Up To 100 Emo, LGBT, "Vampire", & "Satanic" Youth Massacred In Iraq

[Merticus]

http://rainbowiraq.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/hitting-all-the-birds-with-one-brick/

Hitting All The Birds With One Brick
Posted: March 12, 2012

A new victim of Emo youth was found dead with his had smashed with a brick in the Almansour district of Baghdad yesterday. Everybody is scared and no one wants to talk about it. They made this boy, like others, open their mouths as if they are biting the road walking side and then hit them with this brick until they die. Every time I think there are no more horrible ways to kill people, they invent a new disgusting one. It reminds me of old days when the Baath people ruled Iraq, every time someone wanted to get rid of someone else they accused the person of communism, soon he vanishes without a trace.The Iraqi government is doing nothing, not even a statement to comfort people as if it wants the situation to get worse. But why the government will want that to happen?

There are many aspects of what is happening in Iraq:

    Religious, the shiia believe in violence and it is holy for them. It is part of the culture, just see how they hit themselves with big knives and chains to purify themselves. That comes from feeling of guilt, that they didn’t share the of fight of their king Husain about 1400 years ago when he has been killed.
    They believe that killing the enemy is a right thing to do. No talking or understanding, no, only killing will solve the problem. Because for them anyone who doesn’t believe in their case or act like them is an enemy.
    In their opinion and that is dictated by their leaders, the enemy’s women and properties are right to be taken. They are in a war with everyone who is not one of them.
    The main thing is to revenge on the Sunna, because they don’t believe in King Ali and his son Husain and killing them is the holiest thing.
    They fight each other over the power now. Who is the most powerful and who is going to be the leader.

A few days ago Muqtada Al Sadr was deliberately calling to support the “shiia people” in Bahrain. There were many protests in different areas and cities, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Kufa the holly city. And they were shouting “people of Bahrain we are one not two”. Observers think that Sadr ordered this less out of sympathy for democracy and more out of a wish to embarrass his opponent Almaliki before the Arab league that will take place on the 29 of this month. So what is that anything to do with the Emo and gay youth massacre?

I think they want to portray themselves to people as the protectors of ethics and traditions, as their leader Ammar Alhakim said in his lecture that I talked about yesterday in my blog.

A member in the Almahdi Army told me that he was beating gays in Iraq, and when asked him why? He said they look so feminine and he ask them why you act like this? Why you get Fucked? And when I asked so what? He said they even takes hormones. He himself admitted having sex with men many times before.

At the same time forcing themselves on the Iraqi community to do what they want. It’s just like either you do what we want or you get killed, it’s our country and our rules. Fighting each other to prove who is stronger than whom. The weakest link in the Arab communities is people who look different or gay, which means they look feminine. When I told a friend of mine to be careful, he told me ‘don’t worry about me they are killing only “Tantas”, we are safe.’  “Tanta” means fag, So their families will feel a shamed to follow their death or ask for revenge.  In return they are saving the structure of the pure Iraqi community. These people knows only blood in whole their life and history and will never get enough of it.

While the Iraqi authorities are doing nothing, not even a statement, there are people from all over the world are fighting to stop this unethical and brutal murders. Thanks a lot to everybody, Dan, Joseph and Tris and of course for all of those people who signed on the website. Here are some of the comments on http://allout.org/en/actions/stopthekillings:  [See Link]


http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/7974fd5b-b274-4cb5-b7c1-2990839cfaca

رجم شباب عراقيين لتبنيهم الإيمو   11/03/2012
تعرض 14 شابا على الأقل للرجم حتى الموت في بغداد خلال الأسابيع الثلاثة الماضية في حملة يشنها مسلحون شيعة ضد شبان يرتدون ملابس ضيقة ويختارون تسريحات شعر غربية كتلك التي تميز المنتمين للظاهرة التي تعرف باسم إيمو.

ووزع عناصر في الأحياء الشيعية التي شهدت الرجم قوائم أمس السبت بأسماء المزيد من الشبان الذين يستهدفونهم بالقتل إن هم لم يغيروا طريقة ملبسهم.

وتضمن منشور جرى توزيعه في حي البياع غربي بغداد أمس أسماء 24 شابا مستهدفا بالقتل، وجاء في المنشور "نحذركم وبشدة إلى كل فاجر وفاجرة إذا لم تنتهوا من هذا العمل القذر وخلال أربعة أيام فسوف ينزل عليكم عقاب الله وبيد المجاهدين".

وحمل منشور آخر في حي مدينة الصدر عشرين اسما وقال "نحن كتائب الغضب نحذركم إذا لم تعلنوا التوبة وتعودوا إلى طريق الصواب فسوف يكون مصيركم القتل".

وقعت عمليات القتل منذ سلطت وزارة الداخلية العراقية الأضواء على ثقافة الإيمو الشهر الماضي ووصفتها بأنها "عبادة للشيطان" وطلبت من المجتمع وقوات الشرطة القضاء عليها.

والإيمو أحد أنواع موسيقى البانك التي تطورت في الولايات المتحدة ويتميز محبوها بملابسهم التي تشمل عادة سراويل الجينز الضيقة والقمصان القطنية التي تحمل شعارات معينة وتسريحات الشعر الطويلة.

وقالت مصادر أمنية وبمستشفيات طلبت عدم نشر أسمائها إنه تم نقل جثث 14 شابا على الأقل في شرقي بغداد تحمل آثارا تشير إلى أنهم رجموا حتى الموت بالحجارة أو الطوب.

وذكرت مصادر طبية أنه تم نقل تسع جثث إلى مستشفيات في حي مدينة الصدر وثلاث إلى مستشفى الكندي بشرقي بغداد واثنتين إلى المشرحة المركزية. مشيرة إلى أن سبب الوفاة حدوث كسور شديدة في الجمجمة، يعود إلى ضربات وجهت إلى الجمجمة وأدت إلى تحطيم رؤوس الضحايا.

ومن جهتها، قالت وزارة الداخلية العراقية إنها تتابع ظاهرة الإيمو التي قالت إنها تنتشر في المدارس خاصة بين الفتيات المراهقات، مضيفة أن أصحابها يرتدون ملابس ضيقة تحمل رسومات لجماجم ويحملون أدوات مدرسية عليها أشكال جماجم ويضعون حلقات في أنوفهم وألسنتهم وكذلك مظاهر أخرى تثير الغرابة". لكن الوزارة قالت إنه لم يرد في ملفاتها جرائم قتل يمكن اعتبارها رد فعل على ظاهرة الإيمو.

وأدان رجال دين شيعة بارزون حوادث الرجم، ووصفها عبد الرحيم الركابي -ممثل المرجع الشيعي الأعلى علي السيستاني- بالهجمات الإرهابية.

وقال إن هذه الظاهرة التي تنتشر بين الشباب يجب أن تعالج عن طريق الحوار والتهدئة بطرق سلمية وليس عن طريق التصفية الجسدية.

TRANSLATION:

The stoning of young Iraqis to adoption of EMO
Al Jazeera - March 11, 2012

Was at least 14 young men stoned to death in Baghdad during the past three weeks in a campaign by Shiite militants against young men wearing tight clothes and choose Western hairstyles such as those belonging that characterize the phenomenon known as Emo.

And distributed elements in the Shiite neighborhoods that saw stoning lists of names on Saturday, more young men who target them with death if they did not change their method of dress.

And ensure the publication was distributed in the neighborhood of Baya, west of Baghdad yesterday the names of 24 youths targeted with death, and came in the publication "warn you strongly to all licentious and immoral if not Tanthoa of this dirty work and during the four days it will come down upon you God's punishment and, however, the mujahideen."

He held another publication in the neighborhood of Sadr City, twentieth name and said "We are angry Brigades warn you if you do not proclaim to repent and come back to the path of righteousness will be your fate murder."

Occurred since the killings brought to the Iraqi Interior Ministry the spotlight on the culture of EMO last month and described it as "devil worship" and asked the community and police forces eliminated.

EMO and A types of punk music that evolved in the United States and is characterized Mahbuha clothes, which usually includes jeans and tight T-shirts bearing the logos of certain long hairstyles.

Security sources said the hospital on condition of anonymity that he was transferred the bodies of 14 young men, at least in the east of Baghdad, bearing traces indicating that they are stoned to death with stones or bricks.

Medical sources said that nine bodies were transported to hospitals in Sadr City, and three to Kindi hospital in eastern Baghdad, and two to the central morgue. Pointing out that the cause of death in severe fractures of the skull, due to the strikes and sent to the skull and shattered the heads of the victims.

For its part, said the Interior Ministry that it follows the phenomenon of EMO, which said it spread in schools, especially among teenage girls, adding that their owners dressed in tight clothing with drawings of skulls and carrying school supplies by the forms of skulls and put rings in their noses and their tongues as well as other aspects give rise to strange. "But The ministry said it was not contained in its files murder can be considered a reaction to the phenomenon of EMO.

And condemned by prominent Shiite clerics incidents of stoning, calling Abdul Rahim Rikabi - A representative of the Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani - the terrorist attacks.

He said that this phenomenon is spreading among young people must be addressed through dialogue and peaceful means calm and not through the physical liquidation.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/11/world/meast/iraq-emo-killings/index.html

Iraqi murders put gay and emo youth on edge
From Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN
updated 9:36 AM EDT, Mon March 12, 2012

Baghdad (CNN) -- A recent rash of killings of people perceived to be gay or emo in Iraq has stoked fear within those communities, which worry the government might be unwilling or unable to protect them.

At least 14 such victims were killed in Baghdad in the past three weeks, according to a senior Interior Ministry official, who was not authorized to talk to the media.

Rights activists claim the number is actually much higher, with some suggesting dozens or more than 100 have been killed since February.

The killings appear to target people perceived to be gay, or emo -- shorthand in Iraq for an in-your-face style of Western dress that favors tight clothes, long hair and the color black.

Most of the killings have taken place in Shiite neighborhoods like Sadr City, Shulaa, Ameen and Tariq, activists said.

"Ten days ago, I received a letter from militiamen threatening me that if they found me then they will not kill me like other 'perverts,' but they will cut my body into pieces," a gay activist told CNN on Sunday.

The activist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety concerns, showed CNN a copy of a letter he said was distributed in Sadr City, identifying 33 potential "gay and emo" targets.

"We strongly warn every male and female debauchee, if you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen," it read.

CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the letter.

The anonymous threats and murders come less than a month after the Interior Ministry released a statement on the so-called emo phenomenon, blasting it as Satanic.

It said the movement, which it described as young people wearing "strange and tight clothes with graphics such as skulls," is being monitored by authorities with the goal of eliminating it.

To that end, community or "moral police" will be allowed to enter schools in the capital, the statement read.

The campaign and violence have had an immediate chilling effect among youth communities in Baghdad.

Teenager Kamel Saad told CNN he cut his hair so as not to become a potential target.

"I'm not the only one. All my friends in the school decided to change their hair style and change their clothes, too, even though we're not emo or gay," he said.

Saad said a group of men, who identified themselves as community police, entered his classroom two weeks ago and asked students to tell them about other students' suspicious behavior.

"I thought it was about terrorism, but later, when the police explained more, we realized that they were talking about emo," he said.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-iraq-gays-emobre82b0vz-20120312,0,3330815.story

Fear as death squads hunt Iraq's gays and "emos"
Peter Graff - Reuters
10:40 a.m. CDT, March 12, 2012

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The man holds up two pictures of his friend, which tell the story of what it now means to be gay in Iraq.

One photograph, which the man keeps on his mobile phone, is a portrait of a handsome youth with a stylish haircut. The other, a printed snapshot taken last month, shows the body of the same young man lying sprawled in the back of a white pickup truck, his head disfigured by blunt trauma.

According to a police report, Saif Asmar was found bludgeoned to death in the afternoon on February 17.

"They laid him down on the pavement and smashed his head with a cement block," said his 25-year-old friend, who works as a doctor's assistant and also as a gay activist under the pseudonym Roby Hurriya. He did not disclose his real name.

Homosexuals have lived in fear in Iraq for years, notably since religious militia claimed control of the streets in the sectarian warfare that followed the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, which toppled Saddam Hussein. But Hurriya - whose adopted surname means "Freedom" in Arabic - says a surge in killings in the past two months is by far the worst he has seen.

Since the start of this year, death squads have been targeting two separate groups - gay men, and those who dress in a distinctive, Western-influenced style called "emo", which some Iraqis mistakenly associate with homosexuality.

At least 14 young men have been bludgeoned to death in the last three weeks in east Baghdad, an area dominated by Shi'ite Muslims, according to local security and medical sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Killings have been reported by other methods and in other cities as well. Since national authorities are not recording the incidents as a special category, the total is not known.

In recent days, militiamen from Shi'ite groups, mainly in the Sadr City district, have circulated lists of names of people targeted for killings. The threats refer to "obscene males and females", understood to refer to both gays and emos - an American teenage subculture of spiky hair and black clothes that has spread to Iraq.

Hurriya says he believes at least 200 men have been murdered in recent years either for being gay or appearing effeminate. He personally knows 66 of them.

During an interview at the Reuters bureau in central Baghdad, he opens a satchel and brings out a series of photographs of bludgeoned corpses of young men found on the streets of Baghdad. He has been documenting the killings and running a safe house for gay men.

"We, as the gay community are connected, like a string. We know if anything bad has happened to any of us," he said.

"A Shi'ite cleric from Sadr City who is gay called me a few days ago and told me that some gay people were killed and their bodies were dumped near Sadr City. He helped me reach the place and take some photos."

"LET THEM KILL ME. THEY KILLED MY FRIENDS"

The apparent spread of the violence in recent weeks to heterosexual youth who dress in emo style has caused panic among young Iraqis, many of whom have experimented with various forms of Western dress as war subsided and militia left the streets.

Emo, a once-obscure genre of American "emotional" punk rock, became a mainstream subculture in the West in the past decade. In Iraq, it appeals to youth - male and female - hungry for self-expression in a conservative, often violent culture.

Iraqi youths who call themselves emos typically wear long or spiky hair, tight jeans, T-shirts, silver chains and items with skull logos. In recent days they have been rushing to barbers to get their hair cut.

Shops which sprouted in recent years selling clothing and jewelry with skulls and band logos have quickly taken down their emo displays.

Iraq's government, dominated by the Shi'ite majority that was oppressed under Saddam, may not be helping. The Interior Ministry added to the atmosphere of menace last month by releasing a statement that labeled the emo culture "Satanism". It said a special police force would stamp it out.

Hafidh Jamal, 19, who works in a shoe store in the upscale Karrada neighborhood, said he used to dress in black with his hair long in the back, but he fled his home in Sadr City this week and cut his hair. Two friends were killed for dressing in the emo style, he said.

"Let them kill me. They killed my close friends," he told Reuters. "I support emo. I love this phenomenon."

"PLEASE EXCUSE US IF WE KILL YOUR BROTHER"

Baghdad's gays are searching for places to hide.

One man, who goes by the name Haifa, said he fled Iraq for Syria during the sectarian violence in 2006, but returned to Baghdad two months ago because of war now in Syria.

Though homosexual behavior is widely scorned, even illegal, in much of the Arab and Muslim world, Haifa had been able to live fairly comfortably as a gay man in Syria - as many gays had in Iraq under Saddam's largely secular rule.

But in Baghdad, where clerics who condemn homosexuality as a sin now hold sway, he quickly learned he would be hunted. A picture from a few months ago shows him with long hair and a black T-shirt. He now wears his hair short under a baseball cap and dresses conservatively in a wool coat and rugby shirt.

"When I returned with shoulder-length hair, everybody, including my family, warned me that with that hair I could be killed. I left my house in Kadhimiya and now I move from place to place, afraid of getting killed," he told Reuters.

"Some people phoned my brother and said, 'We will kill your brother if we catch him. Please excuse us if we do.'"

Haifa is now trying to get a passport so he can escape Iraq and go to neighboring Jordan where he hopes he will be safe.

Noor, a 19-year-old gay man, fled Baghdad a week ago for Basra in the south, hoping he would be safer, after he heard about the murders.

"We are young men, and everywhere in Iraq we should be free to do whatever we want, to wear what we like, cut our hair how we like," he told Reuters.

"We have not hurt anyone. Why are they doing this to us?"

(Additional reporting by Saif Tawfiq and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Mohammed Kadhim in Basra, Iraq; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

[Merticus]

CNN Broadcast
March 12, 2012 - 4:47 PM ET

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wJbU5A8GN9c" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wJbU5A8GN9c</a>


http://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=16098

Iraq: Deadly hunt for gays or "Emo"?
Irak: Tödliche Jagd auf Schwule oder "Emos"?
March 13, 2012

Media reports vary on a wave of persecution. Meanwhile the death toll to rise.

The first reports came in last week: The International Gay & Lesbian human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq reported a wave of persecution against mainly gay men in Iraq. Queer.de attacked the story on the last Wednesday under the headline "Iraq: 40 killed apparently by gays and lesbians in a month" on.

Over the weekend, and major media have taken up the topic, but is now grötenteils of "Emos" the speech that would be pursued. The term "Emo" is understood in Western culture, and also in the press reports about the persecution in Iraq Associated a youth movement, who dress a certain way and style, partly to hear a certain type of music. It is not clearly defined, features like skinny jeans or a certain hair cut can be found in other youth movements. And it has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

In a report of the Cologne "Express" on the situation in Iraq, the reference to gays and lesbians is completely missing in the " world "is at least reported, Emos are persecuted because they think homosexuals - and devil worshipers. The victims would even imputed homosexual orientation - "for in Arab countries with conservative populations homosexuality is still outlawed always socially and is punishable in some danger of death" - and the death penalty by an outburst from the roof "and is based on the traditional Islamic punishment for homosexuals. "

Persecution "verweiblichter" men

To the conclusion that here (at least mostly) gay men (and some women) are persecuted because of their perceived sexual orientation, is not the product. Taking all reports, there is the unpleasant thought that the matter before the editorial by the curiosity of a putative emo-tracking was worthy of being reported. It is this supposed phenomenon is not new, it was four years ago (in Mexico to hunt for Emos reported queer.de ). Here, too, played a role in homophobia.

But what happens now in Iraq? It obviously has less to do with the "emo" term, as we know it here. The blog " Gay Middle East , "reports from its sources in Iraq that the term" Emo "is used interchangeably as" gay ". It's about the alleged travesty of the effeminate man (and woman of vemännlichten). The blogger Bissan of Rainbow Iraq , the "Gay Middle East" has to be authentic, writes that a friend had told him he was making himself as gay males do not worry: "The only kill fagots".

Bissan also said the online magazine, it will generally assumed, emos are gay. Prosecuted were often young men who simply correspond to the Iraqi "emo" term: with longer hair and smaller, western clothing around. The men now tried to escape through a less flashy clothes and a new hair style and an escape from persecution. The wave of persecution could also include young, provocatively dressed girls, who were accused of being immoral.

Over 100 feared killings

By all accounts, the death wave began on 6 February meanwhile is expected from more than 100 murders. In part, publicly overhung leaflets names were listed by people who were given a few days to change their behavior. Victims of the death records were toppled by high-rises or beaten with concrete blocks. There are also persistent reports of torture and the removal of body parts from the actual murder. Pictures of the victims were distributed as a deterrent in social media.

Human Rights Watch said that were killed after a similar campaign leaflets in 2009, up to several hundreds of gays, of "Emo" was not mentioned at that time. An exact figure is due to the shame of the family and the indifference of the authorities determine no. The Interior Ministry in Baghdad has rejected reports about the persecution last, but had been warned several weeks ago against threats of an "emo" phenomenon, the morality police check.

The site coverage is inconsistent. Newspapers report on a day by a wave of persecution in order to deny them the next day. The Lebanon-based newspaper "al-Akhbar 'quoted activists, police officers, the morality police had gone to schools in Baghdad and had young people brought to them for Emo / gay thought: The students were taken away and murdered on a secluded place, the bodies in landfills disposed of.

Complicity of the authorities?

Whether the report is true, how much is not verifiable. However, it is believed to be behind the wave of murders fanatical militias. The influential Shiite preacher Muqtada al-Sadr called Emos recently as "idiots" who would be "done by experts." The blogger Bissan suspected al-Sadr would also represent the government before an important meeting of the Arab League as someone who is incapable of protecting its own people.

At the same time is a report of "Gay Star News", according to an influential commander of created by al-Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi militia, the police have been reported, have had on his phone list with the names of 12 "Emo" death row should. The police and the Interior Ministry, the more death lists should have been present had remained idle.

The U.S. State Department has said in the meantime, we condemn the recent "violence and killings by groups in Iraq that target people because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or personal appearance." Allout.org has an online petition started to politicians around the world to make the thing on.

Meanwhile, new death lists have surfaced. Rainbow Iraq writes of another murder on Sunday of Al-Mansur district of Baghdad. The teenager was forced, therefore, to bite into a curb. It was then beaten with a brick head against the back of his head. "Every time I think there is no more terrible way longer to kill people, they invent a new kind of disgusting," said Bissan.

[Merticus]

http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/53331
   
واشنطن تدين بشدة قتل الإيمو وتؤكد أنها فاتحت الحكومة العراقية بهذه القضية
12-03-2012 - 09:09
alsumaria    
السومرية نيوز/ بغداد

استنكرت السفارة الأميركية في بغداد وبشدة عمليات القتل التي استهدفت المنتمين لظاهرة الإيمو، مبينة أن هذه الأعمال لا تجد لها مكاناً في المجتمعات الديمقراطية، فيما أكدت أنها فاتحت الحكومة العراقية بهذه القضية وأثنت على مواقف عدد من المرجعيات الدينية والنواب التي أدانت هذه الأعمال.

وقال المتحدث الرسمي باسم السفارة مايكل مكليلان في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، "ندين بشدة أعمال العنف الأخيرة وعمليات القتل في العراق التي نفذت من قبل جماعات يبدو أنها تستهدف أفراداً على أساس ميولهم أو هويتهم الجنسية أو طريقتهم في التعبير"، لافتاً إلى أن "هذه الأعمال التي تدل على التعصب لا مكان لها في المجتمعات الديمقراطية".

وأضاف مكليلان "نراقب الوضع عن كثب في العراق وفي واشنطن، وقد أعربنا للحكومة العراقية عن قلقنا بشأن هذا الموضوع".

وأثنى مكليلان على دور بعض القيادات الدينية العراقية وأعضاء في البرلمان التي "نددت بهذه الاعتداءات"، من بينهم أحد ممثلي المرجعية الدينية علي السيستاني ولجنة حقوق الإنسان البرلمانية، واصفا إجراءاتهم التي اتخذوها لمعالجة هذه المسألة بـ"المناسبة".

وكان المرجع الديني الشيخ محمد اليعقوبي حرم (في 9 آذار 2012) قتل شباب الإيمو، مؤكدا أن الواجب الديني تجاههم يكمن في النصح والإرشاد، فيما اتهم جهات لم يسمها بالوقوف وراء "هذه الضجة المبالغ بها" بالاشتراك مع جهات لها مشاكل مع النظام السياسي الجديد في العراق لتشويه صورة الملتزمين دينياً.

وأكد مكليلان أن "وزارة الخارجية ستستمر في طرح خطة شاملة لحقوق الإنسان في العراق تشمل القضاء على العنف والتمييز على أساس التوجه الجنسي والهوية الجنسية".

وكانت قيادة عمليات بغداد اتهمت، أمس الأحد (11 آذار 2012) تنظيم القاعد ورئيس هيئة علماء المسلمين حارث الضاري، الذي دعا القادة العرب إلى مقاطعة القمة العربية المقرر عقدها في بغداد نهاية آذار الحالي وعدم إضفاء الشرعية على الحكومة العراقية، بالترويج لعمليات قتل الإيمو بهدف تعطيل القمة، مؤكدة عدم تسجيل أي حالة قتل لهؤلاء الشباب، فيما دعت من يروج لتلك المعلومات إلى تقديم الأدلة.

وأكدت الحكومة (في 10 آذار 2012) عدم وجود أي ملاحقة للمنتمين لظاهرة الإيمو في البلاد، معتبرة أن هذه الظاهرة "حرية شخصية"، فيما أكدت التزام الأجهزة الأمنية بحماية الحريات.

أما زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر، فقد اعتبر شباب الإيمو "سفاء ومجانين وآفة المجتمع"، وطالب المختصين بإنهائهم قانونياً، فيما أكد التيار عدم تورط أتباعه بقتل المنتمين لهذه الظاهرة.

وحصلت "السومرية نيوز"، في التاسع من آذار 2012، على قائمتين نشرتا في عدد من الشوارع الرئيسة لمدينة الصدر شرق بغداد، تضمان أسماء لمنتمين لظاهرة الإيمو في قطاعات المدينة، وتتوعدهم بالقتل من قبل "المجاهدين" في حال عدم تركها، كما وصفتهم بـ"الجراوي" في إشارة إلى كونهم من المثليين.

وتشير مصادر في أجهزة الأمن العراقية وشهود عيان أن العديد من عمليات القتل "الغامضة" طالت مؤخراً شباباً منتمين لظاهرة الإيمو أو من أصحاب السلوك الغريب أو اللباس أو تسريحة الشعر الغريبة، وتلفت تلك المصادر إلى أن غالبية تلك العمليات تمت بـ"سحق رؤوسهم بطابوقة"، وهي قطعة من الإسمنت.

وأكدت وزارة الداخلية، في 8 آذار 2012، عدم تسجل أي حالات قتل لمقلدي ظاهرة الإيمو خلال الفترة الماضية، موضحة أن العمليات التي أشيع عنها في وسائل الإعلام كانت لأسباب ثأرية واجتماعية وإجرامية تحدث "دائماً".

وتعني الإيمو Emo باللغة الإنجليزية الحساس أو العاطفي أو المتهيج ويتبع مقلدو هذه الظاهرة نمطاً معيناً في الحياة يتمثل بالاستماع لموسيقى معينة تنتمي لموسيقى الروك وتسريحة شعر معينة وملابس سوداء، وسراويل ضيقة جداً أو فضفاضة جداً، وأغطية المعصم.


TRANSLATION:

Washington strongly condemns the killing of IMO and confirms that it approached the Iraqi government to this issue
03/12/2012 - 09:09
alsumaria
Sumerian News / Baghdad

Denounced the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and strongly killings that targeted belonging to the phenomenon of IMO, indicating that these acts do not find a place in democratic societies, while confirming that they had approached the Iraqi government to this issue and commended the positions of several religious leaders and MPs have condemned these acts.

The spokesman said embassy spokesman Michael McClellan in an interview for "Alsumaria News", "We strongly condemn the recent violence and killings in Iraq carried out by groups appear to be targeting individuals on the basis of their orientation or gender identity or their way of expression," pointing out that "the These actions indicate that intolerance has no place in democratic societies. "

McClellan added, "watching the situation closely in Iraq and in Washington DC, and the Iraqi government expressed our concern on this matter."

McClellan praised the role of some religious leaders and members of the Iraqi Parliament, which "condemned these attacks," including representatives of a religious authority Ali al-Sistani and the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights, describing their actions they have taken to address this issue as "appropriate."

It was the religious authority, Sheikh Mohammed al-Yacoubi campus (on 9 March 2012) died young IMO, stressing that the religious duty towards them lies in the advice and guidance, while the accused parties did not identify being behind "the hype exaggerated" in conjunction with the points of her problems with the new political order in Iraq to tarnish the image of religiously committed.

McClellan stressed that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to put forward a comprehensive plan for human rights in Iraq, including the elimination of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity."

The Baghdad Operations Command, accused, on Sunday (11 March 2012) the organization is sitting and the President of Association of Muslim Scholars Harith al-Dhari, who called on Arab leaders to boycott the Arab summit to be held in Baghdad at the end of March current, non-legitimize the Iraqi government, to promote the killings of IMO aimed at disrupting Summit, confirming the registration of any case of killing of these young people, called upon those who promote that information to provide evidence.

The Government confirmed (as at 10 March 2012) the absence of any prosecution for belonging to the phenomenon of IMO in the country, arguing that the phenomenon "personal freedom", while confirming the commitment of the security services to protect freedoms.

The cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, it was considered young IMO "Sfa and crazy and the scourge of society" and called for legal professionals Banhaúhm, as he emphasized the power of his followers to kill non-involvement of belonging to this phenomenon.

And got "Alsumaria News", the ninth of March 2012, the two lists published in a number of main streets of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, Tdman names belong to the phenomenon of IMO in the sectors of the city, and Taatuadhm death by "mujahideen" in the absence of left, as what she called " Jerawi "in reference to being gay.

According to sources in the Iraqi security services and witnesses, many of the killings, "the mysterious" long recently young men belonging to the phenomenon of IMO or of the owners of strange behavior or dress or hairstyle exotic, and draws those sources that the majority of these operations was to "crush their heads Btaboukh" a piece of cement.

The Ministry of the Interior, on 8 March 2012, not recorded any cases of murder IMO Mqlde phenomenon during the last period, pointing out that the processes most commonly reported in the media was for reasons of revenge, social and criminal occur "always".

IMO means in English Emo sensitive, emotional or irritable and follows Mqldo this phenomenon in a particular style of life is to listen to the music belong to a particular rock, a certain hairstyle and black clothes, and pants too tight or too loose, and covers the wrist.


http://thecommonills.blogspot.com/2012/03/no-dc-didnt-condemn-anything.html

The Common Ills
March 13, 2012

No, DC Didn't Condemn Anything

Alsumaria TV runs a story with a headline that Washington (DC) has strongly condemned the targeting of Iraqi youth. I wish. DC hasn't said a damn word. You might think it was James Jeffrey, US Ambassador to Iraq, speaking out. You'd be wrong there too. He's not in Iraq. He's in DC. The person offering a condemnation was the Embassy spokesperson Michael W. McClellan who told Alsumaria -- in an interview -- that the US strongly condemns the violence and the targeting based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. I believe McClellan's been with the State Dept for 28 years.

Good for him. But DC hasn't condemned the actions. If DC wanted to condemn the actions, Hillary Clinton could have done so to the UN Security Council yesterday or at the UN press conference she gave, Mark Toner could have read a statement at the beginning of yesterday's press conference, etc. And of course the White House could have issued a statement via any of the many interviews Barack Obama gave yesterday -- it's more important, apparently, that he yammer on about Peyton Manning than he stick up for the targeted, Jay Carney could have delivered a statement on behalf of the White House, etc.

Any of the previous steps would have resulted in media coverage.

The administration chose not to take any of those steps. Instead, an embassy spokesperson gave an interview to a TV network most Americans have never heard of and one that broadcasts in Arabic.

That's really not condemning.

[CONTINUED AT LINK]


http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/8/295755/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=DTN+Iraq:

Parents and children living in fear of emo killers
13/03/2012 19:13

BAGHDAD, March 13 (AKnews) - Baghdad families are living in fear after the apparent targeting of "emo" youths, as parents accompany children to school and teenagers stop wearing tight jeans and long hair.

The local and international reports of the abduction and murder of youths deemed to be emo by religious extremist groups have sparked fear and panic in popular areas  of Baghdad city.

More than 15 bodies of young people have been found in the Iskan neighborhood this month.

The total number of young people killed for being emo rises to 100 after human rights activist Hanaa Edwar alleged in the Mada newspaper that 85 emo victims had been murdered.

The Interior Ministry acknowledged that a number of young people had been killed during the last period but assured that these were criminal incidents that occur continuously and not related to the targeting of the emo sub-culture.

They also denied links between the deaths and emo-targeting extremists or parties who encroach upon civil liberties by suppressing this phenomenon or those who would promote it.

Shatha Ahmed, the director of Taha Baqer School in the Dawra area, told AKnews: "We received formal guidance from the Iraqi Ministry of Education that restricted students from keeping their hair long or wearing tight clothes like that worn by emos.

"Some young people committed themselves to do so out of fear of being targeted but we have also seen increasing fear from parents, who have started accompanying them to school every day.

"Other students have been absent during the last period."

Mustafa Hamzam, a student at Sinaat al-Mansour school, said that most of his colleagues "stopped using the Facebook and deleted their pictures for fear of being threatened by gangs, and even stopped wearing sunglasses."

He also said that they exchange messages to help each other avoid passing through certain roads because of the presence of observers and gangs.

While his friend Aysar Suhail said: "Some people wearing civilian clothes, stand near government checkpoints in a number of areas at the center of Baghdad to see the clothing of young people.

"They arrest some of them, according to what they wear and sometimes according to the look of the young man, if he was elegant or beautiful."

Suhail says this has created a state of panic among boys and girls, who have changed their hair styles, clothes and accessories.

"Even the owners of clothes shops hide imported clothes, especially of Turkish origin, that are similar to the fashion of emo," he said.

Amir Ahmed, who owes the Amira stores for accessories, is one of the traders affected. "Sales have nearly stalled because of the EMO targeting phenomenon and the inability of the security services to address these dangers," he said.

While the member of the Human Rights Commission in the Iraqi council of Representative Ashwaq al-Jaff told AKnews:

"We've addressed the Ministries of Interior and Education to inquire about the instructions issued to reduce the emo phenomenon.

"We also ask those who were threatened of killing by any party, or the family of the victims, to register a complaint to the Human Rights Commission to allow us to rely on evidences about the attacks.

"Whether it was true or fabricated, we will always stand against the use of violence."

"The emo file must be addressed according to educational and scientific methods. The Iraqi youth might have phobias or psychological illnesses because of the spread of violence in the Iraqi street today."

The emo phenomenon, derived from the word "emotional", spread among young people in Iraq over the past few years.

Local media have reported that the Iraqi Interior Ministry began a campaign to follow the situation among the schools in Baghdad and obtain regulatory approvals to eliminate it because of its impact on Iraqi society.

The Interior Ministry, in an official statement, have denied registering any case of murder.

By Afrah shawqi
RN/SS/AKnews

[Merticus]

Gay In Iraq - Facebook:
*****

قوى الظلام تعيد للذاكرة مشاهد الاعدامات
اعدام شاب عراقي تحت ذريعة الايمو
من قبل مليشيات الاجرام المرتبطة بايران
والشاب كما هو واضح من ملبسه وهيئته لا ينتمي الى الايمو بشيء لا من قريب ولا من بعيد .اين الامم المتحده والاتحاد الاوربي من حقوق الانسان في العراق شبابنا يموت ويقتل باسم الدين .

The forces of darkness gives the memory scenes young Iraqis executed executions under the pretext of cheating by militias of criminality associated with Iran and youth as is evident from his clothing and body does not belong to the EMO something not from near or Afar. where the United Nations and the European Union human rights in Iraq and kill our young people die in the name of religion.

Uploaded by IRAQIXXXX1122
March 12, 2012

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rD7_rGYA5pQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/rD7_rGYA5pQ</a>

IRAQIXXXX1122 on March 12, 2012

اعدام شاب من قبل اشخاص مجهولين و السبب لبسه و الكل يدري ضاهرة الايمو و القتل الي صارت الله ينتقم منكم يا كلاب و الشرطة الخونة الي كاعدين يتفرجون بدون ما يخلصون الولد

Execution of a young unknown by the people and the reason for wearing it and everyone knows paranormal emo and murder to become of you, O God take revenge on the police dogs and traitors to Kaeidin without watching what saved the boy

اخوان لحد يصير مفتي السعودية ابراسنة وعلى ابو لابس صيفي لو شي باوعو احنة حالنة حالكم عايشين بل عراق وشايفين الضيم يا ناس يا عالم هذا الفديو حالي حال اي واحد شفتة بل صدفة عن طريق شخص ومن شفتة تعجبت الي كاعد ايصير سالت الشخص يافلان شنو هذا كال هذا واحد شانقي جماعة او عصابة عصائب الحق الي هية تابعة لجيش المهدي الي جيش المهدي فصلهم وطلعهم كامو ايسوون هل شي واني نشرتة بل نسبة الية تنشرة قناة الشرقية قناة العربية اني هذا الشي ميهمني ولا يخصني ولحد ليصير ابراسي سياسي ولحد ليألف من عندة

Brothers limit becomes the Mufti of Saudi Arabia Aprasna and Abu Labs summer if something Pauau Ahna Halna you're doing are living, but Iraq and Haeven grievances O people, O world of this video a current event of any one lip, but by accident by someone and lip surprised to Kaad Aaasir Salt person Aaflan Henw this Cal this one Hanga group or gang headbands right to the deity belonging to the Mahdi Army to the Mahdi Army fired and Talaahm Camus Aaswon you something and I published, but the proportion of the mechanism is published by Al-Sharqiya channel Arabic I this thing Mémna not affect me, and so to become Apracej political and reduce to familiar of his own

+

Hassaniraqe2011 on March 12, 2012

حارث الضاري المتهم في قتل الشباب العراقيين بسبب ما تدعي عصابات الضاري بأنهم من الايمو اي بمعنى عبده الشياطين .. لكن نحن نشاهد الفديو ولم نجد اي ما يثبت بأن الشاب من هذه الجماعات (الايمو) لكن الحقيقه هذا حارث الضاري هوه وعصاباته القذريين نجده دائمآ المسؤول عن اقذر العمليات الارهابيه في العراق حارث الضاري المسؤول عن التفجيرات والمفخخين والسيارات المفخخه الان بغير طله في العراق الان يقتل الشاب العراقي لان شعره طويل يقتل الشاب العراقي لانه انيق لعنه الله عليك يا شيخ الضاري القذر انته واسيادك من ال سعود وشيوخ ال سعود القذريين اتباع اميه

Harith al-Dhari accused in the killing of young Iraqis claim gangs because they are fierce emo any sense of servant demons .. But we see the video did not find any evidence that the young of these groups (EMO), but the fact that Harith al-Dari, Huh and gangs Alqdhiraan we find always in charge of the dirtiest terrorist operations in Iraq, Harith al-Dhari responsible for the bombings and vest and car bombs are now without the Spot in Iraq now killing young his hair long because the Iraqi kills Iraqi man, because it is stylish to you, O Sheikh Dhari and dirty Expire Asiadk of Saud and the elders of the Al Saud Alqdhiraan follow the illiterate

[Merticus]

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/iraqs-gay-community-faces-grave-danger

Iraq’s Gay Community Faces Grave Danger
March 14, 2012

This guest post comes from Kate Norland, Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project Director (IRAP) at the University of Pennsylvania Law School:

The New York Times reports that somewhere between 14 and 40 young emo and LGBT men and women have been murdered in Iraq over the course of the past several days, many bludgeoned to death by large cement blocks, an allusion to the traditional “stoning” doled out to people who are impure. Emo individuals (short for emotional hardcore) are individuals identifiable by their tight black clothes, skull printed t-shirts, piercings, and daring hairstyles that signify an ironic punk or hipster aesthetic in the United States.  However, in Iraq, emo individuals are anything but ironic and stand as emblems of social freedom and revitalization in the aftermath of warfare.  The LGBT community and emo community are conflated in Iraq because they are seen as one-in-the-same.  They have become targets for violence by those who see them as threats to the mainstream.

Religious extremists and the Iraqi government alike have condemned the emo and LGBT communities. The Ministry of the Interior issued a statement on February 13 describing emo youths as worshippers of the devil and asserting its authority to enter any school in Baghdad as part of a comprehensive plan to deal with the threat posed by this new social phenomenon. The statement granted the Ministry’s Social Police the authority to “eliminate” emo individuals as soon as possible. On March 10, in a complete about face, an Interior Ministry spokesman said emo youths were free to dress as they pleased and the government would protect them.  Information obtained by IRAP suggests that despite this about face, people are shaving their heads and not leaving their homes in an effort to conform as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the AP reports unidentified Shiite militants in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad have distributed a hit list of 33 names and home addresses with the following threat: "if you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen." Another flier addresses gay men by nicknames like “Mohammed the Flower” and warns them: “Reform your behavior, stop being gay, or face deadly consequences,” or, “Your fate will be death if you don’t quit doing this. Punishment will be tougher and tougher, you gays.”

The video below features a disturbing look at the violent realities LGBT people face in Iraq:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dDdvxul7TrY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/dDdvxul7TrY</a>

IRAP has since relocated the man featured in the video to the United States, where he can live openly and honestly.

*Names have been changed for safety.

The Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a non-profit organization partnering law students with attorneys to provide direct legal assistance to those who have fled (or seek to flee) Iraq because of persecution, especially persecution on account of membership in a particularly vulnerable or hunted group—such as Iraqis affiliated with U.S. or coalition forces, members of religious minorities, and LGBT Iraqis. Persecution of gay Iraqis, or Iraqis perceived to be gay, is not a new phenomenon in post-invasion Iraq, as seen in this video account of a young doctor who sought IRAP’s help when he fled his home and country after his lover made public incriminating photographs of the two of them together.


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Killing/400945643252303

Stop Killing
March 10, 2012

EMO “Stone to Death”

What are the “EMO” young guys who tend to dress like movie stars and keep their hair long, they follow the fashion, is this crime?
Let’s define the “EMO” by IRAQ’s Moral Police point of view “Satan worshippers, Vampires, homo guys”, what a sham, we have a Government who believes that vampires exists.
Wake up; what is happening now in IRAQ “EMO killing” is a disaster, a crime against humanity. Who gives them the right to kill innocent people?! People have the free well to follow whatever they want, its personal freedom, and by killing them we turned to be “Animals” following the wood law or sometimes worst “First they throw concrete blocks at the boy's arms, then at his legs, then the final blow is to his head, and if he is not dead then, they start all over again” said a survivor who manage to escape.
Who start this? One of the stupid, blind followers of the government with benefits without thinking what the consequences will be, oops… did I said “thinking” I don’t think so they think or even care about people., “Iraq's Moral Police released a chilling statement on the interior ministry's website condemning the "emo phenomenon" among Iraqi youth, disturbingly declaring its intent to eliminate the trend”.
Let’s go back in time to 2003, when our current government members came back to IRAQ with U.S army to liberate IRAQI people and give them FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY and LIBERATION, then what all this killing about? Are they HYPOCRATES or CONFLICTING themselves?!
Enough, you have cross the line IRAQ GOVERNMENT, and people cannot tolerate any more games for your selfish sake. It’s bad feeling, but I believe in this: For every Action there is Reaction, its nature’s order and always there is a hidden force pulling us closer toward the right path and finally from God’s eye nothing hides.


https://www.facebook.com/events/409370405745225

San Francisco Vigil for Iraqi Gays, Emos and Goths
March 14, 2012

WHAT: SF Vigil for Iraqi Gays, Emos and Goths
WHEN: Wednesday, March 14, 2012
TIME: 4pm - 6pm
WHERE: Castro and 18th Streets, San Francisco, CA, USA

WHY:
In April 2009, when the world learned of the deaths by anal gluing of gay men in Iraq, our grassroots activist group Gays Without Borders held a vigil in San Francisco to express sympathy and call for an end to the brutal murders.

Now, with reports emerging from Iraq of more than 100 deaths of gays, emos and goth persons many killed after their heads were bludgeoned with cement blocks in the past four weeks, and threats of additional atrocities, Gays Without Borders is taking to the streets of the Castro to send a message to Iraq's government, clerics, militias and citizens: Stop killing gays, emos and goths.

If you're not familiar with the details of these murders, click here ( https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=gays+iraq&oq=gays+iraq&aq=f&aqi=d2&aql&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=12979l14892l0l15378l9l9l0l3l3l1l287l955l3.1.2l6l0 ) to read numerous mainstream and gay press accounts of the forces behind the murders of young individuals who dress and act differently than normal conservative Iraqi society.

Be sure to also check out the Rainbow Iraq blog operated by a gay Iraqi in exile using the pseudonym Bissam: http://rainbowiraq.wordpress.com/

THE VIGIL:

The demonstration has a main goal: Create photos and videos illustrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender support for the besieged and fearful targeted communities in Iraq. Then use those images to show the world and our friends in Iraq that LGBT activists are not silent over the murders.

At Castro and 18th Streets, the crossroads of gay America, we will display our "IRAQ: STOP KILLING GAYS!" banner, and tape enlarged photos of the victims when they were still alive, after being murdered, along with news stories to the walls of the Bank of America. Candles will be lighted in remembrance of the dead and hope for an end to the killings.

No speeches are planned, but we will have a bull horn for anyone who wishes to speak out. For two hours on Wednesday, we are asking those walking past our vigil to take a few minutes and bear witness to the unconscionable deaths taking place in Iraq.

Our action is one part of the global response to the Iraqi situation - from pressuring governments and the United Nations to take action protecting the at-risk communities to using social networking to sustain visibility. We hope other street actions take place in coming days.

PETITION:

We encourage people to sign this petition ASAP:
http://allout.org/en/actions/stopthekillings?ak_proof=1&akid=572.720692.bMGWcn&rd=1&t=3&utm_campaign=iraq&utm_content=english&utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit

ENDORSEMENTS:

The March 14 protest is endorsed by Clinton Fein, Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Melanie Nathan, Danny Nicoletta, Gary Virginia, Bill Wilson and Michael Petrelis. Please join us.

CONTACTS FOR MORE INFO:

Gary Virginia, Gays Without Borders/San Francisco
MrSFL96@aol.com; (415) 867-5004
Michael Petrelis, Gays Without Borders/San Francisco
mpetrelis@aol.com




http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2012/03/rainbow-iraq-plea-read-at-sf-vigil-for.html

Rainbow Iraq Plea Read at SF Vigil for Slain Gays, Emos, Goths
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The rainstorms couldn't dampen the commitment of forty to fifty activists who participated in the Gays Without Borders vigil in the heart of San Francisco's gay neighborhood today, which lasted two hours.

We tied our banner to the center of the steel bars on the large bank window at Castro and 18th Streets, taped posters showing one of the dead Iraqi emo victims and placed a memorial floral wreath on the sidewalk, and created a striking scene that caught the attention of people driving or walking past us.

Among the community folks who came by to lend solidarity with gay, emo and goth people in Iraq were African-American transgender advocate Jazzy Collins, AIDS activist Gary Virginia, photographers Rick Gerharter and Dan Nicoletta and Bill Wilson, Bay Area Reporter writer Heather Cassell, drag artiste Donna Sachet, political artist Clinton Fein, parishioners from Metropolitan Community Church, members of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club and the Log Cabin Republicans.

There was no formal program. Those of us who have read the news stories about the skull-crushing murders of young Iraqi male who are gay, emo, goth or just weird or perceived to be weak and effeminate, and have some knowledge of the crimes and the political reactions or apathy chatted with the many people who were ignorant of the situation.

At various times, Gary and Clinton would take to the bull horn, make short speeches or read the letter from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad strongly condemning the murders.

A ton of gratitude to everyone who pitched in to make the vigil happen, all who were able to be there, the people who stopped for more information. Thanks!

I was honored to read a statement from Bissam, a gay Iraqi who started the blog Rainbow Iraq in reaction to the killings. Go to his blog now and leave him and his Iraqi readers messages of solidarity and love. Please.

Bissam is a pseudonym used to protect his personal safety, and here are his words that were read aloud and heard tonight in San Francisco:

    We See You, They Don't

    A comment from Benjamin from United States says we see you on all out website said the whole truth in one short sentence. And it is real that the whole world is seeing what is going on but the Iraqi government and the authorities. While the world is protesting against the brutality of these crimes the people in charge disgrace the victims. The Iraqi prime minister didn’t speak at all.

    The Shiiat leader says it is a strange phenomenon has a devastating influence and the head chief of Baghdad police says it is a revenge and honor killings. He didn’t even have a courtesy to call them crimes.

    Sad, bad and unethical actions against innocent people all what they did are to be themselves. The heart of the humanity is bleeding for what is going on. They say they are not 100 people who get killed. Does it matter if they are 1 or 1000?

    Killing is killing and this is a forcing for a stupid culture upon people who they are so peaceful. For how long these crimes will go without any punishment or even a small investigation? From gluing the rectum of the gays to smashing the Emo and gays with bricks, what next?

    I ask you all to stand as one with us to safe the rest of humanity remained in Iraq. And to tell the Iraqi authorities that everyone has his freedom of speech and express himself as he believes.

    I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being there for us.

    Bissam



(Credit: Dan Nicoletta)

[Merticus]

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_03_14/68436250/

Russia Today’s film crew detained in Baghdad
March 14, 2012 15:19 Moscow Time

The film crew of the Russia Today Russian TV channel’s Arabic Service, Rusiya al-Yaum, were earlier detained in Baghdad, the TV channel’s press service said in a statement today.

The team was about to start filming an episode about ‘Emo’ teenagers, who are often subjected to violence by radical Islamists, when security officers told them to stop the filming.

Although the crew had been issued with a permit to film in downtown Baghdad, the reporter, cameramen and assistant cameraman were taken to a police station and held there for three hours before being released.

All the footage filmed by the crew was confiscated.

RIAN


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/ali-hili-iraq-lgbt-leader-emo-killings_n_1345105.html?

Ali Hili, Iraq LGBT Leader, Condemns Gay 'Emo' Killings, Lack Of U.S. Response
Posted: 03/14/2012 1:31 pm
By Michelangelo Signorile

The leader of London-based Iraqi LGBT expressed concern and anger about the lack of U.S. response to reports of a rise in killings of gay men as well as young men perceived to be gay. And he urged Americans to contact the U.S. State Department and Secretary Hillary Clinton to demand a response.

Media organizations have labeled the new reports of murders as “emo killings” since the recent targets have been youth associated with the "emo" movement -- young men who listen to Western music, dress in black, wear tattoos and style their hair. Many are not gay, but Ali Hili, speaking on my radio program on SiriusXM, said that they are considered gay to many Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq. He said these killings are part of a larger pattern of killing and violence carried out by Islamic militias against gay men for the past six years.

“There’s a lack of knowledge in the militias," Hili said. 'To them anyone who has adopted a certain Western style, a certain appearance -- anyone that appears different, it’s a homosexual phenomenon, period.”

Hili emphasized that an agenda demanding conformity is being carried out from within the Interior Ministry of the Iraqi government, which he believes has not only ignored the killings but, as media organizations have also reported, has sent its Social Police into the streets of Baghdad to enforce religious doctrine.

“It’s the miltias with the support of the Iraqi government,” he said. “The goverment has declared war on sexual minorities. It’s worse than [Saudi Arabia]. They are trying to rally the streets of Baghdad. Yesterday and the last six or seven days -- we have videos and films of those patrols -- with a megaphone they’re saying, 'If anyone who has any information about anyone who is a pervert, an infidel, part of the homosexual network, you have to declare it or you face consequences.' Anyone who harbors anyone who is, acording o them, an illegal citizen, will face consequences.”

Hili accused the U.S. government of hypocrisy in light of Hillary Clinton’s speech in Geneva last year condemning antigay governments and threatening the possibility of the U.S. withholding foreign aid to such nations.

“They have been looking the other way,” he said of the Obama adminstration. “And it’s shame on the world community that this genocide is happening under the eyes of the world -- and the gay community in particular. No one is doing anything to help their brothers and sisters in Iraq.”

Hili urged Americans to contact the U.S. State Department and Hillary Clinton to demand action.

“There has been nothing from the State Department," he said. “We haven’t heard anything.”

[Audio]


http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/295985/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=DTN+Iraq

Fear and anxiety in Karbala following the spread of "emo" phenomenon
14/03/2012 20:55 - Kurdistan News Agency - By Ali al-Jabbouri

KARBALA, March 14 (AKnews) - A number of people from Karbala have expressed their fear over the spread of the emo phenomenon, which is currently an important issue in the country due alleged from some non-government parties to suppress the culture.

Some young people have even gone as far as to drastically alter their emo appearance.

Following the murder of many young men who belong to the emo phenomenon, many young people have now changed their behavior in Karbala, as well as their costumes and hair styles for fear of suspicion and facing the same fate that youths in Baghdad faced a few days ago.

Haidar Hussein, 21, told AKnews: "After hearing the news, my family insisted that I cut my long hair and change my clothes style... Karbala city didn't witness so far the incident of killing people belonging to emo, but the recent events in Iraq scared a lot of young people."

Muhammad Ali, a 22-year-old university student, said: "This phenomenon has raised fears among the people of Karbala and a lot of university students in Karbala changed their way of dress, behavior, and hair styles."

Citizen Um Salah, 53, meanwhile stated her fear from the spread of the emo phenomenon, saying that it is a foreign phenomenon to the Iraqi society. A society which adheres to religious and social traditions.

"Once I heard the news, I asked my three children to change their clothes to keep them away from the danger that may threaten them."

While the social scientist Taleb Hussein pointed out to the need to deal with this phenomena in the right way without violence and force else it will certainly increase.

"The government agencies and educational and cultural institutions must deal with this phenomenon and it cannot be considered as a dangerous social phenomenon."

Representative of the religious authority in Karbala, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaim said previously: "The emo phenomenon is unacceptable morally and socially and the divine law requires giving advice guidance through cultural means and not through murder.

"The educational and cultural institutions must do more efforts to address such a phenomenon peacefully away from murder."

RN/DM/AKnews


http://www.niqash.org/articles/?id=3009

iraq’s threatened emo kids: ‘we are peaceful, we do not worship the devil’
niqash | Shawkat al Bayati | Baghdad | 14.03.2012

Since February Iraqi extremists have been threatening, even murdering, Iraq’s “emo” teenagers. They believe them to be Satanists, vampires or homosexuals. While religious authorities say the anti-emo campaign is wrong, activists now suspect police involvement in the threats.

Ahmad is only 16 – but for the time being, he sits, virtually imprisoned, in a small room on the roof of a building on the outskirts of Baghdad. His crime? Dressing like a teenager.

Ahmad is what is being referred to in Iraq as an “emo”. In the West, the description emo has become shorthand for a certain style of dressing and music. The teenage devotees of emo tend to prefer their rock music with punk overtones and emotional lyrics and they like to dress all in black, have black hair and accessorise with slightly Gothic imagery, such as skulls or bleeding hearts.

Emo in Europe and North America was the latest evolution of music that started off as “emotional hard core” and the look and music resonated with a certain sort of melancholy outsider.

And whereas in the West, an emo teenager might expect to be harassed by those who didn’t understand their funereal obsession or their dressing up – a lot of critical bystanders thought the costumed nature of the emo look meant the wearer must be homosexual – in Iraq, emo kids are at far more risk.

Emo kids first started to appear in Iraq in 2008; most of them are aged between 12 and 18, the vast majority are male and one imagines the same elements of rebellion that attract Western teens, also attract the Iraqi youth.

This month though, there have been an increasing number of reports that emo Iraqis are being targeted by extremist militias, beaten, persecuted and even killed. While the reports of dozens of deaths remain unverified – they go from 14 deaths to over a hundred murders counted by human rights organizations and gay rights activists - there is no doubt that emo kids are being targeted in some way.

“It all started just after Valentine’s Day,” Samir Odeh, the owner of a Baghdad tattoo parlour, told NIQASH. “I noticed it because some of my former clients, who had asked me to tattoo a skull, came back to ask me to get rid of that tattoo because it could endanger their lives.”

Odeh continued: “The sectarian conflict in Iraq in the past was more merciful compared to this. During the sectarian conflicts, young people could protect themselves and they knew where to hide or where to go for safety. Nowadays, nobody knows who’s going to be targeted next and killed. There’s no escape.”

Ahmad, whose family come from the mainly Shiite Muslim district of Shula in Baghdad, went into hiding when he heard that his name had been mentioned on a list of people threatened with assassination by armed groups.

He tells how his brother came into his room and told him that his name was on this list; he told Ahmad to change out of his black clothes into normal clothing and to pack everything he needed into a bag. Then he brought Ahmad to a small room on the outskirts of Baghdad, instructing him not to leave it.

According to various news media, the extremist groups are opposed to the emo kids because they believe them to be devil worshippers, vampires, adulterers, sexually depraved or homosexuals. Other observers say it’s just that the young men dressed like this are perceived as being “too feminine”.

Ahmad has no idea where the extremists got his name or the names of his friends. And he doesn’t understand why they are being targeted. “We don’t deserve to be murdered,” he says. “We are peaceful, we believe in God and we do not worship the Devil.”

Now Ahmad is terrified that he will have his head smashed in with a rock, which is what he has heard has happened to other emos in Iraq. Ahmad, who has a skull tattoo on his left arm, has heard that the militias force young emo men to lie on the ground with their chins on the edge of the sidewalk; they then crush the victims’ heads with large rocks.

Last Friday several Arabic language websites published two lists containing up to 80 names. The lists were printed out and then hung on walls around Baghdad. The names on the lists included those of teenage emos as well as death threats against them if they don’t abandon their emo ways within four days.

Prominent human rights activist Yanar Mohammed describes these campaigns of harassment and murder as “organized crime”. For those who believe the emo kids are devil worshippers or homosexual, the teens break a number of social and religious taboos in Iraq and Mohammed believes that not much is being done to help them. In fact, she has concerns that even the local police, who she believes are unsympathetic, are involved in harassing the emos.

One of the emo kids she spoke with said that his friends had been arrested by the police in Baghdad and then handed over to the extremists. If this is true, Mohammed says, "it would be disastrous if the police were complicit with the militias in crimes committed against these emos.”

In a statement to NIQASH, senior Baghdadi policeman Mustaq Talib Mohammedawi, who is in charge of community policing, denied that the police were involved in this way.

“The security forces have no problems with emos,” he said. “They are peaceful and they’re no threat to us.” Mohammedawi also said that there had been only one adolescent death reported and that this had nothing to do with the campaign against emos.

Additionally, Mohammedawi stated, “police officers or members of the security forces have no right to arrest any citizen without a warrant. The local police would only get involved if there was homosexuality involved, drugs or any other violations against the norms of Iraqi society”.

This was despite the fact that some reports indicate earlier comments by Mohammedawi to the contrary.  And the policeman went on to say that the emos did seem “strange” and that they could be “a social danger”. In fact, Mohammedawi said, “I have received complaints from parents requesting our assistance because they can’t prevent their children from becoming emo.”

As a result, Mohammedawi said, the community police were working together with the Iraqi Ministries of Education and of Human rights to “educate young people about the danger of imported ideas and their impact on Iraqi society”.

Religious authorities also weighed in on the emo issue. “The targeted killings of young people in Baghdad is not permitted under Islam,” Ali al-Waeth, deputy to the highest religious authority for Shiite Muslims in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, told NIQASH. “Islam is a religion that persuades people; it does not condone murder. So what we should be doing is educating young people about dangerous ideas – instead of killing them.”

“Murdering these emos has an impact on civilian peace in this country and it gives extremist groups more power than the law,” al-Waeth stated and criticized the Iraqi authorities for not taking their responsibilities in this matter seriously enough.  “They only care about their own positions and they don’t care about the state of Iraqi society – they’re happy to leave innocent citizens unaware and uneducated,” he argued.

“It’s true that the emo style contradicts our norms and our religious values,” Kamil Ameen, spokesman for Iraq's Ministry of Human Rights, said. “The idea of emo that’s been becoming more popular among young people is all about the imitation of others, with the wearing of certain costumes and colours. But it is not yet common practice,” he explained.

“And this campaign of intimidation and murder is wrong. Instead we should be seeking specialists who can help make young people more aware of this phenomenon and its dangers. The state should deal with this phenomenon in a logical manner. If these practices are wrong, then we must help young people to abandon them instead of threatening, terrifying and murdering them.”

“The Iraqi Constitution is clear in guaranteeing personal freedoms,” Ameen added. At the same time though, Ameen felt the government should monitor the situation so that “the emergence of new groups with strange identities and thoughts could be prevented”.

As for Baghdad teenager Ahmad, he remains pale and tired and unable to sleep because of the threats against him. Despite his fear though, Ahmad also remains somewhat defiant: “It doesn’t make any sense to stay in this room,” he told NIQASH. “After all, I chose this lifestyle because it was about free will.”

[Merticus]

http://www.almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=62071

جريدة المدى
العدد : 2425
بتاريخ : الخميس 15-03-2012 11:20 صباحا
الداخلية تسحب بيان ملاحقة (الإيمو) من موقعها الإلكتروني

 
بغداد/ المدى
بعد ساعات قليلة من عرض (المدى) بيانا لوزارة الداخلية كانت قد نشرته عبر موقعها الالكتروني يتحدث فيه عن ملاحقة شباب (الإيمو) قامت الوزارة بسحبه دون توضيح الأسباب، وهو ما
استغربته لجنة حقوق الإنسان في مجلس النواب التي ضيفت أمس ممثلين عن الشرطة المجتمعية لمناقشة هذه الظاهرة .

وكانت الداخلية قد نشرت في منتصف شباط الماضي خبرا بعنوان "الداخلية تشن حملة للقضاء على "الإيمو" بلسان المدير العام للشرطة المجتمعية التابعة لوزارة الداخلية العقيد مشتاق طالب المحمداوي، لكنها قامت الأمس بسحبه بعد أن وضعت المدى رابط الخبر على أحد أعمدتها.
وبرغم أن البيان مؤرخ في شباط الماضي، لكن الشرطة المجتمعية أكدت للجنة حقوق الإنسان البرلمانية وحسب النائبة أشواق الجاف أمس "أنها أغلقت ملف الإيمو العام المنصرم بعد تأكدها من عدم وجود عبدة للشيطان وأن الأمر يقتصر على مقلدي هذه الظاهرة بالملبس وتسريحة الشعر ووضعت حلولا لها بالتثقيف والوسائل العلمية".
الجاف استغربت في اتصال هاتفي مع (المدى) أمس سحب الداخلية لبيانها وقالت "لا توجد حاجة لهذه الأساليب نحن نبحث اليوم عن علاج علمي لهذه الظاهرة متى ما وجدت وإن عمليات المد والجزر بين الأطراف ذات العلاقة ومحاولة البعض إيصال صورة بأن الداخلية تنفي هذه الأخبار والمدى تروج لها أمر غير صحيح لأنه لا يصب في المصلحة العامة".
وكان المحمداوي قد قال في الخبر قبل سحبه إن "ظاهرة الإيمو قد اكتشفت من قبل عناصر مديريتنا في العاصمة بغداد وتمت دراستها واعدت تقارير وبحوثا عنها ورفعت لوزارة الداخلية لاستحصال موافقات لمتابعة هذه الحالة وكيفية القضاء عليها".
وأضاف أن "وزارة الداخلية أخذت هذا الأمر بجانب من الأهمية والأولوية وتم استحصال موافقة وزارة التربية تحديداً لإعداد خطة متكاملة بإشرافي شخصياً والسماح بدخولنا لكافة المدارس في العاصمة بغداد".

TRANSLATION:

Interior to withdraw the prosecution statement (IMO) from its website
Date: Thursday, 15/03/2012 11:20 - Baghdad / term

A few hours later than the width (range) a statement of the Ministry of Interior had published on its website when talking about the prosecution of young people (IMO), the Ministry has withdrawn without explanation, which Astgrepetth the Commission on Human Rights in the House of Representatives that Devt yesterday representatives of the police community to discuss these phenomenon.

The interior has been published in mid-February, a news story entitled "Interior launched a campaign to eliminate the" IMO "tongue Director General of Police Community of the Ministry of Interior, Colonel Mushtaq student Muhammadawi, but they have yesterday withdrawn after it developed a long link to one of their columns.
Although the statement dated last February, but the community police assured the Commission on Human Rights and parliamentary by Rep. longings dry yesterday, "they closed the IMO last year after it is confirmed that there is no slave to the devil and that it is limited to Mqlde this phenomenon clothing and hairstyle and developed solutions with education and means scientific. "

Dry surprised by telephone (range) on the withdrawal of the Interior of her statement and said "there is no need for these methods we are looking today for a cure I know of this phenomenon when they exist, and that of the tides between the related parties and try some of the delivery of a picture that the Interior denies this news and the extent to promote it is not true because it is not in the public interest. "

The Muhammadawi said in the news before dragging it said that "the phenomenon of IMO has been discovered by members of the Directorate in the capital Baghdad, has been studied and prepared reports and research them and raised to the Ministry of the Interior to obtain the approvals to follow up this case and how to eliminate them."

He added that "the Ministry of Interior took the side of this importance and priority was obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Education specifically for the preparation of an integrated plan Bahrafa we enter personally and allow for all the schools in the capital Baghdad."


http://www.radiosawa.com/iraq/arabic_news.aspx?id=3557452

الدرويش: ترهيب الإيمو خلق حالة من التوتر بين طلبة الثانويات والجامعات
فتاة من شبان الإيمو-أرشيف
14/03/2012 15:02    بتوقيت:   

قالت الاختصاصية في الإرشاد التربوي نهى الدرويش إن حملات الترهيب والتخويف ضد من يرتدون ملابس من نمط معين أدت إلى حالة من التوتر في صفوف طلبة الثانويات والجامعات.

وأبدت الدرويش مخاوف من أن يكون الحديث عن شبان الإيمو هو محاولة للتغطية على ظواهر شذوذ لا يجرؤ المجتمع على فتح ملفاتها.

التفاصيل في الحوار الذي أعدته وأجرته جيان اليعقوبي:

[AUDIO]

TRANSLATION:

Darwish: EMO intimidation created a state of tension between students of high schools and universities
14/03/2012 15:02

She specialized in educational guidance forbade Dervish The campaigns of intimidation and intimidation against those wearing the clothes of a particular style led to a state of tension among the students of secondary schools and universities.

Darwish expressed fears that young people talk about the EMO is to try to cover up the anomaly phenomena of society does not dare to open the files.

Details in the dialogue which was prepared and conducted by Jian Yacoubi:


http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/53598/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%A4%D9%83%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B4%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%AA

الصدر يؤكد أن قتل الإيمو"لايرضي الله"ويستهجن بشدة اتهام أتباعه بالاعتداء عليهم
15-03-2012 - 17:48    
اخبار العراق

السومرية نيوز/ بغداد
استغرب زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر واستهجن بشدة، الخميس، من إقحام التيار في مسألة الاعتداء على شباب "الايمو" أو قتهلم، وفيما اعتبر أن تلك التصرفات "لا ترضي الله"، أكد أن هناك من يتهم التيار من داخله وكأن المجرم "يقول خذوني".

وقال الصدر في بيان صدر، اليوم، وتلقت "السومرية نيوز"، نسخة منه في معرض استنكاره واستهجانه لمحاولة إقحام التيار الصدري في موضوع الايمو، ما نصه "ما دخل الخط الشريف.. عجباً عجباً.. حتى من هم في الداخل يتهمون التيار"، مستدركاً "يكاد المجرم أن يقول خذوني".     

وجاء تعليق زعيم التيار الصدري هذا في معرض رده على سؤال لعدد من أتباعه بشأن قيام جهات مجهولة تطلق على نفسها تسمية "سرايا الغضب"، بنشر أسماء شباب من الجنسين، يتشبهون بالغرب، فضلاً عن قيامها بتصرفات "غير مرضية" مثل قتل أولئك الشباب بـ"البلوكة" أو حلق رؤوسهم، في محاولة لتشويه "الخط الشريف" برغم العلم بأنهم مدعومون من الاحتلال "الغاشم" والسفارة الأميركية، وما إذا كان التيار الصدري على علم بهذه الجهات.

وفي حين أبدى زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر، رفضه لقتل الشباب، دعا أتباعه إلى العمل بما يرضي الله، إذ قال وفقاً للبيان، إن "تلكم الأسباب لا ترضي الله عز وجل، فاعملوا بما يرضيه".

وكان الصدر، أعلن في (العاشر من آذار 2012 الحالي)، أن شباب الايمو "سفهاء ومجانين"، واصفا إياهم بـ"آفة المجتمع، مطالباً المختصين بإنهائهم قانونياَ.

يذكر أن التيار الصدري أكد، في (العاشر من آذار 2012) ايضاً، عدم تورط إتباعه بقتل المنتمين لظاهرة الايمو في عدد من مناطق العاصمة العراقية بغداد وغيرها من المحافظات، خلال الأيام الماضية، وفي حين استنكر استهداف مقلدي هذه الظاهرة، أكد انه لا يتحرك في مثل هذه القضايا إلا بعد توجيهات من زعيمه مقتدى الصدر.

وكانت "السومرية نيوز"، حصلت في (التاسع من آذار 2012) على قائمتين تم وضعهما في عدد من الشوارع الرئيسة لمدينة الصدر شرق بغداد، نشر فيهما أسماء المنتمين لظاهرة الإيمو في قطاعات المدينة، تتوعدهم بالقتل من قبل "المجاهدين" في حال عدم تركها، ووصفتهم بـ"الجراوي" في إشارة إلى كونهم من المثليين.

وتشير مصادر في أجهزة الأمن العراقية وشهود عيان أن العديد من عمليات القتل "الغامضة" طالت مؤخرا شباب منتمين لظاهرة الايمو أو من أصحاب السلوك الغريب أو اللباس أو تسريحة الشعر الغريبة، وتلفت تلك المصادر إلى أن أغلب عمليات القتل كانت عن طريق "سحق رؤوسهم بطابوقة (قطعة من الأسمنت).

وقد اعتبر بعض أعضاء البرلمان العراقي من المدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان، ومنهم النائب المستقلة صفية السهيل، أن عناصر قوى الأمن بدأت في المدة الأخيرة تقوم باضطهاد الشباب واعتقالهم فقط لمجرد أنهم يلبسون على الموضة أو لأن تسريحة شعرهم غير اعتيادية.

إلا أن وزارة الداخلية ردت في بيان، أصدرته في (الثامن من آذار 2012 الحالي)، وتلقت "السومرية نيوز" نسخة منه، لتؤكد إنها لم تسجل أي حالات قتل لمقلدي ظاهرة الايمو خلال المدة الماضية"، موضحة أن جميع حالات القتل التي أشيع عنها في وسائل الإعلام كانت لأسباب ثأرية واجتماعية وإجرامية تحدث دائماً.

وتعني الايمو Emo باللغة الانكليزية الحساس أو العاطفي أو المتهيج ويتبع مقلدو هذه الظاهرة نمطا معينا في الحياة يتمثل بالاستماع لموسيقى معينة تنتمي لموسيقى الروك وتسريحة شعر معينة وملابس سوداء، وسراويل ضيقة جدا أو فضفاضة جدا، وأغطية المعصم.

TRANSLATION:

Sadr says' EMO "[Aerdy] God" and accused his followers strongly condemns assault
03/15/2012 - 17:48
Iraq News
Sumerian News / Baghdad

Surprised at the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and denounced strongly, Thursday, to involve the current in the issue of attack on the young "emo" or Guethelm, and in what was considered that these actions "do not please God", he stressed that there are those who accuse the movement from within, as if the offender, "says Take me" .

Sadr said in a statement issued today, and received "Alsumaria News", a copy of it in the course of condemnation and outrage to try to force the Sadrist movement, on the subject of emo, which read "what does the line-Sharif .. strange strange .. Even those who are at home accuse the mainstream," but he also "almost criminal to say Take me."

The comment came the leader of the Sadrist movement is in response to a question by a number of his followers on the unidentified bodies, calling itself the name "Brigades of Wrath", published the names of young men and women, imitate the West, as well as its behavior is "satisfactory," such as killing those young people to " , block "or shaving their heads, in an attempt to distort the line" Sharif "despite knowing that they are backed by the occupation," brutal "and the U.S. Embassy, ​​and if the Sadrists are aware of these bodies.

While expressed cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, his refusal to kill the youth, called on his followers to work to the satisfaction of God, as he said, according to the statement, "The reasons do not satisfy the telecom God Almighty, then do as it pleases."

Al-Sadr, said in (the tenth of March 2012 now), that the young emo "foolish and crazy", describing them as "the scourge of society, calling for legal professionals Banhaúhm.

The Sadrists said, in (the tenth of March 2012) Also, the non-involvement followed the killing belonging to the phenomenon of emo in a number of areas of the capital Baghdad and other provinces, during the last few days, while condemned the targeting of Mqlde this phenomenon, confirmed that he does not move in such cases only after the guidance of its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr.

The "Sumerian News", I got in (the ninth of March 2012) on the two lists have been put in a number of main streets of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, he published two names belonging to the phenomenon of IMO in the sectors of the city, Taatuadhm death by "mujahideen" in the absence of left, and described them as "Jerawi" in reference to being gay.

According to sources in the Iraqi security services and witnesses, many of the killings, "the mysterious" long-recent youth belonging to the phenomenon of emo or the owners of strange behavior or dress or hairstyle exotic, and draws those sources that most of the killings were by "crush their heads Btaboukh ( a piece of cement).

Has been considered by some members of parliament from the Iraqi human rights defenders, including the independent MP Safia al-Suhail, that the elements of the security forces started in the last term the persecution and detention of young people just because they wear fashionable hairstyle or because their hair is normal.

However, the Interior Ministry responded in a statement, issued on (the eighth of March 2012 now), and received "Alsumaria News," a copy of it, to confirm that it has not recorded any cases of murder of Mqlde phenomenon emo during the last term, "pointing out that all cases of murder, which most commonly reported in the media was for reasons of revenge, social and criminal always occur.

Emo emo means in English the sensitive, emotional or irritable and follows Mqldo this phenomenon in a particular style of life is to listen to the music belong to a particular rock, a certain hairstyle and black clothes, and pants too tight or too loose, and covers the wrist.

[Merticus]

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/16/iraq-investigate-emo-attacks
http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/iraq-investigate-emo-attacks-2012-03-16
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/pressroom/pressrelease/1499.html

Iraq: Investigate ‘Emo’ Attacks
Official Impunity Enables Violent Intimidation Campaign
March 16, 2012

(Beirut) - The government of Iraq should immediately investigate and bring to justice those responsible for a targeted campaign of intimidation and violence against Iraqi youth seen as belonging to the non-conformist “emo” subculture, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said today. The attacks have created an atmosphere of terror among those who see themselves as potential victims.

On March 8, 2012, the Interior Ministry, in an official statement, dismissed reports by local activists and media of a campaign against those seen as emo. The ministry said the reports were “fabricated” and “groundless,” and that it would take action against people who were trying “to highlight this issue and build it out of proportion.” An official ministry statement, on February 13, that characterized emo culture as “Satanist” cast doubt on the government’s willingness to protect vulnerable youth, the international rights groups said.

“The government has contributed to an atmosphere of fear and panic fostered by acts of violence against emos,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Instead of claiming that the accounts are fabricated, Iraqi authorities need to set up a transparent and independent inquiry to address the crisis.”

The campaign’s victims appear to represent a cross-section of people seen locally as non-conformists. They include people suspected of homosexual conduct, but also people with distinctive hairstyles, clothes, or musical taste. In English, “emo” is short for “emotional,” referring to self-identified teens and young adults who listen to alternative rock music, often dress in black, close-fitting clothes, and cut their hair in unconventional ways. People perceived to be gay, lesbian, transgender, or effeminate are particularly vulnerable.

Iraqi human rights activists told the three organizations that in early February, signs and fliers appeared in the Baghdad neighborhoods of Sadr City, al-Hababiya, and Hay al-‘Amal that threatened people by name with “the wrath of god” unless they cropped their hair short, gave up wearing so-called “satanic clothing” – styles critics associate with emos, metal music, and rap – hide their tattoos, and “maintain complete manhood.” Other names appeared on similar posters in different neighborhoods.

One such sign, seen by the international rights groups, was posted on a wall in Sadr City, and read, “In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful, we warn every male and female in the strongest terms to stop their dirty deeds in four days before the wrath of God strikes them through the hands of mujahedin.” This poster listed 33 names and was decorated with images of two handguns.

Since February the three international rights groups have received information from local human rights groups, community activists, and media about numerous deaths of youth. Some local media reports have put the death toll as high as several dozen. The international rights groups have not been able to confirm that people have been killed as part of an organized campaign.

A 26-year old man from Mosul told the rights groups that unknown assailants killed two members of his heavy metal band on March 8 because of their appearance. He said, “We don’t know who is behind this now, but for a long time, people have been accusing us of being Satanists. So this is not new, but now it has become murderous.”

While it is unclear who is behind the attacks and intimidation, Iraqi media reports have fueled the campaign by characterizing what they call the “emerging emo phenomenon,” as Satanists, vampires, immoral, and un-Islamic, the groups said. Some clerics and politicians have also contributed to the demonization of emo youth. On March 10 the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called emos “crazy fools” and a “lesion on the Muslim community” in an online statement, but also maintained that they should be dealt with “within the law.”

Documents received by the international rights groups indicate that the Education Ministry in August 2011 circulated a memo that recommended schools curb the spread of emo culture, which it called “an infiltrated phenomenon in our society.”

The Interior Ministry’s February 13 statement on its website characterized emos as “Satanists” who constitute a danger to Iraqi society. The statement also indicated that the ministry was seeking approval from the Education Ministry for “an integrated plan that would let them [police] enter all the schools in the capital.” On February 29 the Interior Ministry released another statement in which it announced a campaign against emo culture in Baghdad, particularly in the Khadimiya neighborhood, where they identified one shop that sold “emo clothing and accessories.”

After widespread media coverage of the violence and intimidation against emos, the Interior Ministry toned down its language in the March 8 statement, warning “radical and extremist groups attempting to stand as protectors for morals and religious traditions from any conduct against people based on a fashion, dress or haircut.” The ministry denied that any emos had been killed and threatened “necessary legal actions against those who try to highlight this issue and build it out of proportion.”

On March 14 security forces in Baghdad detained for three hours the film crew of Russia Today’s Arabic TV channel, Rusiya al-Yaum, as they tried to film a segment related to the attacks on emos. Security forces confiscated their footage even though the channel had a permit to film in downtown Baghdad.

A report by Al-Sharqiya TV on March 7 said that men in civilian clothes brutally beat two young women in public in al-Mansour district because of their “fashionable clothing.”

People perceived to be gay, lesbian, transgender, and effeminate men told the rights groups that they feel particularly vulnerable. In 2009 Human Rights Watch, IGLHRC, and Amnesty International documented a pattern of torture and murder by Iraqi militias against men suspected of same-sex conduct or of not being "manly" enough. Iraqi authorities did nothing to stop those killings. Iraqis perceived to be gay, lesbian, or transgender live in fear because of the atrocities committed as part of the 2009 campaign. Many members of the community have gone underground.

A 22-year-old gay man in Baghdad told the international rights groups that anonymous callers made death threats on his phone on March 11. The callers described a friend of his whom they had kidnapped and brutally beaten days earlier, saying that was how they got his number. They told him that he would be next. He has since cut his hair and does not leave his house for fear of being targeted.

“When the news started spreading about emos, the threats and violence against gays increased,” he said. “They are grouping us all together, anyone who is different in any way, and we are very easy targets.”

On March 15 the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance and safe passage to Iraqis facing severe persecution, told the international rights groups that in the past week it had conducted interviews with 23 young Iraqis, most of whom had cut their hair short and were in hiding after receiving death threats and harassment because they were perceived to belong to the emo or LGBT communities. The interviewees also reported that 10 others perceived to be in those communities had been killed since mid-February.

“The Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s inaction and denial of the ongoing campaign to punish people seen as non-conformists threatens everyone who is different, including those who defy traditional notions of gender and sexuality,” said Jessica Stern, director of programs at IGLHRC. "The government needs to ensure the safety of all Iraqis, not amplify the threats against those already being targeted."

Unlike the 2009 killings, the recent campaign has generated strong condemnation within Iraq. A statement by Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a leading Shia spiritual leader, who referred to the targeted killings of emo youth in Iraq as a threat to the nation’s peace and order, was a positive development, the groups said. According to Ayatollah Sistani's representative in Baghdad, Shaikh Abd al-Rahim al-Rikabi, "those targeted killings are terrorist acts."

On March 8 several members of the Iraqi parliament demanded a police investigation into the killings and unequivocally condemned the violence. The parliament speaker, Usama Najaifi, said in March 13 statement that the “phenomena of assassinating some young people – those who are described as Emo – by some groups in the name of reforming society, entrenches a culture of violence and terror … and [is] a violation of law and a crime.”

“At best the response of the Iraqi Interior Ministry is completely inadequate, at worst it condones the violence against emo youth,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Amnesty International. “Iraqi authorities should unequivocally condemn the attacks, investigate any killings, and protect anyone in danger.”


http://news.yahoo.com/advocates-demand-protection-iraqi-emos-150904573.html?

Advocates demand protection for Iraqi Emos
Associated Press - By LARA JAKES | Associated Press - March 16, 2012

BAGHDAD (AP) — Advocates demanded a government investigation Friday into the recent "Emo" killings of young Iraqis, many of whom are suspected of being gay, in what one lawmaker called a backlash by Islamic extremists against Western culture creeping into the country.

As many as 58 so-called Emos — identified by their Western clothing and hairstyles — have been killed in Iraq over the last two months, according to local officials and security forces in Baghdad. They confirmed the deaths on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

But most, if not all of the deaths have gone unsolved, and Iraq's police forces so far have not conducted a widespread inquiry into the killings targeting a subculture that many Iraqis believe is rooted in homosexuality.

"Our youth are feeling really horrible," independent Shiite lawmaker Safia al-Souhail said in an interview Friday. "The security forces need to acknowledge this is happening to be able to carry out an investigation."

Separately, human rights watchdogs Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said the Emo attacks "have created an atmosphere of terror among those who see themselves as potential victims."

Al-Souhail said the campaign against Emos appears to be the work of individuals within security forces who want to curb democracy in Iraq and turn the country into an Islamic state. She did not mention any specific militias or political parties, and said she believed the campaign was not endorsed by the overall government, which is led by Shiite Muslims.

In a March 12 statement, Iraq's Interior Ministry said it had no evidence that Emos are being targeted, claiming that "security agencies did not record any case of killing of these young people." The ministry, which oversees all of Iraq's police forces, accused al-Qaida of conspiring with the media in a campaign of fear aimed at canceling the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad. The annual League meeting was shelved last year in part because of fears about Iraq's unstable security.

A month earlier, the Interior Ministry issued a Feb. 13 statement on "the phenomenon of Emos," which it described as Satan worshippers. The statement said police "have official approval to eliminate it as soon as possible, because the effects of it on society ...is now threatening a danger."

Emo is short for "emotional" and in the West generally identifies teens or young adults who listen to alternative music, dress in black, and have radical hairstyles. Emos are not necessarily gay, but they are sometimes stereotyped as such.

To Iraqis, "Emo" is widely synonymous with "gay." This year, eyewitnesses and human rights groups say some of the victims have been bludgeoned to death by militiamen smashing in their skulls with heavy cement blocks.

A hit-list of 33 targets, identified by their names or nicknames and their home addresses, recently was distributed by militants in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City neighborhood. It warned: "If you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen."

Young people across Baghdad have rushed to cut their hair, and many reported threats in an era some describe as "after blocks" — as opposed to "before blocks," when they wore their Western styles without fear of being bludgeoned with the cement blocks.

Several clerics, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shiite, have forbidden the killings of Emos, calling it a terrorist act. But many insist that the Emo subculture remains a threat. On Friday, Shiite cleric Hadi al-Donyanawi told thousands of worshippers in Sadr City that "we denounce the killing of Emos, but as a Muslims we refuse their imitations of Western style."

So far, the government has not offered any specific protections for Emos or given any other assurances that they won't be targeted with violence. Earlier this week, students at Mustansiriya University in Baghdad protested that they were being harassed by security forces on campus because of their clothing styles or mannerisms.

"Anyone who is wearing something unusual, they think is an Emo," said al-Souhail, who has called on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to personally address Iraq's youth about the issue. "Our young people are fighting for their rights — they think they cannot express their opinions about what is happening."

Also Friday, the Iraqi wing of al-Qaida claimed responsibility for a well-orchestrated attack this month in a Sunni city west of Baghdad that left 25 policemen dead. The Islamic State of Iraq boasted in a statement posted on a militant website that as many as 90 of its fighters easily seized control of Haditha in the pre-dawn raid on March 5. The al-Qaida statement warned Iraqis they will never be safe.


http://arabic.cnn.com/2012/middle_east/3/16/EMO.Iraq/index.html?

منظمات تدعو العراق للتحقيق بهجمات على "الإيمو"
الجمعة، 16 آذار/مارس 2012، آخر تحديث 21:15 (GMT+0400)
شاهد تقرير CNN حول أوضاع الأيمو في العراق

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة (CNN) -- دعت منظمات حقوقية، الجمعة، الحكومة العراقية إلى "التحقيق، وتطبيق العدالة،" بحق المسؤولين عن حملة استهداف وترهيب واستخدام العنف ضد شباب عراقيين ينتمون إلى ثقافة "الإيمو."

وقالت كل من منظمة "هيومن رايتس ووتش،" و"العفو الدولية،" و"اللجنة العالمية للحقوق الإنسانية للمثليين والمثليات،" إن الاعتداءات تلك أدت إلى تهيئة أجواء من الرعب في أوساط الضحايا المحتملين للحملة.

