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Practicing homosexuality is considered a crime and is punishable under [[Islamic Law|Islamic law]].{{Core}}
Practicing homosexuality is considered a sin in Islam and is punishable under [[Islamic Law|Islamic law]], which is derived from the [[Qur'an|Quran]] and [[Hadith]] (accounts of [[Muhammad|Muhammad's]] life).{{Core}}  
==Introduction==
===Islam's Views===


Islamic [[Shariah|Shari'ah]] law is extracted from both the Qur'an and Muhammad's Sunnah (found in the [[Hadith]] and [[Sira]]). Islamic [[Fiqh|jurisprudence]] are expansion of the laws contained within them by Islamic [[Madh'hab|jurists]]. Therefore, they are seen as the laws of [[Allah]]. You need only look to the rulings under Shari'ah to see the accepted mainstream interpretation of [[Islam]] and its commandments to its followers. Homosexuality under this law, is not only a sin, but a punishable crime against [[God]].  
== In Islamic law ==
The four [[Sunni]] [[Madhab|schools of jurisprudence]] all agree that practicing homosexuality is an egregious crime that earns an especially harsh [[Punishments|punishment]], although the schools vary regarding what exactly this punishment should be. In the Hanafi school, the practicing homosexual is to be beat harshly and then executed if they persist. In the Shafi'i school, the practicing homosexual is punished in the same manner as one who engages in [[Zina|illegal intercourse (''zina'')]] - that is, they are lashed 100 times if unmarried and stoned to death if married. Some scholars, referencing the practices of the four [[Rashidun Caliphs|Rightly-Guided (''Rashidun'') Caliphs]], hold that the practicing homosexual should be thrown off of a tall building.<ref>[http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545556 Fatwa Bank: Death Fall as Punishment for Homosexuality] - Islam Online, July 22, 2002</ref> Others, referencing the Quran, maintain that the homosexual should be imprisoned until they die. Still others, also referencing the Quran, maintain that practicing homosexuals should in all cases be stoned to death.<ref>"''So when Our punishment came upon the people of Lut, We turned the city upside down and showered them with stones of baked clay, one after another.''" - {{Quran|11|82}}</ref> Yet another view is that while the passive party in the male homosexual act should be killed in all cases, the active party escapes execution if unmarried and is to be lashed 100 times.<ref>See the chapter on "hudud" in Sharaya and Sharh Lum'a also al-Khu'i, Takmilah, p. 42-44.</ref> Some scholars also suggest that homosexual, when executed, should be beheaded rather than stoned.


In the case of homosexuality, how it is dealt with differs between the four mainline schools of [[Sunni]] jurisprudence today, but what they all agree upon is that homosexuality is worthy of a severe penalty.  
== In the Muslim world ==
Some modern academics have argued that the blame for the Islamic hostility towards homosexuality is due to "the adoption of European Victorian attitudes by the new Westernized elite."<ref>El-Rouayheb, 2005, p. 156</ref> For more than a thousand years, however, the Islamic tradition has drawn its views on homosexuality from the accounts of Muhammad's perspective found in the hadith, for Muhammad is described in the Quran (the word of Allah) as [[Uswa Hasana|'the perfect example' (''uswa hasana'')]] for all of humankind. Muhammad instructed, "''If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.''”<ref>"''Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.''" - {{Abudawud|38|4447}}</ref> He also condemned the mere “appearance” of homosexuality, when he cursed effeminate men and masculine women and ordered his followers to ''"Turn them out of your houses."''<ref>"''Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses ." The Prophet turned out such-and-such man, and 'Umar turned out such-and-such woman.''" - {{Bukhari|7|72|774}}</ref> This ruling on homosexuals was naturally adopted by his later successors. The father of [[Aisha]] and Muhammad’s first successor, [[Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Uthman|Abu Bakr]], had a homosexual burned at the stake. The fourth Rightly-Guided [[Caliph]], Muhammad’s son-in-law [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Ali]], ordered homosexuals to be stoned, and even had one thrown from the minaret of a mosque.<ref>Serge Trifkovic - [http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20145 Islam's Love-Hate Relationship with Homosexuality] - FrontPageMag, January 24, 2003</ref> These events pre-date any sort of Western influence on Islamic thought and have since shaped the Islamic perspective on homosexuals in religious contexts. This said, the individual and even societal perspectives of Muslims, irrespective of the views and practices of the Islamic establishment, have, of course, varied through time.


