enough to keep the Muslim Brotherhood from gaining full support of the masses. Or maybe not. A big, big problem is that Egypt doesn't have a thriving economy that can create jobs for the masses of young men. This is the same situation that produced most of the 19/20 9/11 hijackers (from Saudi).
As reprehensible as the treatment of gay folks in Egypt is, I don't think there are easy solutions. But one of them would be to publicize their ill-treatment in Europe. This is where most tourists to Egypt come from and most Europeans would abhor that kind of treatment.
Posted by: David R. | Apr 9, 2008 11:39:23 PM
I was born in Athens, Greece and raised in Athens, the Greek isles, Venice, Istanbul, Alexandria (Egypt), Monte Carlo, the Vatican and Montreal. I've spent countless summers in Egypt as a child and now as an adult. I've sailed the nile, ridden camels in Cairo, danced with Coptics in Alexandria and had beer with Nubian tribes in lower Egypt. I simply love Egypt, from its glorious past to its vibrant present. The Egyptian people are a very kind people, a proud people and very hospitable to foreigners. I think you would get better treatment in Cairo than you would in my country or Paris. The complexity that is Egypt is one of great contrasts. I went to Cairo for universtity and it is a very complex situation that makes up modern Egypt. First, what is an Egyptian today. Most of Egypt is made up of foreigners, mostly from sub-saharran Africa. These are black people from many different tribes. Most of them are in the south of the country. The best known of these people are the Nubians or tribes from modern day Sudan. Middle Egypt is home to many different kinds of Arab peoples, jews and other north African tribes. Cairo, the capital, is the melting pot where all of these people and modern day Egyptians live. Alexandria, is where many of my people still live from Cleopatras time. This is where many of the Coptic Egyptians live. Egypt is a hub for fashion, art, music, film and theater in the Islamic world. It is actually quite progressive, but it depends in what part of the country you live in. If you are in Alexadria, then you can go out to the clubs dressed like a Greek/Egyptian pharoh like I do and not be bothered. Now if you do that in Cairo you may get a lecture from someone on the street or from the fashion police. Now I understand why you are all complaining, I do, but you must understand that this is not an Anglo-Christian society. It is a very differnt culture, a very different one. It is a culture that requires under-standing and an ability to step outside ones comfort zone and allow yourself to take in something that is completely different to what you know as reality. Homosexuality is illegal in the Islamic world and in some countries it is punishable by death. Now, I do not agree with this, but you can't do anything about it and you shouldn't. If you don't like it, then don't go and put it out of your life. Why complain, it does no good. That is why so many of them dislike the US and the UK, you are the only ones that constantly complain. These men are not going to go to jail for however many years, that is how it is in Egypt. They will be released shortly. Homosexuality in Egypt is more to do with the feminizing of men and that is how they look at it. They administer tests and look into your rectum to see if youve been penetrated, that is what they truly frown upon. I have flirted with every man in Egypt and nobody has ever complained about me. Now I am a member of a certain Venitian family that does things a bit differently, but still I've had a blast in Egytp. I've never had sex with an Egyptian in Egypt, but I have had sex in Egypt, mostly in Alexandria. Most of you that are complaining are justified and I understand. Many of you are American as well and that does not surprise me. America used to hang blacks from trees not even 40 years ago and you eventually moved on. Leave these people alone and let them figure it out on there own, they will over-come, I have faith in them. Excuse my English if it is wrong mates and excuse me for writing this lecture, I just feel a close releationship to Egypt and I thought I should say something on there behalf. I will look into what is happening with these men in Cairo and ask my family and my government to look into it if it is in these mens best interest. One thing that the Islamic countries do is banishement and we can look into bringing them to Greece. So, all is well. Ciao.
Posted by: Caligula | Apr 10, 2008 8:08:40 PM
One thing I would like to ad is that Egypt is very cautious on inflicting Islamic rule because so much of the population is non-Egyptian and don't understand these laws. Most of these people are poor and cant read and dont know a thing about Egyptian society. It will take Egypt about 50 years to have complete Islamic rule. Many Egyptians who are Coptic or who are educated don't abide by such laws. It is complicated because you have every aspect of government in Egypt. You have pro-Arab, Egytian, African, christian, European influence all strugling for dominance. One other thing one should take interest in is all of the homo-erotic art that is in Egyptian museums, especially in Alexandria, is looked upon with national pride. Ofcourse, only Egypts wealthy and educated abide by this.
Posted by: Caligula | Apr 10, 2008 8:21:42 PM
Really? hard to believe.i heard this news times from many friends playing on a tall dating site~~~~ Tallmingle.com ~~~,i did not believe, i think that they are know nothing but dating and love.
i am wrong.
Posted by: cora | Apr 11, 2008 4:53:22 AM