ونسب بيان للمنظمات تلك إلى جو ستورك، نائب المدير التنفيذي لقسم الشرق الأوسط في هيومن رايتس ووتش قوله "لقد أسهمت الحكومة في تهيئة أجواء الخوف والذعر التي أسفرت عنها أعمال العنف ضد الإيمو.. على السلطات العراقية أن تفتح تحقيقاً شفافاً ومستقلاً للتصدي لهذه الأزمة."

وفي إنجلترا، تعتبر كلمة "إيمو" اختصاراً لكلمة "إيموشينال،" إشارة إلى مراهقين وشبان يستمعون إلى موسيقى "ألترناتيف روك" وعادة ما يرتدون ثياباً سوداء ضيقة ويقصون شعرهم بطرق غير مألوفة.

وقد أثار مقتل عدد من الذين ينظر إليهم باعتبارهم من "مثليي" الجنس أو من  شباب "الإيمو" في العراق مخاوف من تعرض هذه الجماعات للاستهداف، وسط تلكؤ أو عدم قدرة الحكومة على توفير الحماية لهم، بحسب تقرير أعدته شبكة CNN.

وفي حين قال مسؤول بارز في وزارة الداخلية العراقية، رفض كشف هويته، إن 14 شخصاً، ينتمون إلى الفئتين، قتلوا في بغداد خلال الأسابيع الثلاثة الماضية، قدر ناشطون عدد الضحايا بالعشرات، بما قد يتجاوز مائة قتيل منذ فبراير/شباط الفائت.

وقال ناشطون إن معظم عمليات القتل وقعت في ضواح شيعية كمدينة الصدر، والشعلة، واستهدفت أشخاصا ينظر إليهم كـ"مثليي الجنس، أو "الإيمو" التي وصفتها الداخلية العراقية بالظاهرة الشيطانية.

وأوضح ناشط مثلي لـCNN قائلاً: "تلقيت منذ عشرة أيام رسالة من عناصر مسلحة تهددني، ليس بالقتل فحسب مثل 'الشاذين' الآخرين، بل بالتقطيع إرباً."

وعرض الناشط، الذي رفض كشف هويته لدواع أمنية، على الشبكة قائمة جرى توزيعها في ضاحية "مدينة الصدر" تحمل أسماء 33 شخصاً من "المثليين والإيمو" كأهداف محتملة.

وجاء في التعميم التحذيري، الذي لم يتسن للشبكة التأكد من صحته:" نحذر بشدة كل الفاسقين من الذكور والإناث، إذا لم تتوقفوا فوراً عن هذا الفعل القذر في غضون أربعة أيام، سيحل بكم عقاب الله على أيدي المجاهدين."

وزادت حوادث الاستهداف في أعقاب بيان أصدرته الداخلية العراقية الشهر الماضي قالت فيه إن الوزارة ترصد ظاهرة "الايمو" وتشن حملة للقضاء عليها، في تهديد كان له تأثير فوري بين أوساط الشباب في العاصمة بغداد.

وقال مراهق عرف نفسه باسم "كامل" للشبكة إنه قام بقص شعره لاستبعاد الشبهات عنه، مضيفاً: "لم أكن الوحيد الذي قام بذلك، فكل أصدقائي بالمدرسة قرروا تغيير تصفيف شعرهم وملابسهم، لتفادي الإلتباس وحتى لا يُعتقد بأنهم من الإيمو أو المثليين."

وشرح بأن مجموعة من الرجال، عرفوا أنفسهم بأنهم من شرطة المجتمع دخلوا فصله الدراسي قبل أسبوعين ودعوا  التلاميذ للكشف عن أندادهم من يتصرفون بغرابة، واستطرد: "للوهلة الأولى اعتقدنا أن الأمر يتعلق بالإرهاب، ولاحقاً عندما قدموا المزيد من التفاصيل، علمنا بأنهم يتحدثون عن الإيمو."

TRANSLATION:

Organizations calls for Iraq to investigate attacks on the "EMO"
Friday, March 16 / March 2012, last updated 21:15 (GMT +0400)
Watch CNN report on the situation in Iraq emo

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) - called human rights organizations, on Friday, the Iraqi government to "investigate, and the application of justice" against those responsible for a campaign targeting and intimidation and the use of violence against young Iraqis belong to a culture of "EMO."

Both the organization "Human Rights Watch," and "Amnesty International," and "World Commission on the human rights of gays and lesbians," The attacks that led to the creation of an atmosphere of terror among the potential victims of the campaign.

And percentage statement for organizations that to Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East at Human Rights Watch as saying: "We have contributed to the government in creating a climate of fear and panic that resulted from acts of violence against EMO .. the Iraqi authorities to open an investigation transparent and independent to deal with this crisis."

In England, the word "Emo" short for the word "Emoshinal," referring to teenagers and young men listen to the music of "Rock Alternatives" usually wore black clothes and a narrow, rehearsing their hair in unusual ways.

Has raised the number of deaths of those who are seen as the "gay" sex, young "EMO" in Iraq, fears of exposure to target these groups, the center of the reluctance or inability of the government to provide them with protection, according to a report prepared by the network CNN.

While a senior official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, declined to be identified, said that 14 people, belonging to the categories, were killed in Baghdad during the past three weeks, as far as the number of victims, dozens of activists, including may exceed one hundred people since February last.

The activists said that most of the killings occurred in Shiite neighborhoods like Sadr City, and the torch, and targeting people who are seen as "gay, or" EMO "described by the Iraqi Interior demonic phenomenon.

The gay activist told CNN, saying: "I received ten days ago a letter from the armed elements threatening me, not only with death, such as 'gay' others, shredding it to pieces."

And presentation of the activist, who declined to be identified for security reasons, on the network list has been distributed in the suburb of "Sadr City," bearing the names of 33 people from the "gay and EMO" as potential targets.

The warning came in the circular, which has not been possible for the network to make sure it is accurate: "We strongly warn all the folk of males and females, if not immediately stop this dirty act within four days, will you God's punishment at the hands of the mujahideen."

And increased incidents of targeting in the wake of a statement issued by the Iraqi Interior last month saying that the ministry monitors the phenomenon of "emo" and waging a campaign to eliminate them, the threat was an immediate impact among young people in the capital Baghdad.

A teenager who identified himself as the "full" of the network that he has cut his hair to remove suspicions about it, he said, adding: "I was not the only one who did it, all my friends at school decided to change the styling their hair and their clothes, to avoid confusion and do not even think that they are of EMO or gay."

He explained that a group of men, who identified themselves as members of the community police entered his class two weeks ago and called for students to reveal their peers from acting strangely, and went on: "At first we thought that it was related to terrorism, and later when he provided additional details, we know that they are talking about EMO

[Merticus]

http://paper-bird.net/2012/03/16/death-and-life-in-iraq-obama-death-cabs-vampires-ministries-and-murder/

Death & Life In Iraq: Obama Death Cabs, Vampires, Ministries, & Murder
By Scott Long - March 16, 2012

If you want to know what life and death are like in Iraq, here’s a story. When a colleague and I went there during the killing campaign in 2009, among those we met were three men, best friends, all calling themselves “gay” in English, though two had wives.  I’ll name them (as I did in HRW’s report of that year) Hamid, Majid, and Idris. Hamid could barely talk to us: he’d developed a severe speech impediment after his partner’s murder, three weeks before. Armed, black-masked raiders had taken the man from his parents’ home. The next day, his corpse was found thrown in the garbage, castrated, with his throat torn out.

The following night, they came for Hamid.

    They entered my house and they saw my mother, and one of them said: “Where’s your faggot son?” There were five men. Their faces were covered. Fortunately I wasn’t there but my mother called me after they left, in tears.

He went into hiding. His two friends took care of him. Their homes had been raided too, but they’d escaped; the three moved from cheap hotel to cheap hotel, till they got our phone numbers through some still-serving grapevine.

We were trying (http://nymag.com/news/features/59695/) to help the most endangered men we encountered get out of Iraq. We offered to assist the three — we almost begged — but they hesitated. They wanted to be sure they would stay together, wherever they were ultimately accepted as refugees. The two married men wanted to bring their wives.  I could promise all that with reasonable certainty; but I couldn’t promise that, if they filed refugee claims based on sexual orientation, their wives wouldn’t be told the grounds. They went back to Baghdad to consider it;  after a week or two we couldn’t reach them by phone anymore. It was one of the worst stories we heard in Iraq, made worse by the fact that we couldn’t do enough.

I’ve spent the last few days posting on 500 or so gay Iraqis’ personals ads on various websites, warning them about renewed killings, trying to get additional information. Idris was one who replied.

He told me that in 2009, about a week after Hamid finally returned to his family home, militias broke in and kidnapped him. His body appeared in the neighborhood next day, his head and penis chopped off.  And Majid? Last year in December, a group of Iraqi policemen beat him up on the street. His skull injured, he lay on the sidewalk for two hours before anyone helped him; some passersby insulted him as jeru (puppy, slang for “sodomite”). Emo was another, newer word they used. He died two days after. Idris managed to flee to a European country a month later. Now he is seeking asylum.

The terrible thing in Iraq is that violence is everywhere. It turns from side to side from time to time like a lighthouse beam, and casts its ghastly attention on a new target. The killing, though, seems a uniform impulse, almost indifferent to who is killed. It’s irrational and unintelligible as background noise.

Here are some things I’ve learned about the emo killings in Iraq:

1) The Ministry of Interior has blood on its hands. It’s the ubiquity of violence the makes the Ministry’s actions unforgivable. As I’ve noted here (http://paper-bird.net/2012/03/09/the-emo-killings-in-iraq-the-police-and-their-smoking-gun/), in mid-February the Ministry issued a statement designed to whip up hatred and fear of “the phenomenon of ‘EMO’ or Satanists.” It wielded the loaded language of “eliminating” the problem. The Ministry then followed up, on February 29, by announcing (http://www.moi.gov.iq/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=2151) a “campaign” against emos in Baghdad’s Kadhamiya neighborhood, after finding a shop that sold emo “clothing and accessories” there: “The phenomenon is contrary to the customs of Iraqi society and has destructive effects on the structure of communities.”  By that time, murders had already started. They merited no Ministry condemnation.

Instead, faced by public indignation and a demand by members of Parliament to investigate the killings, the Ministry came out with a third statement (http://moi.gov.iq/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=2369) on March 8. It warned “radical and extremist groups attempting to represent themselves as guardians of morals and religious traditions” not to engage in “any conduct against people based on fashion, dress or hairstyle.” At the same time, it baldly claimed no violence was happening. “There have been no cases of murder,” it said; “the Ministry of Interior categorically denies all these lies.” Menacing the messenger, it threatened “necessary legal action against those who try to highlight this issue and blow it out of proportion.” The bullying wasn’t a bluff: Iraq’s police have dealt with dissent (http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/01/iraq-intimidation-anniversary-protests) increasingly harshly. To press the point, a few days later Baghdad police arrested (http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_03_14/68436250/) a Russia Today news team trying to film a story about slaughtered emos, confiscating their footage.

The moral panic about straying youth in Iraq certainly predated the Ministry’s brusque interventions. I have seen a memo from the Ministry of Education, apparently dated August 2011 (it was shared in confidence and I can’t show it here.).  “In response to the emo phenomenon insinuating into our schools,” it urged steps including:

        Male and female students should be barred from leaving school grounds during the school day on flimsy excuses, as they have been seen congregating in nearby cafes, shops, and arcades to engage in these foul practices.
        Female students should be barred from wearing immodest clothing and should comply with the approved uniform. …
        The parents of students (in Emo cells) should be advised to cut off Internet service in their homes because it is a prime cause of this deviancy …
        Deterrent legal and administrative measures should be taken against students who engage in this deviancy inside schools.

It wasn’t until February, apparently, that the Education Ministry decided to invite the police into schools to further the work. But in the meantime, mosques and media helped fan the fears.  In November 2011, the Shi’ite leader Moqtada al-Sadr condemned emos. In Q & A form like most fatwas, his statement is worth quoting in detail:

    Q: Sheikh Ali al-Sa’ady: It is obvious now that there is a new social phenomenon in our society known as the “the emo” which means being “rebellious and sensitive.” This emo thing was first known in North America years ago, among teenagers from both sexes calling themselves “devil’s friends.” Some of their weird thoughts are sadness, grief, depression, pessimism, silence, shyness, drawing tattoos, wearing black and dark outfits and tight pants …. They also like to take certain hallucinatory drugs. …. So, Sir, as you know, while this awful occupation is still in place, these kinds of groups are now appearing in Iraq. What would you say to religious figures and parents in order to prevent such social manifestations?

    A: Moqtada al-Sadr: Regarding what you mentioned, Sir, in your question, they are a group of lunatics and are a disease in a Muslim society, so those who are responsible should get rid of them from the outset, in accordance with the law.



However, “in accordance with the law” is a key phrase. It helps explain why the Ministry of Interior’s irresponsible proclamations last month not only incited but legitimated violence against emos. Here were the law enforcers, urging “elimination”!

In fact, all the evidence suggests the Ministry’s interventions had a key impact. Al-Sadr’s website approvingly republished (http://www.alsadronline.net/ar/permalink/13224.html) and expanded on the Ministry of Interior’s first February statement — explaining how emos were linked to drugs, prostitution, and homosexuality. And after its second February statement, the “head of the security committee of the Kadhimiya local council, Ali Al-Shammari,” told reporters (http://alsumarianews.com/ar/iraq-society-news/-5-37458.html) that “detachments of national security and community police in the area informed us about suspicious movements of people who imitate the emo.” He added that the fiends “absorb blood from each others’ wrists.”  “Vampires in the Holy City of Baghdad!” Al-Sumariya News headlined it.

Moqtada Al-Sadr, at least, has distanced himself from the violence. In a new statement (http://www.alsadrtimes.com/new/files.php?file=_____________147459182.jpg) he reiterated that the phenomenon should be dealt with “by the relevant authorities,” not vigilantes, and “in accordance with the law.”   But the Ministry is still in denial.  You don’t talk about “elimination” in a country filled with death squads, and expect nothing to happen. The Ministry carries a heavy burden of guilt.

2) Who and how many? Nobody knows exactly who’s inflicting the violence. Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army, and a breakaway Shi’ite militia, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous) are often mentioned; but that seems to be simply because they loosely control areas of eastern Baghdad where several deaths have been reported. Militias in Iraq, in any case, are not tightly structured military entities. They’re loose agglomerations of angry young men; people come and go, and the pattern of belonging is as diffuse and random as the prospect of death.  Men affiliated with a militia might be killing without central control; different groups, Sunni as well as Shi’a, may copycat one another. (Contrary to what some bloggers write, Sunnis may well be involved. I’ve heard reports of attacks in the Adhamiya part of Baghdad, which is decidedly Sunni.) Most major Shi’ite militia forces have infiltrated the police, and officers sometimes wear their official hats, sometimes moonlight in the murder racket.

Police have apparently actively participated in the crackdown. One story repeated to me by two sources  had officers arresting several emo girls at an intermediate school in the Karrada district; no one could say whether they had been released.  However, there have also been instances of sheer mob violence. Al-Sharqiya TV said (http://www[dot]youtube.com/watch?v=ogURuXfc83A&feature=related) on March 7 (in a report I’ve cited here before) that a crowd brutally beat two young women in the al-Mansour neighborhood, because they wore  “fashionable clothing.” They had to be taken to a hospital.

Nor can anyone say how many have been killed. Human Rights Watch has confirmed 6 gay-identified people murdered — “confirmed” in the sense of having the deaths reported by a source with direct knowledge. By the same standard, I know of two non-gay people killed. Anonymous sources in the police gave the Associated Press numbers (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/police-unable-to-prevent-rising-violence-against-gays-emo-youths-in-iraq/2012/03/11/gIQAlIYb4R_story_1.html):

    An Interior Ministry official said 58 young people have been killed across Iraq in recent weeks by unidentified gangs who accused them of being, as he described it, Emo. Sixteen were killed in Sadr City alone, security and political officials there said. Nine of the men were killed by bludgeoning, and seven were shot. No arrests have been made.

Al-Sharqiya claimed 90 dead a week ago. Rumors in Iraq run as high as 100 or 200. Those figures are probably too high. But stigma certainly dissuades the families of dead children from reporting a killing as emo- or gay-related — so that no exact figure will ever be forthcoming.

What we have are images and stories.  Several Iraqis sent me a video this week that purported to be an emo kid strung up from a bridge: slowly twisting like an broken pendulum.  YouTube removed it as “shocking and disgusting.”  Another video offers a tribute to Saif Raad Asmar Abboudi, a 20 year-old beaten to death with concrete blocks in Sadr City on February 17:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/bJR--b5hXb0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/bJR--b5hXb0</a>

I spoke to a heterosexual man in his twenties, from a city outside Baghdad, who had started a heavy metal band with three friends some years ago. They found themselves ostracized in town for their long hair, black clothes, and angry sound. “People everywhere started calling us Satanists.”  Last week, he heard that two of his fellow band members had been murdered on the street. He’s in hiding, unable even to speak to his family, desperately afraid. “Why are they doing this to us?”

“I am facing killing threats from armed militant groups,” a 23-year-old gay man in Baghdad wrote me. “I don’t know where to go or live.”  Several people reported getting direct death threats.

    I have been threatened with death on my personal mobile if I don’t cut my hair and change the way I dress and start wearing loose-fitting clothes instead of tight clothes and jeans. If I don’t do as they say I will be imprisoned or killed. I am a beautiful lady boy … I cannot do as they say. So I ask you please to help me urgently, I want to live in dignity and freedom away from threats and terror.

Then there are the rumors. This warning appeared on an Iraqi emo webpage: “About the killing of emo and metal and rap. A  Chrysler 300C (Obama) yellow-colored (taxi) was seen driving away in the Zayouna district [a wealthy, mixed Sunni-Shi'ite neighborhood] near Tariq ibn Ziyad Junior High. They are killing young innocent people.  Please beware of them and publish this alarm … you might save a boy or girl’s life.” The Chrysler 300c is one of the most popular cars (http://www.newsmakertoday.com/obamas-chrysler-sedan-300c-most-popular-car-in-iraq/1057.html) in Iraq: it’s nicknamed “Obama” because Barack once drove one.

And there are the lists. The fliers spring up like fungus on the walls in mainly poor Shi’ite districts like Sadr City — though some have shown up in tony Zayouna too. They’re never signed. The same thing happened in the killings of gays in 2009: the threats are anonymous, the threatened named. “To every licentious man or woman, we are warning you: in case you don’t stop these filthy actions within four days God’s punishment will come upon your heads by the hands of those who fight for His own name. Remember that we warned you.” Here are some pictures sent me from Baghdad (the photos spread fear more widely than the posters themselves), all with more or less the same message, and slews of nicknames (Allawi the Brassiere, Mohammed the Rose):



3) What is to be done? Let’s be honest: nobody really knows. Given the degree that Iraqis see “deviance” among the young as a Western disease, spawned by military occupation and cultural invasion, I doubt that asking Western leaders (http://allout.org/en/actions/stopthekillings) to speak out against the persecution will get you anywhere. If demanding it makes you feel better, then by all means feel better. But don’t imagine your signature means the situation is on the way to being solved.

The one hopeful sign is that prominent Iraqis — religious leaders and politicians — have spoken out against the killings. Both Moqtada al-Sadr and the revered Ayatollah al-Sistani have condemned vigilantism. And Sawt al-Iraq reports (http://www.sotaliraq.com/mobile-item.php?id=105375#ixzz1pGkl2RIX) that even a government spokesman sounded considerably more liberal than the Interior Ministry’s hard-line written posture, when confronted on the issue at Tigris University:

    Ali al-Dabbagh said during a conference …  “there is no prosecution for belonging to the phenomenon of EMO in the country,” saying it was “personal freedom”; stressing the state’s duty to protect them as citizens exercising their freedom, he said, “The security agencies are obliged to protect freedoms.”

Good for him. Few dared be so outspoken back in 2009, when gay and “effeminate” men were being killed. The atmosphere then throughout Iraq was more inflamed, the militias more powerful, the state weaker; but the moral opprobrium upon the victims was also even stronger. Now the fact that children are dying gives parents, parliamentarians, and others both cause and courage to speak up.

For that reason, as I’ve said before, an exclusive emphasis on the gay side of the present killing campaign is unlikely to help anybody in Iraq much: not gay men, who will find the murderers’ attention to them only increasing as the skewed perspective filters through the media, and not emos, who will find stigma only intensified. The one thing that will curb the campaign is to strengthen and amplify the Iraqi voices who are already speaking out. Quiet support for their courage, by governments and by international civil society, is crucial.

If you want to offer help to emo or gay Iraqis, well, go online and do so; it’s what I’ve been trying to do myself, in my lone capacity. Visit them on manjam.com, or on the emo pages on Facebook, and try to communicate. I’m impressed, too, by how vampire, goth, and emo communities in the US and elsewhere have been collecting and spreading information (http://www.atlantavampirealliance.com/forum/index.php?topic=2550.0) on what has been going on: amazing solidarity work.There’s something else that can be done, though — pressure North American and European governments to offer accelerated acceptance to victims of the moral panic when they apply as refugees.

The US has a special category, called “P-2″ (Priority 2) for refugees “in particular need of resettlement.” The category offers accelerated approval to applicants, as opposed to the cumbersome procedures the US (like other governments) usually imposes.  Only a few groups qualify for it, mostly determined by highly political critieria: they include Cubans, Iranian religious minorities, and Vietnamese.