In the Hanafi school of thought, the homosexual is first punished through harsh beating, and if he/she repeats the act, the death penalty is to be applied.  
According to Saudi scholar Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid: "''The spread of homosexuality has caused man diseases which neither the east nor the west can deny exist because of them. Even if the only result of this perversion was AIDS – which attacks the immune system in humans – that would be enough.''"<ref>Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid - [http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/10050 Why does Islam forbid lesbianism and homosexuality?] - Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 10050</ref> Even among the 3% of the world's Muslims living in "more-developed regions",<ref>''"As of 2010, about three-quarters of the world’s Muslims (74.1%) live in the 49 countries in which Muslims make up a majority of the population. More than a fifth of all Muslims (23.3%) live in non-Muslim-majority countries in the developing world. About 3% of the world’s Muslims live in more-developed regions, such as Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan."'' - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx|2=2012-12-02}} The Future of the Global Muslim Population], The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, January 27, 2011</ref> however, homosexuality is generally held to be unacceptable. A Gallup survey carried out in early 2009, for instance, found that British Muslims have zero tolerance for homosexuality - not a single British Muslim interviewed believed that homosexual acts were morally acceptable.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/07/muslims-britain-france-germany-homosexuality|2=2011-11-30}} Muslims in Britain have zero tolerance of homosexuality, says poll] - The Guardian, May 7, 2009</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.euro-islam.info/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/gallup_coexist_2009_interfaith_relations_uk_france_germany.pdf|2=2011-11-30}} The Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study of Interfaith Relations] - Section 2: Public Perceptions Toward Integration, p. 31</ref> According to a Zogby International poll of American Muslims taken in November and December of 2001, 71% opposed "allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally."<ref>[http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/Islamic%20World100202.pdf Islamohomophobia] - WoldNetDaily, October 2, 2002</ref> Additionally, while Muslims comprise 2% of the total British population, they commit 25% of all anti-Homosexual crimes.<ref>"Gay police group's "anti-Christian" ad rapped", Reuters, October 18, 2006 ([http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061018/od_nm/britain_ad_dc/ Original URL]|[{{Reference archive|1=http%3A%2F%2Flittlegreenfootballs.com%2Fweblog%2F%3Fentry%3D23002_UK_Muslims-_2%2525_of_Population_25%2525_of_Anti-Gay_Crimes%26only|2=2012-11-27}} Charles Johnson's commentary]|[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.orange-order.co.uk/topic/3791-gay-police-groups-anti-christian-ad-rapped/|2=2012-11-27}} Full text])</ref><ref>[http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsela&itemid=WeED03%20Sep%202008%2020%3A44%3A41%3A983 Gay fears rise after street gang’s murderous attack] - EastLondonAdvertiser, September 4, 2008</ref> Western mosques described as moderate have put out statements speaking approvingly of the murder of homosexuals - this is perhaps less surprising in light of the fact that laws demanding the execution of homosexuals have, without interruption, been a part of Islamic orthodoxy.<ref>[http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/3584 So -Called Moderate UK Mosque Preaches Hate, Urges Faithful To "Kill Gays"] - PipelineNews, September 2, 2008</ref>


As for the Shafi`i school of thought, the homosexual receives the same punishment as adultery (if he/she is married) or fornication (if not married). This means, that if the homosexual is married, he/she is stoned to death, while if single, he/she is whipped 100 times. Hence, the Shafi`i compares the punishment applied in the case of homosexuality with that of adultery and fornication.
In [[Indonesia]], due to growing pressure from the conservative Islamic population, some local authorities were given permission to use Islamic laws, criminalizing homosexuality.<ref>[http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Indonesia/view/IDN/gay-indonesia-news-and-reports-2#article9 Muslim Communities Thwart Indonesian Protections For Gays] - 365Gay.com, October 4, 2006</ref> Attempts to legalize homosexuality in India have been stifled by Islamic clerics who maintain that "Homosexuality is an offence under Sharia Law and haram (prohibited) in Islam," and that "Legalization of homosexuality is an attack on Indian religious and moral values."<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Muslim-leaders-join-Deoband-slam-gay-sex/articleshow/4723843.cms After Deoband, other Muslim leaders condemn homosexuality] - Times of India, July 1, 2009</ref>


The Hanafi school differentiates further between the two acts because in homosexuality, anal sex [something that is prohibited, regardless of orientation] may also be involved, while in adultery [and fornication], the penis/vagina (which are reproductive parts) are involved.
===Treatment of homosexuals===
 
