Death squads targeting Iraq's "emo" youth
- 12 years ago
Warning: This edit contains graphic material
Anger, fear and defiance among Iraq's gay and 'emo' community after a series of murders.
A gay activist who works as a doctor's assistant holds a photo of a friend killed last month.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT AND ALSO A GAY ACTIVIST, USING THE PSEUDONYM 'ROBY HURRIYA', SAYING:
"They called me at sunset and told me that they laid him down on the pavement and smashed his head with a cement block."
Death squads are targeting both homosexuals and those who dress in the "emo" style, mistakenly associating the Western punk trend with sexual preference.
At least 14 young men have been stoned to death in the last three weeks in east Baghdad, and Shi'ite militia groups have circulated lists of more targets.
There is no official tally of the murders.
One shoe store clerk said he cut his hair and no longer wears black out of fear.
Still, he is defiant against those who may target him.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) HAFIDH JAMEEL, SAYING:
"What will happen? Let them kill me. They killed my close friends. They want to kill me, let them kill me."
Some say they are moving around to avoid recognition and others are fleeing Baghdad or leaving the country.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic)) NOOR, 19-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN, SAYING:
"We have not hurt anyone. Why are they doing this to us? We are young men, and everywhere in Iraq we should be free to do whatever we want, to wear what we like, cut our hair how we like. It is our personal freedom."
The Interior Ministry last month labelled the emo subculture as "Satanism".
But recently they said that no murders on its files could be blamed on the reaction to "emo".
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters
Anger, fear and defiance among Iraq's gay and 'emo' community after a series of murders.
A gay activist who works as a doctor's assistant holds a photo of a friend killed last month.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT AND ALSO A GAY ACTIVIST, USING THE PSEUDONYM 'ROBY HURRIYA', SAYING:
"They called me at sunset and told me that they laid him down on the pavement and smashed his head with a cement block."
Death squads are targeting both homosexuals and those who dress in the "emo" style, mistakenly associating the Western punk trend with sexual preference.
At least 14 young men have been stoned to death in the last three weeks in east Baghdad, and Shi'ite militia groups have circulated lists of more targets.
There is no official tally of the murders.
One shoe store clerk said he cut his hair and no longer wears black out of fear.
Still, he is defiant against those who may target him.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) HAFIDH JAMEEL, SAYING:
"What will happen? Let them kill me. They killed my close friends. They want to kill me, let them kill me."
Some say they are moving around to avoid recognition and others are fleeing Baghdad or leaving the country.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic)) NOOR, 19-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN, SAYING:
"We have not hurt anyone. Why are they doing this to us? We are young men, and everywhere in Iraq we should be free to do whatever we want, to wear what we like, cut our hair how we like. It is our personal freedom."
The Interior Ministry last month labelled the emo subculture as "Satanism".
But recently they said that no murders on its files could be blamed on the reaction to "emo".
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters