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Loading ...Iraq cleric: Eradicate homosexuality
05.29.2009 1:10pm EDT
(Baghdad) A radical Shiite cleric has called for the “depravity” of homosexuality to be eradicated but his spokesperson later said that that the remark should not be taken as a fatwa to kill gays.
Moqtada Sadr made the call on Thursday during a seminar of clerics, police and tribal leaders.There has been growing anti-gay violence in Iraq. Last month another Shiite cleric, Sattar al-Battat, repeatedly condemned homosexuality during Friday prayers, saying Islam prohibits homosexuality. Homosexual acts are punishable by up to seven years in prison in Iraq.
The following week, the bodies of two gay men were found in Baghdad’s Shiite slum of Sadr City. Several days later, a third man was found dead on the outskirts of Sadr City. By the end of the month, another three bodies were found and police said four other men were found tortured but alive.
Amnesty International said that in addition to the violence in Sadr City, 25 suspected gays had been killed in recent months in Baghdad.
A group calling itself “Brigades of the Righteous” has posted signs around Sadr City listing the names of alleged homosexuals and threatening to kill them.
Moqtada Sadr’s spokesperson on Friday said that the cleric’s call for the eradication of homosexuality was not an endorsement of the violence.
“Al-Sadr rejects this type of violence,” said Sheikh Wadea al-Atabi. “And anyone who commits violence [against gays] will not be considered as being one of us,” al-Atabi said.
“The only remedy to stop [homosexuality] is through preaching and guidance. There is no other way to put an end to it,” he said.
In addition to Al-Sadr’s remarks Thursday, another Shiite leader at the meeting said that homosexuality “is a disaster that has come to the community,” and a tribal leader from Sadr City, said: “Everybody has to work to preserve the morals of young people from the corrupt phenomena of the West.”
Saddam Hussein at least protected Iraq from the absurdity of Islamic clerics.
I am withdrawing my tax dollars for a bush led and started “crusade war”.. I prefer for the road bombs to kill the clerics.. NO more ‘protection’.. its against my constitution!
Funny how the repulsican party talks about how Iraq is so mean. The republicans would fit in just fine over there.
Let’s put the bath’ist party back in power. At least under saddam Iraq was making SOME kind of progress. This is what happens when Bush family meets Royal Saudi Family. Saudi as*holes snap their fingers and issue ultimatums to the west. Invade Iraq and re-establish our little Islamic sh*thole and we won’t stop the oil flow to the U.S.. Pretty convenient eh?
Mookie needs to be given a garden-tool sex change operation and parachuted into Saudi Arabia.
I’m glad that Al-Sadr is taking a peaceful approach. Religion is too often linked to violence.
For a place which is as violent as this. I consider Al-Sadr’s renouncement of violence against gays to be a positive development.
What can one say?
Oh yeah, it’s the gays causing all their problems. Not the Shiite militias that are killing and mutilating bodies of everyone (not just gays) all over Iraq. Just like Christians, they are both the source of most of the violence and problems in all societies, so they need to project their guilt onto other people that are completely innocent. Muslim/Christian…they are exactly the same. They believe EVERYONE must submit to their superstiations, they believe the government must make laws to support thier superstitions, and the demonize anyone that will not submit! Screw all of them!
DO YOU THINK THE POPE IS BEIND THIS. I THINK HE IS BUDDYS WITH THOSE CLERICS
Seems there are an awful lot of “radical” clerics in the Muslim world – leading one to think that they are not nearly in the “small minority” as the media would have us believe. What truly sick and evil individuals. I wouldn’t wish death on anyone, but anyone who would wish death or harm on someone who is GLBT, is, to my thinking, a danger to their society and better off in jail.
For the benefit of all Iraq, if anybody should be “taken out” in Iraq, it is Moqtada Sadr.
ID LIKE TO SEE A FEW OF THOSE STUPID FKS DEAD TO
Sorry about the mistake between Iraq and Iran.
I thought the president of Iraq said that they did not have homosexuals like we did here in this country. Iraq would probably be better off if a few “clerics” were found dead on the outskirts of the city instead of some homosexuals. Once again religion tries to get everyone to live like they dictate. It makes for much easier control of the population.