Some scholars, based on various ahadith and rulings from the prophets companions/four righteous caliphs, hold the opinion that the homosexual should be thrown from a high building or stoned to death<ref>"''So when Our punishment came upon the people of Lut, We turned the city upside down and showered them with stones of baked clay, one after another.''" - {{Quran|11|82}}</ref> as a punishment for their crime, but other scholars maintain that they should be imprisoned until death.<ref>[http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545556 Fatwa Bank: Death Fall as Punishment for Homosexuality] - Islam Online, July 22, 2002</ref>
 
Another view is that between two males, the active partner is to be lashed a hundred times if he is unmarried, and killed if he is married; whereas the passive partner is to be killed regardless of his marital status.<ref>See the chapter on "hudud" in Sharaya and Sharh Lum'a also al-Khu'i, Takmilah, p. 42-44.</ref>
 
===Muslims and Their Views===
 
Many apologists have attempted to shift the blame for this Muslim hostility towards homosexuality onto "the adoption of European Victorian attitudes by the new Westernized elite."<ref>El-Rouayheb, 2005, p. 156</ref>
 
Within the context of Islamic thought, however, this attitude originated from the Prophet [[Muhammad]], and since he is considered by all mainstream Muslims to be the [[Uswa Hasana]] (the perfect example) we find that the majority of Muslims still consider this harsh treatment of homosexuals to be justified.
 
Muhammad himself had stated, ''“If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.”''<ref>"''Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.''" - {{Abudawud|38|4447}}</ref> He even went so far as to condemn the “appearance” of homosexuality, when he cursed effeminate men and masculine women and ordered his followers to ''"Turn them out of your houses."''<ref>"''Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses ." The Prophet turned out such-and-such man, and 'Umar turned out such-and-such woman.''" - {{Bukhari|7|72|774}}</ref> This ruling on homosexuals was naturally adopted by his later successors.
 
The father of [[Aisha]] and Muhammad’s first successor, Abu Bakr, had a homosexual burned at the stake. The fourth Rightly-Guided [[Caliph]], Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, ordered homosexuals to be stoned, and even had one thrown from the minaret of a mosque.<ref>Serge Trifkovic - [http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20145 Islam's Love-Hate Relationship with Homosexuality] - FrontPageMag, January 24, 2003</ref> These actions quite obviously pre-date any sort of Western influence on Islamic thought.
 
According to Shaykh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid: "''The spread of homosexuality has caused man diseases which neither the east nor the west can deny exist because of them. Even if the only result of this perversion was AIDS – which attacks the immune system in humans – that would be enough.''"<ref>Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid - [http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/10050 Why does Islam forbid lesbianism and homosexuality?] - Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 10050</ref>
 
Even by moderate Muslims (who are found primarily among the mere 3% of the world's Muslims living in "more-developed regions"),<ref>''"As of 2010, about three-quarters of the world’s Muslims (74.1%) live in the 49 countries in which Muslims make up a majority of the population. More than a fifth of all Muslims (23.3%) live in non-Muslim-majority countries in the developing world. About 3% of the world’s Muslims live in more-developed regions, such as Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan."'' - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx|2=2012-12-02}} The Future of the Global Muslim Population], The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, January 27, 2011</ref> homosexuality is commonly seen as something that is vile and unacceptable. For example, a Gallup survey carried out in early 2009 found that British Muslims have zero tolerance for Homosexuality. Not a single British Muslim interviewed believed that homosexual acts were morally acceptable.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/07/muslims-britain-france-germany-homosexuality|2=2011-11-30}} Muslims in Britain have zero tolerance of homosexuality, says poll] - The Guardian, May 7, 2009</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.euro-islam.info/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/gallup_coexist_2009_interfaith_relations_uk_france_germany.pdf|2=2011-11-30}} The Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study of Interfaith Relations] - Section 2: Public Perceptions Toward Integration, p. 31</ref> Also according to a Zogby International poll of American Muslims taken in November and December of  2001, a massive 71 percent opposed "allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally."<ref>[http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/Islamic%20World100202.pdf Islamohomophobia] - WoldNetDaily, October 2, 2002</ref> Another worrying statistic to be found among Muslims in the UK, is that although they comprise just 2% of the total British population, they commit 25% of all anti-Homosexual crimes.<ref>"Gay police group's "anti-Christian" ad rapped", Reuters, October 18, 2006 ([http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061018/od_nm/britain_ad_dc/ Original URL]|[{{Reference archive|1=http%3A%2F%2Flittlegreenfootballs.com%2Fweblog%2F%3Fentry%3D23002_UK_Muslims-_2%2525_of_Population_25%2525_of_Anti-Gay_Crimes%26only|2=2012-11-27}} Charles Johnson's commentary]|[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.orange-order.co.uk/topic/3791-gay-police-groups-anti-christian-ad-rapped/|2=2012-11-27}} Full text])</ref><ref>[http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsela&itemid=WeED03%20Sep%202008%2020%3A44%3A41%3A983 Gay fears rise after street gang’s murderous attack] - EastLondonAdvertiser, September 4, 2008</ref> Even mosques described as “moderate” have put out statements speaking approvingly of the murder of homosexuals.<ref>[http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/3584 So -Called Moderate UK Mosque Preaches Hate, Urges Faithful To "Kill Gays"] - PipelineNews, September 2, 2008</ref>
 