In Iraq, the US now extends P-2 status only to applicants who can prove they have worked with the US occupation forces. This is a sensible admission that we have a moral obligation to people who sacrificed for what we billed as a liberatory project — but which put their lives in desperate danger.

For people facing a sudden, swift-moving moral panic, though, accelerated refugee acceptance may be the only way to save their lives. They need to get out of the country fast, because the threat is imminent; they can’t wait on bureaucracy. By a quirk, the 2007 US law on Iraqi refugees (http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/1567/prmID/1486) (one of Senator Ted Kennedy’s last generous works) gives the Secretary of State the exclusive power to designate new categories of Iraqis as eligible for P-2 (whereas with other nationalities, Congress must approve the move).

If you want to assist emo Iraqis and others who face persecution and panic because of their nonconformity, sexuality, or gender, you can urge Secretary Clinton to extend P-2 status to them — or find another solution to get them quick refugee relief.  Great Britain joined the US-led invasion; it has the same obligation to the invasion’s victims. And other European countries that pride themselves on liberal domestic policies on sexual orientation and gender should move just as fast.

One gay Iraqi wrote me, about the killing:

    thanks for that but If you want the truth your People Brought that with them … so please don’t come talk about human rights because you do not know anything about it, sorry for that but is the truth

It’s not as though there wasn’t ample violence wrought on Iraqis under Saddam Hussein. But the state held the monopoly on it; you at least knew who had the guns. The US unleashed the pent-up anger of a population trained in the ways of violence by its constant infliction. In that sense, Americans and their allies brought the killing with them. No one can undo that, and we can’t pose as saviors a second time to clean up the mess of death we made; but the onus is on the guilty governments to do what they can for the victims.

CORRECTION: Human Rights Watch got the figure of six deaths (cited above) from news bureau contacts, not from family or friends of the deceased, so it’s not precisely fair to say they’ve been “confirmed” as killings due to the campaign. Wildly different figures float around depending on whom you read or talk to. I should think it’s best not to take any of them as fully informed or valid, but to concentrate on combating the atmosphere of violent paranoia about “deviance” that the Ministry has helped create.

[Merticus]

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/296676/

Education ministry requires students to wear uniform in schools because of "emo" culture
18/03/2012 15:50
By Yazn al-Shummari
RN/DM/AKnews

BAGHDAD, March 18 (AKnews) - The Iraqi education ministry has called on school administrations to tell students to wear uniforms rather than clothes and accessories similar to those of emo youths.

The measure is believed to be a method of spreading caution and awareness.

Spokesman for the ministry Walid Hussein said: "Students in the schools in Baghdad and the provinces are committed to wearing uniform except the students who have exceptional circumstances such as death cases, and those who don't abide by the rules will be expelled and his parents will be informed."

Hussein added that there will be awareness campaigns as well as field visits to educate students.

The human rights committee in the Iraqi Council of Representatives announced its intention to end the emo phenomenon using non-violent, educational methods. The committee denied the existence of emo killings and this was also confirmed by the government security committee.

Media reports surfaced recently about emo youths being killed, abducted and threatened in Baghdad by militant religious groups. Such attacks have created fear among citizens about the return of violence and armed gangs.

The reports mentioned that more than 15 bodies of young people were found in the Iskan neighborhood. With this number the rate of emo victims reached 100 young people after human rights activist Hanaa Edwar said in an interview with Al-Mada newspaper that 85 emo victims were killed.

Iraq's interior ministry recognized that a number of young people in Baghdad have been killed in recent weeks, but assured that they were criminal incidents that occur continuously and were unrelated to emo culture.

Speaker of the Council of Representatives Osama al-Nujaifi meanwhile acknowledged that young men imitating Western manifestations known as emo were killed recently.

Nujaifi is the first Iraqi official to admit the occurrence of murder cases against emos. He called on the government to control the streets and considered the murders as an attempt to spread violence and terror.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/18/iraq-massacre-emos-killing-gay

Massacre of emos in Iraq goes to core of a damaged society
This killing campaign – targeting women and men, with children the preferred victims – has a grimly familiar paranoia
By Scott Long - guardian.co.uk, Sunday 18 March 2012 10.20 EDT

Hassan – it's not his real name – had a heavy metal band with two other twentysomethings. The raucous music represented rebellion, and in Iraq there was plenty to rebel against: occupation, poverty, patriarchal families – ample impetus to anger. The band made an album, but nobody would touch it; their songs and their look, people said, were satanic. Hassan uploaded a video to YouTube, and included the band members' names. Five days ago, the other two musicians were killed on the street. Hassan is in hiding; he's almost too terrified to speak. "Why are they doing this to us?" he asked me. "Why?"

A new killing campaign is convulsing Iraq. The express targets are "emos", short for "emotional": a western-derived identity, teenagers adopting a pose of vulnerability, along with tight clothes and skewed hairdos and body piercing. Starting last year, mosques and the media both began raising the alarm about youthful immorality, calling the emos deviants and devil worshippers. In early February, somebody began killing people. The net was wide, definitions inexact. Men who seemed effeminate, girls with tattoos or peculiar jewellery, boys with long hair, could all be swept up. The killers like to smash their victims' heads with concrete blocks.

There is no way to tell how many have died: estimates range from a few dozen to more than 100. Nor is it clear who is responsible. Many of the killings happened in east Baghdad, stronghold of Shia militias such as Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (the League of the Righteous). Neither, though, has claimed responsibility. Iraq's brutal interior ministry issued two statements in February. The first announced official approval to "eliminate" the "satanists". The second, on 29 February, proclaimed a "campaign" to start with a crackdown on stores selling emo fashion. The loaded language suggests, at a minimum, that the ministry incited violence. It's highly possible that some police, in a force riddled with militia members, participated in the murders.

It's logical to compare this to the militia campaign against homosexual conduct in 2009, which I documented for Human Rights Watch. Hundreds of men lost their lives then. Gay-identified men have been caught up in these killings as well, and Baghdad's LGBT community is rife with fear. Yet there are differences. The current killings target women as well as men, and children are the preferred victims. It's not quite true to say, as some press reports have suggested, that "emo" is just a synonym for "gay" in Iraq. Rather, immorality, western influence, decadence and blasphemy have come together in a loosely defined, poorly aligned complex of associations: and emo fashion and "sexual perversion" are part of the mix. Nobody cares much about disentangling the concepts, least of all the killers. All that matters is that all those things are bad.

Slaughtering children is monstrous. Yet the underlying paranoia is grimly familiar. Forty years ago, the sociologist Stanley Cohen developed the concept of "moral panics": moments when social change grows so intense that it can no longer be addressed, or even described, in debate or through the political process. Instead, anxieties erupt in collective scapegoating. The public singles out "folk devils" to incarnate unwanted tendencies, and take the blame. His case study was the hysteria around mods and rockers, 60s youth subcultures. But there have been plenty of examples before and since in the developed west: panics over drug use (think kids cut loose with spending money), or child abuse in day care centres (think mothers moving into the workplace and leaving infants behind), or women in hijab (think a newly multicultural Europe and its discontents). The list goes on.

Youth deviance, though, is a leitmotif of many panics. Kids don't just symbolise social change; they are it, embodying the unmanageable future. Visions of their out-of-control escapades sum up transformations in communities and economies that are too strong to resist, too rapid to comprehend. Emo, moreover, adds an extra twist: gender. It's all about boys showing vulnerability in unmanly ways, girls flashing an unfeminine and edgy attitude.

In fact, moral panics over emos, gender and culture have multiplied in recent years. Russia debated a law banning emo dress in 2008. Mexico saw anti-emo riots the same year. Saudi Arabia arrested emo girls in 2010, accusing them of "imitating men". More broadly, several of Iraq's Gulf neighbours – Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE – have cracked down on women wearing "masculine" clothes, or on men dressing like women.

Iraq is a devastated society with a broken political process and a fractured public. It's been through violent traumas with little control over its collective fate. The death and disappearance of thousands of men recast gender roles; the influx of consumer goods and cultures discombobulated values. It's ripe for recurrent moral panics, scapegoating marginal groups. The anxieties are the same as have historically been seen in other societies, including the UK. But in Iraq, panic carries a gun.

There is one sign of hope. Prominent political figures, including members of Iraq's parliament, have called for an investigation of these killings. Amid mounting public attention to the crimes, Moqtada al-Sadr and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most revered Shia leader, condemned them. This indignation, even if insincere, is radically different from the silence that shrouded the anti-gay massacres of 2009.

This suggests that it's not just wrong, it's counterproductive to call these murders "gay killings", as some have done. Gays are among the victims, but the fears fuelling the violence go beyond sexuality. It's important that Iraq begins to have a debate about difference. Iraqis need to discuss why the horrors of the last four decades have made otherness seem intolerable. They must ask why politics focuses not on problems and solutions, but on enemies and guilt. The questions go to the core of a damaged society. The corpses of dead children demand not just justice, but answers.

[Merticus]

http://amnesty.ie/news/iraq-investigate-emo-attacks

Iraq: Investigate Emo Attacks
Statement Issued By Amnesty International - 20 March 2012

The government of Iraq should immediately investigate and bring to justice those responsible for a targeted campaign of intimidation and violence against Iraqi youth seen as belonging to the non-conformist “emo” subculture, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said today. The attacks have created an atmosphere of terror among those who see themselves as potential victims.

On March 8, 2012, the Interior Ministry, in an official statement, dismissed reports by local activists and media of a campaign against those seen as emo. The ministry said the reports were “fabricated” and “groundless,” and that it would take action against people who were trying “to highlight this issue and build it out of proportion.” An official ministry statement, on February 13, that characterised emo culture as “Satanist” cast doubt on the government’s willingness to protect vulnerable youth, the international rights groups said.
 
“The government has contributed to an atmosphere of fear and panic fostered by acts of violence against emos,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Instead of claiming that the accounts are fabricated, Iraqi authorities need to set up a transparent and independent inquiry to address the crisis.”
 
The campaign’s victims appear to represent a cross-section of people seen locally as non-conformists. They include people suspected of homosexual conduct, but also people with distinctive hairstyles, clothes, or musical taste. In English, “emo” is short for “emotional,” referring to self-identified teens and young adults who listen to alternative rock music, often dress in black, close-fitting clothes, and cut their hair in unconventional ways. People perceived to be gay, lesbian, transgender or effeminate are particularly vulnerable.
 
Iraqi human rights activists told the three organizations that in early February, signs and fliers appeared in the Baghdad neighbourhoods of Sadr City, al-Hababiya and Hay al-‘Amal that threatened people by name with “the wrath of god” unless they cropped their hair short, gave up wearing so-called “satanic clothing” - styles critics associate with emos, metal music, and rap, hid their tattoos, and “maintained complete manhood.” Other names appeared on similar posters in different neighbourhoods.

One such sign, seen by the international rights groups, was posted on a wall in Sadr City, and read, “In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful, we warn every male and female in the strongest terms to stop their dirty deeds in four days before the wrath of God strikes them through the hands of mujahedin.” This poster listed 33 names and was decorated with images of two handguns.
 
Since February, the three international rights groups have received information from local human rights groups, community activists and media about numerous deaths of youth. Some local media reports have put the death toll as high as several dozen. The international rights groups have not been able to confirm that people have been killed as part of an organized campaign.

A 26-year old man from Mosul told the rights groups that unknown assailants killed two members of his heavy metal band on March 8 because of their appearance. He said, “We don’t know who is behind this now, but for a long time, people have been accusing us of being Satanists. So this is not new, but now it has become murderous.”
 
While it is unclear who is behind the attacks and intimidation, Iraqi media reports have fuelled the campaign by characterising what they call the “emerging emo phenomenon,” as Satanists, vampires, immoral and un-Islamic, the groups said. Some clerics and politicians have also contributed to the demonization of emo youth. On March 10, the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called emos “crazy fools” and a “lesion on the Muslim community” in an online statement, but also maintained that they should be dealt with “within the law.”
 
Documents received by the international rights groups indicate that the Education Ministry in August 2011 circulated a memo that recommended schools curb the spread of emo culture, which it called “an infiltrated phenomenon in our society.”

The Interior Ministry’s February 13 statement on its website characterized emos as “Satanists” who constitute a danger to Iraqi society. The statement also indicated that the ministry was seeking approval from the Education Ministry for “an integrated plan that would let them [police] enter all the schools in the capital.” On February 29, the Interior Ministry released another statement in which it announced a campaign against emo culture in Baghdad, particularly in the Khadimiya neighbourhood, where they identified one shop that sold “emo clothing and accessories.”
 
After widespread media coverage of the violence and intimidation against emos, the Interior Ministry toned down its language in the March 8 statement, warning “radical and extremist groups attempting to stand as protectors for morals and religious traditions from any conduct against people based on a fashion, dress or haircut.” The ministry denied that any emos had been killed and threatened “necessary legal actions against those who try to highlight this issue and build it out of proportion.”
 
On March 14, security forces in Baghdad detained for three hours the film crew of Russia Today’s Arabic TV channel, Rusiya al-Yaum, as they tried to film a segment related to the attacks on emos. Security forces confiscated their footage even though the channel had a permit to film in downtown Baghdad.
 
A report by Al-Sharqiya TV on March 7 said that men in civilian clothes brutally beat two young women in public in al-Mansour district because of their “fashionable clothing.”
 
People perceived to be gay, lesbian, transgender and effeminate men told the rights groups that they feel particularly vulnerable. In 2009, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and IGLHRC documented a pattern of torture and murder by Iraqi militias against men suspected of same-sex conduct or of not being "manly" enough. Iraqi authorities did nothing to stop those killings. Iraqis perceived to be gay, lesbian or transgender live in fear because of the atrocities committed as part of the 2009 campaign. Many members of the community have gone underground.
 
A 22 year-old gay man in Baghdad told the international rights groups that anonymous callers made death threats on his phone on March 11. The callers described a friend of his whom they had kidnapped and brutally beaten days earlier, saying that was how they got his number. They told him that he would be next. He has since cut his hair and does not leave his house for fear of being targeted.
 
“When the news started spreading about emos, the threats and violence against gays increased,” he said. “They are grouping us all together, anyone who is different in any way, and we are very easy targets.”
 
On March 15 the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance and safe passage to Iraqis facing severe persecution, told Human Rights Watch that in the past week it had conducted interviews with 23 young Iraqis, most of whom had cut their hair short and were in hiding after receiving death threats and harassment because they were perceived to belong to the emo or LGBT communities. The interviewees also reported that 10 others perceived to be in those communities had been killed since mid-February.
 
“The Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s inaction and denial of the ongoing campaign to punish people seen as non-conformists threatens everyone who is different, including those who defy traditional notions of gender and sexuality,” said Jessica Stern, director of programs at IGLHRC. "The government needs to ensure the safety of all Iraqis, not amplify the threats against those already being targeted."
 
Unlike the 2009 killings, the recent campaign has generated strong condemnation within Iraq. A statement by Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a leading Shia spiritual leader, who referred to the targeted killings of emo youth in Iraq as a threat to the nation’s peace and order, was a positive development, the groups said. According to Ayatollah Sistani's representative in Baghdad, Shaikh Abd al-Rahim al-Rikabi, "those targeted killings are terrorist acts."
 
On March 8, several members of the Iraqi parliament demanded a police investigation into the killings and unequivocally condemned the violence. The parliament speaker, Usama Najaifi, said in March 13 statement that the “phenomena of assassinating some young people – those who are described as Emo – by some groups in the name of reforming society, entrenches a culture of violence and terror … and a violation of law and a crime.”
 
“At best the response of the Iraqi Interior Ministry is completely inadequate, at worst it condones the violence against emo youth,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International. “Iraqi authorities should unequivocally condemn the attacks, investigate any killings and protect anyone in danger.”

[Merticus]

http://www.al-seyassah.com/AtricleView/tabid/59/smid/438/ArticleID/182055/reftab/36/Default.aspx

الصفحة الرئيسية  رياض الحسيني
   16/03/2012
إنكم تقتلون الوطن وليس الأيمو

"ايمو Emo"  كلمة مشتقة من المفردة الانكليزية (Emotional) اي العاطفي او الحساس وايضا هي اختصار لمصطلح النفسية او الشخصية الحساسة (Emotive Driven Hardcore Punk). للايمو نمط معين من الملبس وتسريحة الشعر ونوع معين من الموسيقى من قبيل الروك والميتال وصولا الى الصراخ او مايسمى (Secremo) وهي حالة من التعبير عن الالم والحزن وعدم الرضا عن الواقع بطريقة غنائية فضلا عن ارتداء اكسسوارات منقوش عليها رموزاً معينة ورسومات لها دلالات. هذا من ناحية الايمو الملتزم الواعي لما يفعل والمؤمن بما يقوم به من عمل! ترى كم لدينا من هؤلاء الملتزمين المدركين لما يفعلون في بلداننا العربية بشكل عام وفي العراق بشكل خاص?! أكاد اجزم انه ليس لدينا نسبة واحد في المئة الف. جميع العرب ممن يتشبهون بالايمو ماهم الا شباب يعيش ارهاصات الحاضر ونكباته فضلا عن الاحباط من الحاضر والتشاؤم من المستقبل,  ناهيك بحالة الزهو والتفاخر الموقت التي يصاب بها المراهق في بدايات مراهقته لتزول بعد فترة من الزمن وتصبح من ذكريات الماضي. في مثل تلك الظروف يبدو طبيعيا ان يتجه المراهق لمتنفس يجد فيه ضالته وركنه الامن فكان "الايمو"!
جدير بالذكر ان البعض يخلط خلطا عجيبا بين ظاهرة الايمو وبين الميول الانتحارية لشخص ما وهي حالة انفصامية لها علاقة باضطرابات نفسية لها اسبابها ولاعلاقة لها باية طقوس سواء اكانت ايمو او غيرها.كما وينتشر مفهوم خاطئ اخر هذه الايام وهو ان الايمو هم عبدة الشيطان وهذا محض افتراء من جهة وجهل بحقيقة الايمو من جهة اخرى. بالمناسبة أغلب المتشبهين بالايمو من الشباب العراقي المراهق هم من مرتادي الحسينيات والجوامع ومن المساهمين في الاتراح والافراح والمناسبات الدينية والاجتماعية والسياسية ايضا. وهناك جهل اخر حيث يظن البعض ان ظاهرة الايمو تختص بالذكور دون الاناث بينما هي تصح لكلا الجنسين شأنها شأن اي طريقة معاشية اخرى في المجتمع الانساني.
ظاهرة الايمو ظهرت لاول مرة في منتصف الثمانينات من القرن الماضي في الولايات المتحدة الاميركية ولكن سرعان ما تغيرت وتبدلت المفاهيم التي قامت عليها لتصبح مجرد ملبس ليس بالضرورة ان يكون من يقلد اتباعها انه منهم. "الأيمو" لم تصل الى العراق الا بعد العام 2003 وماصاحبه من التغيير والانفتاح غير المسبوق في بلد طالما حوصر وعاشت اجياله بين الحروب والحصار والفقر والعوز والفاقة. جاء هذا موازيا للحالة الانفصامية التي يعيشها الشاب العراقي بين وزارة تسمى جزافا وظلما وعدوانا وزارة التربية والتعليم فيما هي وزارة اصبحت شكلية لاتعليم فيها ولاتربية بل فساد مستشر وسرقات في وضح النهار شأنها شأن بقية دوائر دولة العراق الفيدرالي! وزارة الاولى محاسبة مسؤوليها اولا قبل محاسبة ضحاياها من شباب اضاع البوصلة بسبب سياستها.
ايضا هناك برلمان وحكومة ووزارة التجارة ولدينا وزارة التعليم العالي ووزارة الشباب والرياضة والقائمة تطول حتى نصل الى 44 وزارة قل نظيرها في اي دولة في العالم اليوم. لدينا المستثمرون واصحاب رؤوس الاموال والاحزاب والمنتفعين والقائمة تطول ايضا ممن يتحكمون بمصائر البلد والناس. كل هؤلاء مشتركون في ما يجري في بلاد الرافدين من هدم وهدر للطاقات والاموال وفي مثل هذا الوضع من المؤكد ان يبحث الشاب العاطل عما يلهيه وينسيه بعضا من الاحباط الذي يعيشه يوما بعد يوم وليس من بارقة حل ومخرج لازمة البلد وسط تشاحن وتباغض وتهافت وتناحر على المناصب واستغلال للنفوذ. فاتجه الشباب وبناة المستقبل نحو كل ماهو جديد بغض النظر عن سلبياته وماسيجره من مآس وآلام فالضغوط كبيرة والتحديات اكبر. فكانت ظاهرة الايمو!
ملابس الايمو وتصرفات الايمو في الشارع العراقي بدأت تأخذ بعدا واطارا اكثر مما هي في واقعها فارتداء الشاب العراقي مسلما كان او مسيحيا لنوع من الملابس بماركة محددة لايعني بالضرورة انه من "عبدة الشيطان" واطالة شعر رأسه لايعني قطعا انه "مخنث". مايجري في الشارع العراقي من قبل شباب في ربيع العمر يلبسون ملابس مثيرة واحيانا مستفزة للاخرين قطعا ليس الحل في قتلهم بطرق وحشية واراقة دمائهم في الازقة ورمي جثثهم في النفايات وكأن الله قد اوكل الينا القصاص قبل الجناية والمحاكمة.
في بلد تتلاطم فيه امواج الطائفية والفساد ودعوات الانفصال والتفرقة لايمكن اثقاله باراقة دماء اخرى ايا كانت العناوين واللافتات. اراقة الدم العراقي على الارصفة والطرقات يجب ان يكون الخط الاحمر وليس حماية شخص ما خط احمر! على الفعاليات السياسية والدينية ومنظمات المجتمع المدني والنقابات بكل اتجاهاتها وتفرعاتها وانتماءاتها ان تتصدى لهذا الفعل اللاانساني وألا نترك مجالا يلج من خلاله القتلة لارباك الوطن واراقة المزيد من الدماء. يجب ان يفعل القانون والمخطئ من المواطنين يجب ان تقتص منه الدولة وفقا لدستورها وقوانينها وليس مسموحا لاي احد ايا كانت صفته وعنوانه ان ينصب نفسه قاضيا ومشرعا وحاكما.
جدير بالذكر ان ظاهرة القتل العشوائي هذه قد تزامنت مع تصاعد الخلافات السياسية بين الكتل ومع تصاعد نبرة التخوين من كل الاطراف بحق بعضها بعضاً وتزامنت ايضا مع اقرار مشاريع والغاء اخرى وكل ذلك اثار حفيظة الشارع العراقي وبدأت درجة غليانه تصهر البعيد قبل القريب. بروز ظاهرة القتل بحجة المحافظة على الاخلاق والدفاع عن راية الاسلام ماهي الا لافتة مشؤومة صفراء تخفي وراءها حقيقة اشغال الناس بقصة تبعد اعينهم عن متابعة امورهم المصيرية والمعاشية وهي خطوة مكشوفة تؤكد خسة ودناءة وحقارة من يتحكم بمصائر الناس اليوم. لقد تزامن القتل العشوائي البشع هذا مع الغاء المادة (36) الخاصة بالمشاريع السكنية والدفع بالاجل في وقت تم التصويت فيه على السيارات المصفحة لاعضاء مجلس النواب وغيرها من الامتيازات على حساب الوطن والمواطن. هذا وغيره دليل دامغ على ان من يقوم بالقتل له مآرب سياسية يريد من وراءه اشغال الناس ببعضهم والهائهم عن الاهم وخلط الاوراق حابلها بنابلها وهي سياسة ليست بجديدة.
لايسعنا اليوم الا ان نطالب الحكومة العراقية ان تقوم بواجبها الاخلاقي فضلا عن واجبها الدستوري والقانوني بملاحقة الجناة ايا كانت حظوتهم فهؤلاء لايريدون للعراق استقرارا ولايريدون للعراقيين العيش بأمن وأمان. لذلك يتوجب على الحكومة العراقية -ان كانت حقيقة غير متورطة بمثل هذه الاعمال- البحث عن الجناة الحقيقين ومعاقبة من يقف وراء القتل العشوائي بحق الشباب العراقي بحجة "الايمو". بينما تخفي وراءها هذه الافعال اللاانسانية حتما وقطعا اجندات سياسية واخرى طائفية, ان استمرت فانها سترجع البلاد الى المربع الاول حيث القتل على الهوية والاسم وها قد وصلنا الى الشكل والملبس وغدا الى المأكل واللون! أيضا يتوجب على الحكومة ايجاد فرص عمل لهذا الشباب العاطل وايجاد مايشغل وقته بمشاريع تنموية تعود بالنفع على الوطن والمجتمع. لقد حان الوقت ياحكام الوطن ان تفكروا بحلول انسانية لبناة المستقبل والا تتركوهم لقمة مجانية لمجاميع القتل وتجار البشر.
ايها المسؤولون, ايها اللاهوتيون, ايها المصلحون, ادركوا ابناء الوطن واحتضنوهم قبل ان تدق عظامهم ولحومهم آلات القتل بلا رحمة. "كلكم راعٍ وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته".
كاتب عراقي

