Swedish gay rights group calls on government to halt deportations of homosexuals to Iran after the hanging of two gay youths there this week.
UK gay group OutRage says three of its leaders have received death threats from Muslim fundamentalists. Warns of larger danger to gay community as gay venues may be prime targets for bombers.
Latvian court gives go ahead for first gay pride parade. Homophobic violence feared. Riga city council had banned the event. Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis: "[Riga should] not promote things like that. For sexual minorities to parade in the very heart of Riga, next to the Doma church, is unacceptable."
Posted Jul. 22,2005 at 4:57 PM EST by Andy Towle in Elsewhere | Permalink
As I posted here on the hanging thread, I competely agree that our gay nightclubs, circuit parties and pride parades are PRIME targets for homo-hating muslim terrorists. We may well be next.
We should all be on the lookout at, our gay events, for suspicious characters. For example, with backpacks and satchels, acting strangely...especially if they also fit the Middle Eastern/North African racial profile.
Posted by: Cassius | Jul 22, 2005 5:56:32 PM
That's the crux of the problem cassius.
Generalizations. While I can sympathize with where you're coming from, what about gay muslims? What about gay arabs?
And what of the many moderates who are not "homo-hating." As we all know, islam or "middle eastern/north africans" have no monopoly on "homo hating," so there's no need to come up with a "racial profile". To do so would be offensive and ethnocentric - negating the claim that the west has some kind of civilization worth protecting.
Posted by: Peter Konefal | Jul 23, 2005 2:55:28 AM
I dont agree. We cannot be "civilized" when dealing with these fundamentalists. Cassius is right in looking for signs among Muslim racial profiles, because while there may be homophobes in any community, no-one takes their stuff so morbidly seriously like them mullahs. They say all religions are equal, and that all religious texts preach love. Its blatantly untrue. Koran is not against going to any lengths to spead Islam and that heavens of bliss and virgins await those who are prepared to convert the infidels. In fact, so apparent is the Muslim hatred for gays, it is only a matter of time that a gay hangout is viciously attacked.
Posted by: Nik | Jul 23, 2005 3:32:10 AM
cassius,i'm sorry to blow your thesis.....
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/10/224350/995
as for your notion that the Gay Comunity is a target for Al Qaeda....erm,not.Al Qaeda will carry on with their attacks,regardless of their victims sexuality.as long as the bush administration continues sacrificing it's own Soldiers as well as killing Iraqi Civilians. We are all potential Victims,wether gay,straight or even ,like in London,People who 'fit the Middle Eastern/North African racial profile'
Posted by: Marcel | Jul 24, 2005 2:08:55 PM
there are plenty of instances of same-sex relationships written about in an completely acepted and exalted way, as are later works of Arab eroticism. Similar to anything found in Plato. Rumi is one example. a ban/stigma on pre-marital heterosex found outles through gay and lesbian sexual acts... it wasn't a death inducing choice, the bible is the holy book that calls for death.
The West/Colonialism introduced the concept of homophobia, and now it's being used in interrogation techniques and extreme humiliation scenarios to break, and kill, other human beings. good job, christian soldiers! onwards!
also, i think someone's been watching too much Queer As Folk. Didn't Pittsburgh fundamentalists blow babylon up last week?
Posted by: Jennie | Jul 24, 2005 3:15:34 PM
Marcel - No, Al Queda will continue to kill people as long as their are people on the planet Earth who do not agree religiously with everything Al Queda believes in. What the Bush administration does or does not do is irrelevant to their decision to exist and make war to the death on us nonbelievers.
They have a certain well-documented special contempt for us gay infidels, however, thus it is reasonble to assume we are at the top of their hit list these days. I don't know about you, but I'M taking extra precautions.
Jennie - The Muslim death penalty for homosexuality comes from the hadiths, which are a collection of the reputed sayings and deeds of Mohammed. While its not considered a "holy book" per se it is still a very authoritative source in Islam and as the basis for much Sharia Law, as can be seen by the barbaric gay hangings and stonings in Iran and Nigeria.
And since the compilation dates back to the 9th century AD, it clearly predates "The West/Colonialism" by several centuries.
Did Club Babylon really get blown up on QAF? I haven't watched since the second season. Well, thats one way to end the series.
Posted by: Cassius | Jul 24, 2005 8:46:19 PM
haha. yes they got babylon.
cassius, my point is that islamic culture, nevermind the recorded sayings of the prophet, well it kind of rolled along with a vibrant homosexual culture, a celebrated one. how many ways has any sayings of the prophet, jesus, laws, codes of conduct, ethics et cetera been reinterpreted or stretched or abused by whatever sect, fundamentalist or otherwise. christian or islamic?
also, how would you explain abu ghraib? they acted alone, none of it sanctioned by washington? christian warrior culture? the apocalyptic clash of cultures? torture specifically designed in keeping with extreme homophobic shame?
doesn't that ring any bells for you? doesn't it extend your paranoia?
oh, AND brian and justin are going to get married. it's all going to be gender normative. yay!
Posted by: jennie | Jul 24, 2005 9:20:07 PM
Beautiful Jennie! The paranoid doesn't understand and learn from the Great Narrative. (history)
Posted by: Damon | Jul 25, 2005 3:52:52 AM
cassius,if you believe that these attacks are irrelevant to the Iraq War,then,with all due respect,you are living in Utopia.
According to CIA Director Porter J. Goss ,"Islamic extremists are exploiting the Iraqi conflict to recruit new anti-U.S. jihadists".So, assuming your precautions include avoiding public Transport as well as beeing on the lookout for People
'with backpacks and satchels, acting strangely...especially if they also fit the Middle Eastern/North African racial profile',i trust that you are safe.
Posted by: Marcel | Jul 25, 2005 8:12:13 AM
last thing. in bin laden's last statement, during the elections, he made a point to say that the attacks were in opposition to specific American foreign policy, that the attacks were aimed at crippling our economy, and that if it was a culture war, as bush and his administration would like us to believe, why didn't they attack sweden.
"Unlike what Bush says --- that we hate freedom ---- let him tell us why didn’t we attack Sweden, for example.”
if bin-Laden and his followers and supporters hate America, freedom and democracy, why were they working withf the US in the late 1980s, when America was Reagan's and our economy was getting there and we enjoyed the same freedom and democracy as in 2001, if not more?
Posted by: jennie | Jul 25, 2005 9:30:13 AM
Different terrorists say different things. The Madrid train bombers reportedly wanted to reestablish the Muslim califate of Corduba in southern Spain. Al Zarquawi in Iraq, well, his pet peeve was democracy. Not just in Iraq, but worldwide he said; called it some kind of plot to destroy Islam. Worldwide Sharia Law was the only way to go.
I'm just wondering... do you think we should we give into all these terrorist demands, or just some of them?
BTW, this new anti-terror strategy of yours was tried back in 1938. There was this really evil fellow back them, can't quite recall his name... anyways, said he wanted half Czechoslovakia, and threatened to be really mean and nasty if he did not get it.
Anyways, the western leaders back then had the same great anti-terror idea you are currently advocating... and changed its foreign policy to accomodate the bad guy. Basically, gave him half of Czechoslovakia.
Well, you know what? It did not work.
But you know, MAYBE that was just bad luck. MAYBE if we try your strategy on today's terrorists, it'll work this time. Hope springs eternal!
Posted by: Cassius | Jul 25, 2005 12:25:39 PM