In [[Indonesia]], due to pressure from the growing conservative Islamic communities, some local authorities have now been given the right to use Islamic laws, which have successfully criminalized homosexuality.<ref>[http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Indonesia/view/IDN/gay-indonesia-news-and-reports-2#article9 Muslim Communities Thwart Indonesian Protections For Gays] - 365Gay.com, October 4, 2006</ref> Also in Hindu-majority [[India]], attempts to move forward and decriminalize homosexuality are being hindered by Islamic clerics claiming "Homosexuality is an offence under Sharia Law and haram (prohibited) in Islam," and that "Legalisation of homosexuality is an attack on Indian religious and moral values."<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Muslim-leaders-join-Deoband-slam-gay-sex/articleshow/4723843.cms After Deoband, other Muslim leaders condemn homosexuality] - Times of India, July 1, 2009</ref>
 
===Treatment of Homosexuals===


The following are excerpts on homosexuality, taken from the Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies:
The following are excerpts on homosexuality, taken from the Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies:
Line 47: Line 25:
{{Quote|1=[http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Excerpts_from_Saudi_Textbooks_715.pdf Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies: 2007-2008 Academic Year]<BR>Center for Religious Freedom of Hudson Institute|2="Homosexuality is one of the most disgusting sins and greatest crimes.... It is a vile perversion that goes against sound nature, and is one of the most corrupting and hideous sins.... The punishment for homosexuality is death. Both the active and passive participants are to be killed whether or not they have previously had sexual intercourse in the context of a legal marriage.... Some of the companions of the Prophet stated that [the perpetrator] is to be burned with fire. It has also been said that he should be stoned, or thrown from a high place."}}
{{Quote|1=[http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Excerpts_from_Saudi_Textbooks_715.pdf Saudi Ministry of Education Textbooks for Islamic Studies: 2007-2008 Academic Year]<BR>Center for Religious Freedom of Hudson Institute|2="Homosexuality is one of the most disgusting sins and greatest crimes.... It is a vile perversion that goes against sound nature, and is one of the most corrupting and hideous sins.... The punishment for homosexuality is death. Both the active and passive participants are to be killed whether or not they have previously had sexual intercourse in the context of a legal marriage.... Some of the companions of the Prophet stated that [the perpetrator] is to be burned with fire. It has also been said that he should be stoned, or thrown from a high place."}}


Whilst LGBT-rights activists are making great progress in non-Muslim societies, gay communities in the Muslim world are left fighting for even the most basic of human rights, and in many cases, their very lives.  
Whereas the admission of LGBT rights is now mainstream in western societies, religious and governmental authorities in much of the Muslim world maintain that LGBT persons should either be executed to subjected to harsh punishment.  


Exact figures are hard to determine, due to the political turmoil in many of the Islamic states, but as of 2009 homosexual relationships, acts or behavior are forbidden in approximately thirty-six Islamic countries including Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen, with punishments including anything from a fine up to life imprisonment.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_issues_and_Islam#Homosexuality_laws_in_Muslim_countries Homosexuality laws in Muslim countries] - Wikipedia, accessed July 29, 2009</ref><ref name="IL">H. Tavakoli - [http://www.iranian.com/Letters/1999/September/gay.html The New Dark Ages] - The Iranian,September 20, 1999</ref> Ten of those countries out of the thirty-six impose the death penalty for homosexuals. They are Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi-Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and some states in Malaysia.<ref>Sean Yoong - [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews033.htm Malaysian State Legislature Passes Bill on Strict Islamic Criminal Code] - Associated Press, July 8, 2002</ref>   
Exact figures are hard to determine, due to the political turmoil in many Muslim-majority states, but as of 2009 homosexual relationships, acts or behavior are forbidden in approximately thirty-six Islamic countries including Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen, with punishments including anything from a fine up to life imprisonment.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_issues_and_Islam#Homosexuality_laws_in_Muslim_countries Homosexuality laws in Muslim countries] - Wikipedia, accessed July 29, 2009</ref><ref name="IL">H. Tavakoli - [http://www.iranian.com/Letters/1999/September/gay.html The New Dark Ages] - The Iranian,September 20, 1999</ref> Ten of those countries out of the thirty-six impose the death penalty for homosexuals, these are: Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi-Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and some states in Malaysia.<ref>Sean Yoong - [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews033.htm Malaysian State Legislature Passes Bill on Strict Islamic Criminal Code] - Associated Press, July 8, 2002</ref>   