TRANSLATION:

Home Riad al-Husseini
16/03/2012
You are killing the nation and not emo

"Emo Emo" is derived from the single-word English (Emotional) any emotional or sensitive and also is an abbreviation of the term mental or sensitive personal (Emotive Driven Hardcore Punk). The emo particular style of clothing, hairstyle and a certain type of music such as rock and metal all the way to scream, or so-called (Secremo), a condition of the expression of pain, sadness and dissatisfaction with the fact in a musical as well as wear accessories inscribed with the symbols of certain graphics and its implications. This hand emo committed to the conscious and the insured does what he is doing the work! See how much we have of those who are committed to conscious of what they do in our Arab countries in general and Iraq in particular?! I can assure you we do not have one per hundred thousand. All the Arabs who imitate Pallaimo tasks, but young lives the present and the harbingers of setbacks as well as the frustration of the present and pessimism about the future, not to mention the situation of pride and bragging timer that afflict teenager in the early teens to go away after a period of time and become a thing of the past. In such circumstances it seems natural that the teenager is heading to the outlet finds its goal and the corner where the security was "emo"!

It should be noted that some people confuse confusion strange phenomenon of emo and suicidal tendencies of a person, a condition Anfsamih related mental disorders with their causes and unrelated in any ritual, whether emo or other. Also spread another misconception these days is that the emo are Satanists This is pure fabrication one hand, and ignorant of the fact emo on the other. By the way most young people imitate Pallaimo Iraqi teenager goers are Shiite mosques and mosques, and contributors to the Alatrah and weddings and religious events, social and political as well. There is ignorance of another, where some think that the phenomenon of emo specializes in males without females while it is valid for both sexes, like any other method Maashih in human society.

Emo phenomenon first appeared in the mid-eighties of the last century in the United States, but soon changed, and changed the concepts upon which to become a mere clothing is not necessarily followed that of imitating them. "Emo" did not arrive in Iraq until after the year 2003 and Masahabh of change and openness unprecedented in a country as long as she lived and trapped generations of wars and sanctions, poverty, destitution and poverty. This was parallel to the case Alanfsamih experienced by the young Iraqi by the Ministry called randomly and unfairly Ministry of Education, as is the Ministry has become a formality for Atalim where the Aterbah but rampant corruption and theft in broad daylight, like the rest of the departments State of Iraq, Fed! Department of Accounting and the first of its officials first before accounting victims of youth wasted because of its compass.

There is also the Parliament and the Government and the Ministry of Commerce and we have the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports and the list goes on until we get to 44 and the Ministry of a rare in any country in the world today. Our investors and owners of capital, parties and beneficiaries and the list goes on, who also control the fate of the country and people. All those involved in what is going on in Mesopotamia from the demolition and waste of energy and money in a situation like this is sure to discuss the young unemployed of what distracts him and forget it some of the frustration experienced by day after day and not a glimmer of a solution and a way out of crisis, the country amid bickering and jealousies and panting and rivalry on the positions and the exploitation of of influence. Youth and walks toward the future builders of all that is new, regardless of its disadvantages and Masegerh tragedies and great suffering pressures and challenges greater. Phenomenon was emo!

Clothes emo and actions of emo in the Iraqi street, began to take dimension and a framework more than they are in reality Wearing a young Iraqi Muslim was or Christian to the type of clothes brand specific does not necessarily mean that it is "Satanists" and prolong his hair does not mean absolutely that "androgynous." What is happening in the Iraqi street by youth in the spring of life wearing provocative clothing and sometimes provocative to others definitely not the solution to kill them in ways that brutal and shedding their blood in the alleys and throw their bodies in the waste as if God has entrusted to us by the punishment of the crime and trial.
Country in whose waters the waves of sectarianism, corruption and calls for separation and segregation can not be shedding the blood of other Athagalh whatever titles and banners. The shedding of Iraqi blood on the sidewalks and roads should be a red line and not to protect someone red line! Events on the political, religious and civil society organizations and trade unions in all directions and branches and affiliations that respond to this inhuman act and not to leave the room in which the killers goes to stagger home and shedding more blood. Should do the law and wrong must be citizens of Tguets from the State in accordance with its constitution and its laws are not allowed to any one regardless of the described and address if they can install the same judges and legislators and governor.

It should be noted that the phenomenon of indiscriminate killing of these coincided with the escalation of political differences between the blocks with the rising tone of mistrust on all sides against each other and also coincided with the approval of projects and cancel each other so irritated the Iraqi street and started boiling point smelted near term before. Emergence of the phenomenon of murder under the pretext of maintaining morality and the defense of the flag of Islam is nothing but a sign ominous yellow hide behind the fact distracting people the story of their eyes away from pursuing their affairs and living a fateful step emphasizes open meanness and vileness and the wickedness of the people control the fate of the day. The indiscriminate killing coincided with the cancellation of this ugly article (36) Private residential projects, payment on credit at a time when it was voted on armored vehicles to members of the House of Representatives and other privileges at the expense of the homeland and the citizen. This and other hard evidence that the death of his political aims and wants of the people behind it works with each other and distracting them from the most important and confusion Ahablha Bnabulha a policy is not new.

Aasana for today, but to demand that the Iraqi government are doing their job as well as moral and constitutional duty to prosecute perpetrators and legal Whatever Hzutem They do not want Iraq stable but do not want the Iraqis to live in security and safety. Therefore, for the Iraqi government - was the fact that is not involved in such work - the search for the perpetrators and punish the rightful who was behind the random killings against Iraqi youth under the pretext of "emo." While hiding behind these inhuman acts necessarily and certainly political agendas and other sectarian, that it will return the country continued to square one where the murder of identity, name, and now have reached the figure, clothing and food, tomorrow to color! Also the government should create jobs for the unemployed youth and find Maischgl his time development projects that benefit the nation and society. It is time that the rulers of the country think by the builders of the future of humanity and not leave them free to the top of the totals for murder and human traffickers.

Officials Dear, dear seminarians, Dear Reformers, they realized the sons of the nation and embraced them before they knock their bones and flesh mercilessly killing machines. "You is a shepherd and each of you responsible for his flock."


http://ipairaq.com/index.php?name=inner&t=mixture&id=52741

2012-03-17 12:30:40
الايمو .. حالة شبابية تتسبب في مقتل أتباعها العراقيين

بغداد (إيبا).. / متابعة / فتحت حوادث قتل شباب عراقيين الأسبوع الماضي بسبب انتمائهم إلى جماعات الإيمو باب التساؤلات حول ماهية هذه الجماعات ومقدار المخاطر التي تتعرض لها بسبب الهالة الغامضة المحيطة بها.
 
وقالت فتاة عراقية تنتمي لإحدى جماعات الإيمو في حديث مع احدى القنوات العراقية الفضائية دون إظهار ملامح وجهها خشية التعرض لعنف : إحساسنا بالحزن والوحدة نتيجة التحكم فينا وكأننا لا يوجد لدينا حرية شخصية هو ما جعلنا نتجه لذلك، نحن لا نعانى من الشذوذ ولسنا كفرة أو بعيدين عن الله، بل فينا بنات محجبات ولا يوجد لدينا تفرقة بين دين وأخر.
 
وأوضحت الفتاة أن الظاهرة بدأت فى العراق فى أعقاب الغزو الأمريكى لها عام 2003 ثم أخذت فى الانتشار فى الوقت الحالى.
 
وتمردت الفتاة على الواقع الرتيب من خلال تحكم عائلتها فيها، واختارت أسلوبا قد يبدو شاذا لدى البعض، وذلك بعد اتجاهها لتبنى فكر الإيمو وهى كلمة إنجليزية تعني الشخص مرهف الحس.
 
هذه الظاهرة الغربية فى الأساس يتبع مقلدوها نمطا معينا في الحياة يتمثل فى الاستماع لنوع معين من موسيقى الروك، وينجذب أفرادها لهيئة معينة تتمثل في قصات شعر تغطي جزء من الوجه مع ارتداء إكسسوارات لتجميل الملاح مع الحرص على ارتداء ملابس سوداء، وسراويل ضيقة جدا أو فضفاضة جدا، وأغطية المعصم، أما في العراق، يعتبرها البعض دليلا على الميول الجنسية للشباب، ويتهمهم البعض بأنهم مثليون.
 
وأضافت الفتاة التى كانت ترتدى وشاحا سودا وتضع على رأسها غطاء على هيئة جمجمة : تنتشر إيمو فى العراق حاليا بين الشباب المراهقيين الذين تتراوح أعمارهم من فترة 14 إلى 18.
 
عبادة الشيطان
 
ونفى عضو في الإيمو ارتباط الظاهرة بعبادة الشيطان ولكنه أكد ميل أفراد الجماعة للانتحار، نتيجةَ للكآبة المزمنة التي تؤدي في النهاية إلى إضطرابات نفسية وربما الميل الى تعاطي المخدرات.
 
ومن ناحية أخرى كشف خالد شواني وهو نائب عراقي في إحدى جلسات البرلمان عن تعرض 53 من شباب الإيمو للقتل الأسبوع الماضي بينهم 13 في بغداد.
 
واعتقد النائب أن هذه الحالة أمر خطير ويعارض مباديء حرية الإنسان في الملبسوالممارسات الشخصية، طالما لا يضر بالمجتمع وقال لابد من اتخاذ موقف جريء لمعرفة أسباب مقتل 53 من هؤلاء الشباب.
 
وكانت صحيفة الديلي ميل البريطانية واسعة الانتشار قد نشرت تقريرا عن الايمو عام 2006 عقب انتشار الظاهرة في أوروبا لتحذير أولياء أمور المراهقين من احتمال انتحار أبنائهم رغم أن نسبة أقل من الايمو يلجأون لذلك، وقالت الصحيفة أن الايمو هو تطور طبيعي لموضة الثقافة القوطية التي انتشرت في أوروبا في القرون الوسطى.
 
ويرجع السبب في الخلط بين جماعات عبدة الشيطان وجماعات الايمو في تشابه الطرفين في بعض المظاهر مثل سماع نمط معين من الموسيقى الغربي (ميتال) أو (هارد روك) وهما نمطان متشابهان لغير المتابعين، وارتداء أتباع الايمو لملابس سوداء وعلامات لرموز شريرة.
 
القتل بسحق الرأس
 
وقال بعض أتباع إيمو في العراق إن قتل شباب الإيمو وعبدة الشيطان فى العراق يتم عن طريق سحق الرأس بحجر من الاسمنت، فيما قتل العديد من الشباب الذين لاينتمون للايمو عن طريق الخطأ وذلك فقط لطول شعرهم.
 
ووصف عبد الرحيم الركابي -ممثل المرجع الشيعي الأعلى علي السيستاني- طرق قتل هؤلاء الشباب بالـهجمات الإرهابية، قائلا إن هذه الظاهرة يجب أن تعالج عن طريق الحوار والتهدئة بطرق سلمية وليس عن طريق التصفية الجسدية.
 
بينما قال النائب سليم الجبوري رئيس لجنة حقوق الإنسان في البرلمان العراق إن لجنة حقوق الانسان اجتمعت وناقشت موضوع استهداف شباب الايمو وأنه حتى الآن لم يصل موضوع استهداف الإيمو إلى أن يكون ظاهرة.
 
وزارة الداخلية العراقية من جانبها اكتفت ببيان أًصدرته في 13 فبراير يقول إن الداخلية تشن حملة للقضاء على الايمو، وأن الظاهرة يجري متابعتها من قبل الوزارة التي لديها موافقات رسمية بالقضاء عليها في اقرب وقت ممكن. (النهاية)

[Merticus]

TRANSLATION:

2012-03-17 12:30:40
Emo .. The case of youth cause the deaths of Iraqi followers

BAGHDAD (Iba) .. / Follow / opened the killings of young Iraqis last week because of their affiliation to groups IMO door questions about what these groups and the amount of risks because of the mysterious aura surrounding it.
 
The Iraqi girl belonging to one of the groups IMO in an interview with one of the channels Iraqi satellite without showing her face for fear of violence: our sense of sadness and unity as a result control us as if we do not have personal freedom is what we are heading for, we do not suffer from anomalies and we are not infidels or away from God, but us girls veiled We have no distinction between religion and another.
 
The girl explained that the phenomenon began in Iraq in the wake of a U.S. invasion in 2003 and has been spread at the moment.
 
And rebelled against the girl on the chore of reality through the control of her family, and chose a method may seem odd for some people, after the direction of the IMO adopted a thought, a word of English means a person slender sense.
 
This phenomenon Bank essentially follows the Mqlduha a certain pattern in life is to listen for a particular type of rock music, and attracted members of a particular body is in the styles hair covers part of the face with wear accessories to beautify the navigator taking care to wear black clothes, and pants too tight or too loose , and covers the wrist, while in Iraq, seen by some as evidence of the sexual orientation of young people, and some accuse them of being gay.
 
She said the girl, wearing a black scarf on her head and put a lid on the skull: Imo deployed in Iraq between now Alemraehgaan young people aged from 14 to 18 period.
 
The worship of Satan
 
He denied a member of the IMO link the phenomenon to worship Satan, but members of the group confirmed a tendency to commit suicide as a result of chronic depression, which eventually lead to psychological disorders and perhaps the tendency to abuse drugs.
 
On the other hand revealed Khalid Shwani, a deputy in the Iraqi Parliament for a session was 53 of the IMO for the youth was killed last week, including 13 in Baghdad.
 
I think that this case MP is dangerous and against the principles of human freedom in Almbusoualemmarsat personal, as long as no harm to society and said to be taking a bold position to know the reasons for deaths of 53 of these young people.
 
The Daily Mail British and widespread has published a report on the IMO in 2006 following the spread of the phenomenon in Europe to warn parents of the teenagers the possibility of suicide, their children, although a lower proportion of emo resort to that, the newspaper said that emo is a natural progression to Fashion Culture Gothic, which spread in Europe in the Middle Ages.
 
The reason for the confusion between groups of Satanists and groups of emo in the similarity of the two parties in some aspects, such as hearing a particular style of music West (metal) or (Hard Rock) and are the two types are similar to non-followers, and the wearing of the followers of emo for black clothes and signs for the symbols of evil.
 
Murder to crush the head
 
Some followers of Imo in Iraq that killed youth IMO and Satanists in Iraq is by crushing the head stone of cement, while killing many young people who Aantamon of emo by mistake and then only to the length of their hair.
 
Abdel Rahim described the stapes - the representative of the Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani - Methods of killing these young terrorist attacks, saying that this phenomenon must be addressed through dialogue and peaceful means calm and not through the physical liquidation.
 
While the MP said Salim al-Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights in Iraq, said the Parliament Human Rights Committee met and discussed the issue of targeting young emo and that so far has not reached target topic IMO to be a phenomenon.
 
Iraq's Interior Ministry for its part, merely a statement issued on February 13, says that the internal mounting a campaign to eliminate emo, and that the phenomenon is being pursued by the ministry, which has official approval to eliminate them as soon as possible.


http://observers.france24.com/content/20120321-iraqi-emo-harassed-islamist-extremists-militias-list-killed-murdered-hair-clothes-style-rock-hardcore-music

Iraqi "emo kids" harassed and killed by Islamic extremists
22/03/2012 / IRAQ

In Iraq, sporting an emo look can get you into serious trouble. For the past few weeks, teenagers who dress in emo fashion have been targeted by Islamic extremists, who claim they are effeminate Satan-worshippers. Dozens of them have already been brutally killed.
 
Since the beginning of March, at least 90 “emos” have been killed by Islamic militants, according to Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. The word “emo” is short for “emotional hardcore,” a style of rock whose fans dress in a particular style: usually, they wear their hair long, dyed black if it isn’t already, sometimes with bright neon streaks. The girls wear dark makeup, and both girls and boys wear tight-fitting clothing.
 
This look is frowned upon by most of Iraqi society, which is very conservative, and in particular by the Shiite community. Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite leader, has called emos “crazy and stupid.” Iraq's Interior Ministry has not only has made no declarations condemning attacks against emos, but even appears to condone them. In a statement, the ministry instead underscored Iraqis' fears of seeing "emos spread homosexuality and suicides". Officials, meanwhile, have simply asked parents to keep a close watch on how their children dress. Human Rights Watch has criticised the government's position, saying it has "contributed to an atmosphere of fear and panic fostered by acts of violence against emos".
 
Their situation has not attracted much sympathy from the west of the Arab world, either. Some newspapers, notably in Egypt and in the United Arab Emirates, have labelled emos "vampires" and "descendants of Dracula".

"They attack emos because they think they're Satanists"
Kadhem (not his real name), 18, is a senior in high school. He moderates a private Facebook page for Iraqi emos.
 
The emo style came to Iraq three years ago. But it hasn't spread all over the country. Emos mostly live in the north of Iraq, as the south is more conservative. In Baghdad, we avoid Shiite neighourhoods, where people do not approve of our style at all.
 
The attacks against us began about a month ago. People started accusing us of being Satan worshippers or Free Masons, who are heretics in their eyes. They don't like our haircuts or our tight clothing. They say we're homosexuals, which is an insult here.
 
Some of my friends were threatened by a group of men one evening as they were walking home. The men stopped them and asked them to start dressing "like men" and grow mustaches, or else they would make trouble for them. They were lucky, because other emos have been kidnapped in broad daylight and executed.

"They smash their heads in with cinder blocks"
 
There are lists of emos' names circulating in Shiite neighbourhoods. People post them on school walls, in cafés, and in Internet cafés. Those who do this are part of militias, usually Shiite militias. When they find their victims, they smash their heads in with cinder blocks. This is a form of lapidation, which makes sense since they equate us with the Devil [in Mecca, Muslim pilgrims carry out a symoblic lapidation of Satan]. They leave their bodies in the middle of the street. Sometimes, an emo will simply disappear and we never hear from them again. These militias also burn down stores that sell emo clothes or accessories.

