This is a letter I sent to a dear friend after he sent me the latest sob-story article on gays in the Middle East, penned by Peter Tatchell of the group Outrage! The article describes a host of horrific crimes committed against Iraqis because of their assumed sexual orientation. Before you judge me and my response, know that I am extremely concerned about sexual justice and variety in the Arab world, it’s a topic I’ve written about extensively. I am equally concerned with distortions of that sexuality:
It’s true, the contents of the article you sent are extremely disturbing. The problem is the story is not as simple as Peter Tatchell represents it. Tatchell is an extremely unreliable propagandeer who has lied on record in the past. He was instrumental in over-publicizing the “murder” of two Iranian minors who had raped a child, saying they died because they were gay, rather than because they were rapists (For an excellent analysis of this controversy, see Richard Kim’s article in the Nation) Him and his friend Brian Whitaker (from the Guardian) have consistently exaggerated homophobia in the Middle East and have made very loud and messy “human rights” interventions into the Middle East that have hurt more than helped the people they were reportedly trying to save. Did you see how Tatchell said that, if you want to send money to these poor Iraqis, please send money to his organization, Outrage? They have an interest in painting a horrific portrait of the Middle east. Also, Whitaker moderates the principle gayrab website Al-Bab, the portal to all things gay and middle-eastern. Isn’t it strange that a white dude should take such an “innocent” interest in the lives of Others?In my opinion, homophobia is a totally MODERN phenomenon in the Arab world, I would say in the last 15-20 years it has proliferated. It is hard, if not impossible, to determine why these kinds of changes in perception happen, but I really believe that it’s because Arab men were made to feel ashamed of their male-male bonds, which had been very sensual and affectionate, so that now they have lost this part of their heritage totally. It’s very sad. And also, it’s important to note that the identity politics of being “gay” or “straight”, of having an exclusive sexual orientation, have only arrived in the region recently.
On the same theme, Ahmedinejad sat down with Democracy Now! this week and said some pretty surprising things (and some lame things) about sexuality in Iran, above and beyond his oft-misinterpreted statement about there being no “gays” in Iran. Here is the transcript.
It also includes a great interview with Kourosh Shemirani of the Queer Iran Alliance. See here for one of his illuminating article on the ways July 19th, the international day of protest and mourning for the two Iranian minors killed, has been abused by some international LGBT human rights groups and propped up as a reason for intervention, military and otherwise.
Related posts:
- Why Ahmedinejad Thinks There are No Gays in Iran
- “We don’t have Martians in Iran”
- Iranian University Chancellors Ask Bollinger 10 Questions
- Seymour Hersh: America Provoking Iran
- Today In History
Great response. The reduction of one’s identity thus is even more dangerous when it can be seen to be tied in to the needs of markets and Capital. Meaning, anything more complex than binary black and white has to be “civilized” and tamed. The backlash against this is growing it seems to me.
Posted by Daniel | September 29, 2008, 12:08 amGreat post!
Posted by Mwee | September 29, 2008, 9:23 amdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmdaniel, do you mean the market and capital pressures of the charity industry?
Posted by Mehammed "Abou" Mack | September 29, 2008, 12:04 pmThank you for posting the article and the links. As a queer Arab and Muslim I have the same views on Whitaker and his publications.
Posted by عربي-أمريكي | September 29, 2008, 10:59 pmI meant in terms of, say, the war to open up Iraq for exploitation, it is strange to hear the U.S. State department championing “homosexuals” as a targeted minority there, then to hear this parroted by useless gay rights organizations. Ditto Iran….So the NGOs etc. end up being the operating arm of imperialist ventures using “humanitarian” reasoning to justify their presence.
Posted by Daniel | October 6, 2008, 4:13 am