According to the Iranian gay and lesbian rights group Homan, the Iranian government alone has put to death an estimated 4,000 homosexuals since the Islamic revolution of 1979.<ref name="IL" /> Laws allowing gay rights, seldom mean a thing in Muslim majority nations where the laws of Islam trump the laws of the land every time. Take for instance, Iraq, which does not officially have any laws discriminating against same-sex relationships, currently there are death squads operating in the country killing gays and lesbians (or effeminate men and masculine women suspected of homosexuality) on sight, and a shocking sixty-eight gay and trans-gendered men have been killed within the space of four months, often in torturous and humiliating ways, such as by having their anuses glued shut, followed by induced diarrhea.<ref>Ben Lando - [http://www.iraqoilreport.com/security-conflict/iraqi-gay-community-a-target-1950/ Iraqi gay community a target] - Iraq Oil Report, July 9, 2009</ref><ref>[http://iglhrc.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/iraq-torture-cruel-inhuman-and-degrading-treatment-of-lgbt-people/ Iraq: Torture, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of LGBT People] - International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, April 20, 2009</ref>  
According to the Iranian gay and lesbian rights group Homan, the Iranian government has put to death an estimated 4,000 homosexuals since the Islamic revolution of 1979.<ref name="IL" /> Where Muslim majority nations have legalized homosexuality, members of the LGBT community often fall victim to vigilantes who take Islamic law into their own hand. Iraq, for instance, despite not having any official laws discriminating against same-sex relationships, is at the same time host to death squads which operate throughout the country killing gays and lesbians (as well as effeminate men and masculine women suspected of homosexuality) on sight, killing, in one case, sixty-eight gay and trans-gendered men in the space of four months. These vigilante executions have often been carried out in torturous and humiliating ways, such as by having the victims' anuses glued shut, followed by induced and ultimately fatal diarrhea.<ref>Ben Lando - [http://www.iraqoilreport.com/security-conflict/iraqi-gay-community-a-target-1950/ Iraqi gay community a target] - Iraq Oil Report, July 9, 2009</ref><ref>[http://iglhrc.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/iraq-torture-cruel-inhuman-and-degrading-treatment-of-lgbt-people/ Iraq: Torture, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of LGBT People] - International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, April 20, 2009</ref>  


Also in the secular nation of [[Turkey]], a country which is often held-up as an icon of moderate Islam, persecution and violence against homosexuals [along with [[Persecution of Non-Muslims|non-Muslim minorities]]] is on the rise, with eleven gays being killed within the first half of 2009 .<ref>[http://www.ilmediterraneo.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1657&lang=en&Itemid=7 Homosexuals in Turkey: Istanbul week for gay rights] - ANSAmed, June 24, 2009</ref> This behavior is consistent with the results of a survey<ref>[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216religion-loves-tolerance-but-is-not-tolerant8217-2009-11-17 'Religion loves tolerance, but is not tolerant'] - Hürriyet Daily News, November 17, 2009</ref> released in November of 2009 which found that 67 percent of Turks "would continue acting in accordance with their religious beliefs if the Parliament passed a law that contradicted religious laws." and only Twenty-six percent "would obey the country’s law in this case".
In Turkey, there is widespread persecution and violence against homosexuals and [[Persecution of Non-Muslims|non-Muslim minorities]], with eleven gays being killed in the first half of 2009 .<ref>[http://www.ilmediterraneo.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1657&lang=en&Itemid=7 Homosexuals in Turkey: Istanbul week for gay rights] - ANSAmed, June 24, 2009</ref> A survey released in November of 2009 found that 67% of Turks "would continue acting in accordance with their religious beliefs if the Parliament passed a law that contradicted religious laws" where as a minority, 26%, "would obey the country’s law in this case".<ref>[http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=8216religion-loves-tolerance-but-is-not-tolerant8217-2009-11-17 'Religion loves tolerance, but is not tolerant'] - Hürriyet Daily News, November 17, 2009</ref>


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