Four Gay Men and One Woman Tell Haaretz What Life Is Really Like a ‘Homophobic Society’ Where Pretendg to Be Straight Is Often a Matter of Survival
Contents:
- GAY PALTIAN AHMAD ABU MARHIA BEHEAD WT BANK
- WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY GAZA: MEETG ISRAELIS ON DATG APPS, EVADG HAMAS AND PLOTTG ESPE
- BTAL MURR OF PALTIAN GAY MAN IS A REMR TO ALL LGBT PEOPLE
- NOWHERE TO RUN: GAY PALTIAN ASYLUM-SEEKERS ISRAEL
- EXPLORG GAY PALTE
- MAP SHOWS WHERE IT’S ILLEGAL TO BE GAY – 30 YEARS SCE WHO DECLASSIFIED HOMOSEXUALY AS DISEASE
GAY PALTIAN AHMAD ABU MARHIA BEHEAD WT BANK
The Paltian Authory’s vlent treatment of the gay muny unr s le offers a gloomy remr of this muny’s difficult suatn most Mlim untri. * gays in palestine *
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Paltian Authory’s vlent treatment of the gay muny unr s le offers a gloomy remr of this muny’s difficult suatn most Mlim untri. Paltian policemen not only forcibly prevented the gatherg but issued a harsh and threateng warng to members of the gay muny.
There are dozens of s of gay Paltians om the PA, and even om the wir Arab and Mlim world, who have sought refuge Israel om persecutn they suffered their own untri. Gay rights Arab and Mlim untri are not much different om those of women and prisoners those lands, meang they don’t have any.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE GAY GAZA: MEETG ISRAELIS ON DATG APPS, EVADG HAMAS AND PLOTTG ESPE
In a Society Where Homosexualy Could Be Punishable by Death, Gay Gazans Keep Their Inty Secret * gays in palestine *
Not a sgle Arab untry rpects the rights of the gay muny, though the level of tolerance and persecutn differs om untry to untry.
In untri such as Iran, Mrania, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, and Nigeria, the penalty for homosexual activy is ath. In 2005, two teenagers, aged sixteen and eighteen, were publicly hanged for beg homosexual, and 2012, seven men were executed on the same charge. In some s Iranian homosexuals are arrted and murred whout trial, while the policians and clerics ny or ignore the phenomenon.
In one of the most ridiculo statements ever ma on this subject, Iran’s then-print Mahmoud Ahmadejad, durg a speech at Columbia Universy September 2007, nied that homosexuals were executed Iran wh the claim that “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.
BTAL MURR OF PALTIAN GAY MAN IS A REMR TO ALL LGBT PEOPLE
* gays in palestine *
” On June 10, 2019, durg a vis to Germany, Iranian FM Javad Zarif fend the executn of homosexuals as a moral measure tend to safeguard the prcipl and valu of the Islamic Republic. In Kuwa, Article 193 of the Penal Co stipulat up to six years’ imprisonment for homosexual ntact, while Article 198 stipulat eight years’ imprisonment for anyone who imat a member of the other sex (i. In 2013, Kuwa barred entry to foreign workers who were spected of beg homosexual, and appoted a mtee to vet each g worker.
Bee of the World Cup soccer tournament schled to be held Qatar 2022, legislatn agast the gay muny that untry was halted, as were arrts and punishments of s members. In recent years, wh the advent of relative openns on this and other issu, Sdi Arabia has stopped executg homosexuals.
NOWHERE TO RUN: GAY PALTIAN ASYLUM-SEEKERS ISRAEL
"Meet me at Arafat Square,” my gay Paltian iend Najeeb texted me, “I’ll take you to one of the queer fés Ramallah.” * gays in palestine *
” In Lebanon, Tunisia, and Moroc, the treatment of homosexuals is ls vlent, possibly bee of the fluence of the Wt (particularly France) on those untri.
EXPLORG GAY PALTE
The Qur’an mak no reference to the punishment or executn of homosexuals, but many Mlim clerics neverthels regard homosexualy as a crime.
It unfortunately do not appear that the near future will see any change the treatment of the gay muny by Mlim untri, Iran, or the Paltian Authory, which ntu to treat s own gay cizens btally. Homosexualy is rejected wh the most socially and religly nservative parts of both Paltian and Israeli societi but gay people Israel n eely lead their liv. While there are few gay Paltians who are darg to speak out about their homosexualy, Yehya, like many others, has no tentn of jog them.
“I thank God that my fay and iends know nothg about my homosexualy, and I prefer thgs to stay the way they are, ” he says. Islam, the relign of the majory of Paltians, views homosexualy as a viatn om the norm, wh Islamic scholars nsentg that all humans are “naturally heterosexual” a rult, many Paltian homosexuals are a left wh no choice but to close themselv off om society, makg hard to know the actual number of homosexuals the untry. “I don’t know the exact number of homosexuals the occupied Paltian terrori, but the number is relatively high, ” not many, however, hidg their homosexualy for fear of social stigma wh a high price.
MAP SHOWS WHERE IT’S ILLEGAL TO BE GAY – 30 YEARS SCE WHO DECLASSIFIED HOMOSEXUALY AS DISEASE
As almost all men live wh their fai until they're married, homosexuals e unr prsure to nform to societal and fay expectatns. They are even willg to attack homosexuals verbally, ” says 25-year-old Abdu, a Paltian gay activist, who liv Abdu, who om a nservative Mlim background, beg gay Palte is not a problem, the problem is homophobia. “Gays are looked down upon, not only Palte, but other Arab untri as well, ” he many others who live closeted liv risk of beg disowned and dishonoured by their fai, Abdu had no tentn of lettg his fay know about his homosexualy.
“They tortured me so to adm that I’m an Israeli spy, I told them even if you’ll kill me I won’t adm anythg other than my homosexualy, ” he adds.
Abdu later managed to get out of the untry and was granted a polil asylum Paltian law don't crimalise homosexualy, there is no specific civil rights legislatn to protect homosexuals. Acrdg to different reports, the Israeli telligence (Sh Bet) has, different s, blackmailed Paltian homosexuals to llaboratg wh them by threateng to expose them. In her published letter, she said that sce 2000, the Sh Bet has had a policy of blackmailg gay Paltians and “threateng to ot them unls they bee rmants agast their own people.