This story made me actually weep. Those poor boys. These stories make me think of my gay son and whilst all stories of discrimination, oppression and cruelty touch me, this particular story cut me to the core. I have nothing to say about Iran and all these other barbaric places that hasn’t been said before. We can never change these people and their policies. They haven’t changed in hundreds of years, they can’t keep step with the rest of world. It’s heartbreaking.
Actually, although this will no doubt raise a furore amongst some of the readers here. I can’t help but think that while everyone is fussing about the right to get married, these poor people in these evil countries would just like the right to live and be.
It is a worthy cause, to raise awareness of what happens in Iran. With international politics where it is today, we all need to know that the country is still full of human beings.
But I find it sad that some people believe that with mere words, they can pressure regimes like Iran into changing their ways.
It is almost as tragic as the persecution itself.
You’re so right Stuie. These people simply can never be changed with words. BUT, it is the people at the top of these heaps that are the real horrors. Most muslims have no idea what the Koran says. They only know what they are taught by their Mullahs. They are deliberately indoctrinated in the worse possible way to keep the faith, so the few in power keep their power. They are deliberately kept ignorant. Most of these countries, the rank and file are too busy trying to feed themselves and their families to question anything. The main thing is, they believe that their reward will be waiting for them in heaven ad if they don’t live the way they are told to they will burn in hell forever. They really believe this truly and wholeheartedly, so they can never be persuaded that the ways of the Western world are anything but satanic, immoral and un islamic and nothing will persuade them otherwise.
I remember I was sitting in the King William in Hampstead when this story was reported in the Gay Press. Despite the pub being busy, it was quiet in a most unusual way as each of us tried to understand how a country could hang two young boys for being gay.
None of us should ever take our freedom for granted, and none of us should ever forget those who made it possible for us.
These two boys who met a most horrific death by suspension strangulation, not hanging, as is always being reported, but being lifted by a rope by a crane which is an entirely different and most awful death.
We should never stop being horrified or appalled, and we should never stop fighting and standing up for those with no voice.
It is not difficult to find numerous other cases of execution in Iran for homosexuality. As their dear president reported recently, they don’t have gay people in Iran. They always find other charges to execute them. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/iran-executes-men-homosexuality-charges – read this article for an idea of what’s going on there. I don’t think there is anything sentimental about these comments. If you can’t relate to the notion of young men being executed for being gay, then you clearly don’t belong on here. Maybe your Username isn’t so ironic!
As news editor for Gay Times when this happened, I first reported it as fact.
I spent a lot of time researching the story and found it was without foundation.
As did other gay and human rights campaigners who actually looked into it.
I think it’s awful anyone is killed like these young men were.
I also think raping children is wrong.
Do you?
I do of course, unfortunately all my research shows that in order to keep up with the notion that Iran has ‘no gays’ – other more ‘acceptable’ reasons for the executions proliferate. Given the number of executions and the various spurious convictions leading to the executions I don’t believe it is possible to make any other judgement other than this execution was barbaric and disgusting. IF they did indeed rape a child, I still can’t bring myself to think that this execution was just. This may well be the subject of another debate entirely vis a vis death penalties, the relevance of which here, is only that Iran is clearly using the death penalty to execute people whose only crime is being gay! I also stand by my comments, that those of us who deplored this execution were not guilty of ‘Orientalist sentimental drivel’
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This story made me actually weep. Those poor boys. These stories make me think of my gay son and whilst all stories of discrimination, oppression and cruelty touch me, this particular story cut me to the core. I have nothing to say about Iran and all these other barbaric places that hasn’t been said before. We can never change these people and their policies. They haven’t changed in hundreds of years, they can’t keep step with the rest of world. It’s heartbreaking.
Actually, although this will no doubt raise a furore amongst some of the readers here. I can’t help but think that while everyone is fussing about the right to get married, these poor people in these evil countries would just like the right to live and be.
I like to think that every step in whatever country is like a ripple in a pond that spreads and eventually touches the whole pond.
If it wasn’t for the push for gay marriage in Western nations then perhaps we wouldn’t even hear about the horrors of places like Iran.
Very true Ron, I’d like to think this too, but I don’t think so. Muslim countries don’t give a flying fig what the rest of the world thinks.
It is a worthy cause, to raise awareness of what happens in Iran. With international politics where it is today, we all need to know that the country is still full of human beings.
But I find it sad that some people believe that with mere words, they can pressure regimes like Iran into changing their ways.
It is almost as tragic as the persecution itself.
You’re so right Stuie. These people simply can never be changed with words. BUT, it is the people at the top of these heaps that are the real horrors. Most muslims have no idea what the Koran says. They only know what they are taught by their Mullahs. They are deliberately indoctrinated in the worse possible way to keep the faith, so the few in power keep their power. They are deliberately kept ignorant. Most of these countries, the rank and file are too busy trying to feed themselves and their families to question anything. The main thing is, they believe that their reward will be waiting for them in heaven ad if they don’t live the way they are told to they will burn in hell forever. They really believe this truly and wholeheartedly, so they can never be persuaded that the ways of the Western world are anything but satanic, immoral and un islamic and nothing will persuade them otherwise.
I remember I was sitting in the King William in Hampstead when this story was reported in the Gay Press. Despite the pub being busy, it was quiet in a most unusual way as each of us tried to understand how a country could hang two young boys for being gay.
None of us should ever take our freedom for granted, and none of us should ever forget those who made it possible for us.
These two boys who met a most horrific death by suspension strangulation, not hanging, as is always being reported, but being lifted by a rope by a crane which is an entirely different and most awful death.
We should never stop being horrified or appalled, and we should never stop fighting and standing up for those with no voice.
They were hanged for raping a child.
Sorry to interrupt this stream of Orientalist sentimental drivel…
It is not difficult to find numerous other cases of execution in Iran for homosexuality. As their dear president reported recently, they don’t have gay people in Iran. They always find other charges to execute them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/iran-executes-men-homosexuality-charges – read this article for an idea of what’s going on there. I don’t think there is anything sentimental about these comments. If you can’t relate to the notion of young men being executed for being gay, then you clearly don’t belong on here. Maybe your Username isn’t so ironic!
As news editor for Gay Times when this happened, I first reported it as fact.
I spent a lot of time researching the story and found it was without foundation.
As did other gay and human rights campaigners who actually looked into it.
I think it’s awful anyone is killed like these young men were.
I also think raping children is wrong.
Do you?
I do of course, unfortunately all my research shows that in order to keep up with the notion that Iran has ‘no gays’ – other more ‘acceptable’ reasons for the executions proliferate. Given the number of executions and the various spurious convictions leading to the executions I don’t believe it is possible to make any other judgement other than this execution was barbaric and disgusting. IF they did indeed rape a child, I still can’t bring myself to think that this execution was just. This may well be the subject of another debate entirely vis a vis death penalties, the relevance of which here, is only that Iran is clearly using the death penalty to execute people whose only crime is being gay! I also stand by my comments, that those of us who deplored this execution were not guilty of ‘Orientalist sentimental drivel’