12/03/2008
Iraqi Journalist Jailed for Writing about Homosexuality
Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, two groups committed to the freedom of journalists abroad, have called on the Iraqi government to free Adel Hussein, who was found guilty of violating "public custom" for publishing an article about homosexuality in April 2007 in the independent weekly Hawlati.
Said Reporters without Borders: "Sexual practices are part of the individual freedoms that a democratic state is supposed to promote and protect. Furthermore, Hussein did not defend homosexuality. He limited himself to describing a form of behaviour from a scientific viewpoint."
CPJ reports: "The sentence handed down was based on the outdated 1969 Iraqi penal code, said Luqman Malazadah, Hussein's lawyer. Malazadah told CPJ that he has appealed the court decision. A new press law that took effect in October doesn't recognize violations of 'publish custom' (sic) as an offense and also eliminates prison terms for journalists. The new law also says that a representative of the region's Journalist Syndicate must attend a journalist's trial, but Fatih said that no representative attended Hussein's."
Hussein, who is currently imprisoned in Erbil, received a six-month jail term and was fined 125,000 dinars (85 euros).
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 12:55 PM EST by Andy in Iraq, News | Permalink
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Over 4,000 American lives and maybe 1,000, 000 Iraqi lives sacrificed to create another Iran. Eventually, Iraqis will vote in a national election which will bring an Islamic political party into power. Yes, it will happen democratically, but what was the war for? You can't force other people on this planet to live the way YOU want them to. Change can only come from within...and a little covert help from outside.
George W the Idiot and Dick Cheyney: another Islamic state will be their gift to peace in the Middle East.
Sadam was tyrant and murderer, but he didn't have the same agenda as Osama.
Why would Sadam blow up the West when he wanted to be part of it?
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Dec 3, 2008 1:25:18 PM
The U.N. is moving through an international UN Resolution to BAN BLASPHEMY. This is an outrage, given that there is a strong push by religious fundamentalists to call any civil practise that offents their sense of their religion blasphemy. Yes Virginia, there IS a culture war going on... and if this UN Resolution passes the Islamofascists in Iraq and Iran will just call being gay "blasphemy". (The Christianofascists in the US will too, but they are not jailing and executing people... yet... so they are not as evil as these Islamic theocracies.)
Posted by: Strepsi | Dec 3, 2008 2:31:05 PM
Can you provide a link to the blasphemy resolution? I find it surprising, given that the UN is now seeking votes for a resolution against the criminalization of homosexuality -- a move for which they've been attacked by the Catholic church.
Posted by: Distingué Traces | Dec 3, 2008 3:48:58 PM
Arabs have a real phobia for sex, that is why the Israelis and the Americans (taught by the Israelis) were able to humiliate Arabs by striping them naked and having them stand naked. That's all, being naked. Of course collars and leashes were added, but for a Westerner such treatment would not be torture (some folks like it). Writing an article about Homosexuality must have had Arab heads exploding all over the place.
Posted by: Sargon Bighorn | Dec 3, 2008 6:39:02 PM
Sargon, you are aware that prisoners died at Abu Ghraib?
Posted by: Distingué Traces | Dec 3, 2008 7:07:27 PM
Saddam may have been a bastard -- but Gays in Iraq were not butchered in the streets.
Story after story from Gay Iraqi's tell the same tale - before the USA set them "free" -- they at least had enclaves that were tolerated and they even lived fairly openly.
Iraq was secular before we attacked -- utterly tragic and disgusting what we allowed our Gov't to do!
Posted by: Chapeau | Dec 4, 2008 11:55:27 PM