Bloodless Coup

An Anti-Gay Pogrom in Iraq

It's getting even worse.

"Iraqi LGBTs are at daily risk of execution by the Shia death squads of the Badr and Sadr militias," Mr. Hili told delegates at the conference.

"Members of these militias have infiltrated the Iraqi police and are abusing their police authority to pursue a plan to eliminate all homosexuals in Iraq.

"This is happening with the collusion of key ministers in the Iraqi government," he pointed out.

"The Badr and Sadr militias are the armed wings of the two main Shia parties that control the government of Iraq.

"These governing parties – particularly the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq – are complicit in the widespread execution of Iraqi LGBTs.

"What is happening today in Iraq is one of the most organised and systematic sexual cleansings in the history of the world," Mr Hili told the conference.

Referring to the abduction by death squads, and presumed murder, of five members of Iraqi LGBT in Baghdad last November, Mr Hili continued: "For the previous few months these activists had been documenting the killing of lesbians and gays, and relaying details of homophobic executions to our office in London. I have no doubt that they were targeted - not just because they were gay - but also to stop them exposing to the outside world the anti-gay pogrom that is happening in Iraq today," he said.

Of course in many cases the countries that put these events in motion are refusing to grant asylum to Iraqi gays who are seeking to flee the country - in order to save their lives.