These militias act with total impunity. The police do nothing. I think the police are scared of the militias because they are powerful, organised, and they are merciless in their violence.
 
Religious leaders have tried to calm tensions. Ali al-Sistani [an Iranian ayatollah who is very influent in Iraq] condemned these crimes and called for dialogue. The matter has been debated in parliament, too [some members of parliament criticised the Interior Ministry for failing to protect emos]. But nothing has changed yet.
 
Personally, I'm having trouble with the idea of altering the way I dress or cutting my hair to avoid becoming a target. I don't understand this hatred against us; we're not doing anything wrong. We don't share the spirit of emos in other countries, who are often solitary, depressed, and talk about suicide and self-harm. For us, being emo is just about style.

[Merticus]

http://www.alrafidayn.com/2009-05-26-22-21-36/34708-2012-03-19-05-26-08.html

(وصمة)الإيمـو.. والخوف العراقي المزمن من الحرية!
الاثنين, 19 مارس 2012 05:25 د. فارس كمال نظمي
طباعة

د. فارس كمال نظمي

 ألم يكن تأريخنا السياسي المعاصر في العراق في وجه من وجوهه، تأريخاً سيكوباثياً لاستئساد الأقوياء على الضحايا، والموهومين على الأحرار، والخائفين على الواثقين، والمالكين على الفاقدين؟
لكن هذا الاستئساد القطيعي على الطريدة المستسلمة، يتخذ اليوم منحى جديداً عبر طقوس الرجم المتصاعدة ضد فئة شبابية صغيرة تحمل -مثل راجميها- الهويةَ العراقية، باتت تُعرف بـ"الإيمو".
لا تتوافر أدلة وشواهد مادية موثقة عن حجم الأذى الجسدي الذي تعرض له هؤلاء الشبان، إذ يكتنف الأمرَ غموضُ معلوماتي والتباس إعلامي وتعتيم رسمي وتهويل مجتمعي. إلا أن كل ذلك لا يحجب حقيقةَ أن جوهر الأمر بات لا يتعلق بشبان الأيمو أنفسهم، بل بالفورة الاستئسادية التي طالت أطرافاً عدة في المجتمع والدولة، انبرت لتقرع طبول "الفضيلة" تحذيراً من "خطر" محدق بـ"نقاء" النسيج الاجتماعي، بل وتحريضاً على الاقتصاص من هؤلاء "المارقين" عن جادة الصواب.

أتوجه بتحليلي إلى هذه الظاهرة القطيعية "التأديبية" حصراً، تمحيصاً وتفسيراً واستشرافاً. أما الإيمو أنفسهم فلا يمثلون إلا الخلفية الفنية الشكلية للظاهرة، إذ لا يعدون كونهم عينة الدم التي أتاحت لنا تحليل الحالة الصحية للجسد كله.
أتابعُ طقوسَ الرجم البدائية هذه بمزيج من الحزن الروحي والسعادة العقلية: الحزن الروحي من جراء الهستريا الجمعية العنفية "الأخلاقوية" ضد بضعة شبان وفتيات أرادوا ممارسة الاكتئاب الوطني علنياً وسلمياً وجمالياً؛ والسعادة بل النشوة العقلية لأن هؤلاء الشبيبة أفلحوا بطريقة عفوية وجريئة في استفزاز كل التراث اللاعقلاني للحضارتين الذكوروية والإسلاموية المتلاقحتين بغنج شديد في الغابة العراقية المكتظة بتأويلات مفتوحة فلسفياً وواقعياً على مختلف احتمالات التطور أو النكوص الاجتماعي-السياسي القادم.
إن انخراط فئات مجتمعية ودوائر رسمية ووسائل إعلامية في الصولة "الشرفية" المستمرة ضد وهم "الإيمو"، إنما يعيدنا مباشرة إلى إشكالية الجدال الفكري الذي لم ينقطع يوماً حول أولوية العدالة أم الحرية؟ ألا يجدر فعلاً أن نختزل كل معضلات الوضع البشري المزمنة إلى مشكلة الحرية: سعياً لها أو خوفاً منها؟ وهل يمكن للتقدم الملموس في ميدان محاربة الحرمان وإرساء العدل الاجتماعي في أي بلد أن يتحقق فعلاً على نحو مؤسساتي راسخ نسبياً، دونما تحقيقٍ مسبق لدرجة معقولة من الوعي المجتمعي المتين بضرورة الحرية وقدسيتها؟!

ما معنى الإيمو؟
يجب التمييز أولاًَ بين ظاهرة "الإيمو" في منشئها الأول في مجتمعات غربية متقدمة في أوروبا وأمريكا خلال العقد الأخير من القرن الماضي وما بعده، وبين حالات الإيمو المتفرقة التي ما برحت تظهر في مجتمعات نامية، ومنها العراق ومصر والسعودية والأردن، بوصفها تماهياً شكلياً محدوداً بالظاهرة الأم، ضمن حدود الموضة والأزياء والعيش في العوالم الافتراضية لشبكات الاتصال الاجتماعي.
اشتقت مفردة "الإيمو" Emo في الغرب من مصطلح "العاطفي" Emotional للدلالة على ظاهرة نفسية قوامها الحساسية الوجدانية الشديدة تجاه فكرة الألم، انتشرت بين المراهقين من الجنسين في أعمار (12-17) سنة ممن يتبعون نظاماً معيناً في السلوك والتفكير والشعور والأزياء والموسيقى وتسريحة الشعر ونمط الحياة. فإلى جانب ارتداء السراويل الضيقة أو الفضفاضة، والقمصان القاتمة والإكسسوارات الغرائبية كالجماجم، يحرصون  على أن تكون عيونهم كحيلةً بلون قاتم، وشعرهم فاحماً منسدلاً يغطي عيناً واحدة أو نصف الوجه بدعوى إنهم لا يرون إلا النصف الفارغ من الكأس، أو ليخفوا مشاعرهم ودموعهم. أما موسيقاهم فتنتمي إلى الروك والميتال، وتتضمن قصائد عميقة معبّرة عن مواقف بالغة الحزن مستمدة من وقائع الحياة. إلا أن الأهم من كل ذلك هو فلسفتهم الحياتية، إذ يتسمون بشخصياتهم السوداوية التشاؤمية، وبالصمت والخجل والحزن الدائم مع الدموع، وبافتقارهم التام للشعور بالقيمة الذاتية والثقة بالنفس، ويرون أنفسهم منبوذين اجتماعياً، وهم انسحابيون جداً ولا تلتقي عيونهم أبداً بعيون الآخرين، لكنهم في الوقت ذاته يرتبطون ببعضهم بعلاقات عميقة أساسها التفهم والإلفة. ومع أنهم يجدون علاقاتهم ببقية الناس غير ضرورية وغير ودية، إلا أنهم يحترمون الآخرين مهما كانوا. وقد يدفع الأسى والاكتئاب المزمنانِ بعضهم إلى قطع أرساغهم بسبب ميولهم الانتحارية، ما يجعلهم عرضةً للانعزال والاضطرابات النفسية. وقد يندفع بعضهم إلى إدمان العقاقير أو المخدرات أو ممارسة الشذوذ الجنسي سعياً للانفصال النفسي التام عن المعايير التقليدية للمجتمع. أما ما يُقال عن أنهم مصاصو دماء أو عبدة شيطان، فلا صحة له، لأن الإيمو ليس ديانة محددة بل أسلوب حياة يمثل ثقافة فرعية Subculture فحسب، وهو عابر للطبقات وللتمايزات الاقتصادية.

الإيمو في العراق
بالعودة إلى المجتمع العراقي، فبحسب الملاحظات العيانية والمؤشرات الميدانية والإفادات الحية من الشباب أنفسهم، فإن حالات الإيمو المرصودة لا يمكن عدّها ظاهرةً مستقرة المعالم، إذ لا تعدو كونها تقليعات سلوكية سلمية ظهرت لدى شابات وشبان محدودي العدد بأعمار تراوحت بين (18-24) سنة، تضمنت اتجاهاً اكتئابياً نحو الذات، ممتزجاً بمشاعر الألم الاجتماعي واليأس من المشهد الحياتي العام، وانخفاض تقدير الذات، والاعتقاد بالعجز الذاتي وقلة الحيلة، والنزعة العدمية من جراء الأنوميا (اللامعيارية) المجتمعية المتصاعدة. وكل ذلك أتى مصحوباً بنمذجة (أي تقليد) مظهرية لما يصدّره الغرب إعلامياً وتجارياً من أزياء وحلي وتسريحات شعر، تضفي خصوصيةً أسلوبية يحتاج إليها الشاب في هذه المرحلة العمرية القلقة، بل يستقوي بها لأنها تمنحه تميزاً وفرادةً وإدهاشاً وسط عالم "خاو" لا يرى فيه معنى أو غاية تستحق التعلق أو الاحتذاء.
ولم يصل الأمر بأي من هؤلاء الشباب إلى هجران أسرهم والعيش في تجمعات سكانية خاصة بهم كما يحدث في الغرب، ولم تتوافر أي أدلة على ممارستهم المنظمة للمثلية الجنسية أو الإدمان الكحولي أو العقاقيري أو المخدراتي، أو أي ممارسات طقوسية تشذ عن الموروث الديني التوحيدي المتعارف عليه في العراق؛ بل أن العديد منهم عبّر عن مواهب أو هوايات فنية مميزة، وعن قدرة لفظية ملفتة في التعبير عن مزاجهم السوداوي وأحزانهم الفلسفية النبيلة تجاه المشهد المؤسي المحيط بهم.
فما الذي حرّك إذن هذه الغوغائية المجتمعية والدولتية معاً ضد هذه الفئة المهمشة، بل هؤلاء الأفراد المبتلين بالاكتئاب الشعبي الشامل Mass Depression وبالرغبة المستميتة بالانعزال وإغماض عيونهم عن المأساة اليومية المحدقة بهم؟ ما الذي حفز على إهانتهم وثلم كبريائهم وإلصاق هذه الوصمة بسمعتهم؟ ما الدافع وراء إرغامهم على حلق شعرهم، أو إدراج أسمائهم في قوائم سود للقتل، أو حتى التهديد بتهشيم رؤوسهم؟!
في كل عصر بشري قلقٍ ومثخن بالمآسي، كان هناك "إيمو" من نوع ما "يستوجب" استهدافه من جموع الأكثرية الفاشلة في إيجاد حلول لأزماتها الحقيقية. والمسألة في العراق لا تخرج أيضاً عن هذا الإطار، إذ لا يتعلق الأمر بشباب الإيمو حالياً أو بالمثليين جنسياً قبل نحو عامين بحد ذاتهم، بل بالاجتماع البشري (الرسمي والشعبي) الذي يريد أن يمارس استئساده تحت وطأة آليات نفسية مَرَضية، يمكن تحديدها في سياقين: أحدهما يخص الدولة والآخر يخص المجتمع، وتتفرع من كل منهما مستوياتٌ عدة.

سيكولوجيا الاستهداف الدولتي للإيمو
1- عقدة "الطلفاحية البدويانية" الناتجة عن نمط السلطة الفاشية القومانية السابقة، ما تزال فاعلةً في أعماق العقل الباطن لسلطة التأسلم السياسي الطائفي الحالية، نتيجة تماهيها الافتتاني اللاشعوري بالسلطة التي سبقتها. وفي الحالتين، تقوم هذه العقدة على وهم احتكار "الفضيلة"، عبر تلك الرغبة العصابية الدفينة بشن غزوات عنتروية لمكافحة "الرذيلة" بوسائل سادية تقع خارج إطار المؤسسة القضائية الشرعية للدولة. وكأن العراقيين محشورون في لعبة عبثية دائرية لا تنتهي، فما أن يغادروا كابوساً حتى يجدوا أنفسهم بمواجهته من جديد.
2- إن بعض عناصر الأجهزة الأمنية، مدفوعين بثقافة الاستبداد التي ما تزال متأصلة في مؤسسات الدولة، يمارسون على نحو فردي غير منظمٍ بآليةٍ رسمية مبرمجة، آليةَ "الإزاحة" (أو الإبدال) Displacement، إذ يستبدلون لا شعورياً هزائمهم المستمرة في مواجهة خصوم حقيقيين يصعب الوصول إليهم (أي التطرف السياسي-الديني الدموي، والجريمة والفساد المنظمين)، بـ"انتصارات" خاطفة على خصوم وهميين يسهل اصطيادهم في وضح النهار (أي شباب الإيمو وقبلهم المثليين جنسياً وهواة موسيقى الراب). وفي هذه الإزاحة الإبدالية يتحقق إشباعان نفسيان مهمان لدى المسؤول الأمني المعني باقتناص الإيمو: ((إذن، أنا قادر وفاعل مهنياً، وأنا قادر وفاعل أخلاقياً أيضاً)).

سيكولوجيا الاستهداف المجتمعي للإيمو
1- ما دام الناس غير قادرين على تقويض المظالم الراسخة التي تحول دون تحقيق آمالهم في الأمن والرخاء والكرامة، فلا بد من "كبش فداء" Scapegoat ضعيف يزيحون نحوه كل طاقة الاستياء والامتعاض والغضب المتراكمة في أعماقهم المثلومة بالإهانة والألم، ولو لأيام قليلة أو حتى لساعات محدودة. يريدون أن يحققوا أي "انتصار" صغير في حياة مليئة بالهزائم الكبرى المتناسلة. إنه التعصب بوصفه آلية لاشعورية لتصريف طاقة الإحباط العدوانية ضد أقلية مسالمة لا خوف ولا خطر منها. والتعصب هنا يعني توصيمَ تلك الأقلية وازدرائها واستبعادها اجتماعياً خارج إطار المقبولية والشرعانية، ولو بأدوات قاسية تصل حد القتل: ((نحن عاجزون عن استئصال البؤس والقهر من حياتنا، لكننا على الأقل ما نزال كفوئين وأخلاقيين لأننا قادرون على رصد المخالفين والفاسقين وإخراجهم من مجالنا الطاهر!)).
2- انبرت جماعات دينية متطرفة، بدعاوى لاهوتية رثة، وبغض أبصارٍ واضحٍ من جانب الأجهزة الأمنية، وبقبول مجتمعي عام، للتنكيل بشبان الإيمو، متخذين من عقدهم النفسية الحضارية وأنظمتهم الذهنية الميثولوجية المغلقة أداةً بديلة لتحقيق الضبط الاجتماعي الموكول افتراضاً ودستوراً للدولة العاقلة الغائبة عنا منذ عقود. فهؤلاء الشباب يمثلون بسلوكهم أقصى خيارات الحرية الشخصية التي لا تجرؤ الغالبية المجتمعية على ممارستها لأنها تخاف عبءَ الحرية. فالإيمو بوصفهم أقلية متحررة، يذكّرون الآخرين بعبوديتهم على نحو لا شعوري مبطّن. إنه صراع نفسي بين إرادتين: أقلية قوية في أدائها الرمزي الحداثوي، وأكثرية ضعيفة في أدائها العبودي الأساطيري الرتيب: ((ما لم نستطع فعله نحن الرهائن المكبوتون، يفعله هؤلاء المتحررون الصريحون. نتمنى أن نكون مثلهم، لكننا نخاف حريتنا، إذ كيف يمكن أن نحطم كل التابوات التي لا تستقيم حياتنا إلا بها؟ أين نذهب بأصنامنا المزمنة التي تتنفس في دواخلنا؟ ولذلك ليس أمامنا إلا رجمهم لأنهم قادرون وشجعان وليسوا عاجزين ومتخاذلين مثلنا. نغار منهم. إنهم يذكّروننا بقنوطنا وذلنا وفشلنا ولا معنى حياتنا، ولذلك يجب محوهم من ذاكرتنا الاجتماعية، يجب قتلهم!)).
استكمالاً لما تقدم، ما هي إذن الوظيفة السوسيوثقافية المركزية الناتجة من كل تلك الميكانزمات النفسية الفرعية؟ إنها "الابتلاع الاجتماعي" الذي تمارسه الجمعانية القطيعية ضد الفردانية المستسلمة، بشتى أدوات التركيع: وصماً وتشهيراً وانتقاصاً ورجماً وإفناءً. إنها الذهنية الجمعية التي لا تبتني "فضيلتها" إلا بتفسيق الآخرين، لأن فزعها الدفين من عبوديتها يجعلها تحرّم أي حرية واثقة تهز قضبان "معصوميتها" الهشة. إنه الرعب من النقيض الذي يذكّرها ببؤسها، فلا بد  من أن تبتلعه لتستعيد "مطلقيتها" الآمنة: ((أقتلُ حريتهم لأظل آمناً في عبوديتي!)).

الدلالات السياسية لوصمة الإيمو
كل المجتمعات المأزومة وغير المأزومة لا بد  من أن تفرز فئات مهمشة أو مستبعدة اجتماعياً أو سياسياً أو اقتصادياً أو ثقافياً لأسباب تتعلق بتوازنات الجذب والطرد بين الجماعات، ومنها فئات التمرد الطقوسي أو السلوكي أو المظهري كالإيمو وغيرها. والعراق تحديداً يعج بفئات مستبعدة إلى أقصى حدود الإقصاء والنبذ، كالأقليات الدينية والعرقية، والعاطلين والمحرومين والأميين والأيتام والمدمنين والمعوقين والمتسولين والأرامل والعوانس والمرضى العقليين؛ فلماذا كل هذا التهويل حيال الإيمو تحديداً، فيما يُسكَت عن بقية المآسي الاجتماعية المزمنة والمتجذرة في أعماق بنية المجتمع؟!
إن أزمة الإيمو اليوم تنبهنا من جديد إلى ضرورة إدامة الإصرار على طرح مسألة الحريات المدنية في العراق، وتحديداً مسألة علاقة الأكثرية بالأقلية على نحو تأصيلي وتجذيري لا ينقطع، إذ اتضح مرة أخرى بجلاء عجزُ الأكثرية البنيوي عن استيعاب حرية الأقلية، وفشلها في تأسيس نظرة إنسانية للآخر المختلف.

[Merticus]

فكل الدلائل المتواترة والمتراكمة تشير إلى أن السلطة السياسية التي نشأت بعد العام 2003م ما تزال تركيعيةً احتوائية في أدائها نحو خصومها السياسيين والفكريين، وهي بايديولوجيتها الأساطيرية تريد الترويج ضمناً وصراحةً لخرافة أحقية الأكثرية (دينياً ومذهبياً وعِرقياً وثقافياً) حيال مخطوئية الأقلية، ضمن بناء دولتي مرتبك، أقل ما يقال عنه إنه تمثال تنخره شروخ الاستبداد وتغطيه خرق الديمقراطية.
الأمر لا يتعلق بمدى صواب أو خطل المنظومة القيمية التي تطرحها خيارات احتجاجية صامتة كالإيمو، بل يتعلق الأمر بأحقيتها الطبيعية والمكفولة إنسانياً ودستورياً في التعبير الحر والسلمي عن الضرر البالغ الذي لحق بإنسانيتها المثلومة، حتى إنْ جاء هذا التعبير غرائبياً وصادماً للمألوف الاجتماعي، ومنطوياً على إخفاق نفسي بدرجة معينة.
فالاضطراب النفسي ليس وصمةً بحد ذاته، بل هو في جوهرة إدانة للثقافة المجتمعية السائدة وللنظام السياسي الحاكم اللذينِ فشلا في إنصاف الناس ومنحهم كينونةً اجتماعية ذات معنى إيجابي.

خـلاصـة أخـيرة
حالات الإيمو في العراق ليست أكثر من احتجاج مسالم، ذي نزعة اعتلالية نفسية وجودية مشروعة، لا تهدد إلا صاحبها الذي قطع بالأساس صلته التفاعلية بالمجتمع وانعزل عنه اغتراباً ويأساً. وهي صرعة شبابية إحباطوية غير عدوانية، تحتاج  إلى تعاطف واحتضان وتفهم وتضامن وجداني من المجتمع والدولة. ولا يحق قانونياً لأي جهة رسمية أو شعبية أن تتدخل على نحو اعتباطي فظ للتعامل مع مثل هذه الحالات، باستثناء مؤسسات أكاديمية متخصصة بالعلوم الاجتماعية تعمل وفق أساليب علمية إرشادية وعلاجية.
قضية الإيمو افتتحت مبحثاً جديداً في موسوعة تطور الوعي الاجتماعي بمسألة الحريات في العراق. فما عاد الأمر يتعلق بالمواجهة بين الـتأسلم والعلمنة، أو بحقوق الأقليات الدينية والعرقية فحسب، بل ابتدأ اليوم ما يمكن تسميته بقضية "حرية اختيار أسلوب الحياة"، أو "حرية التعامل مع المظهر والجسد". إنها خطوة رائدة، مهما كانت محدوديتها، نحو تبجيل الفردانية وإعلاء هيبتها. ولن ينتهي الأمر عند هذا الحد، بل سوف تتوالى تباعاً قضايا مشابهة في المستقبل، ما دامت السلطتان الأبويتان: السياسية والاجتماعية، لم تبلغا سن النضج الثقافي بعد.
فإذا كان للغوغائية المفجعة والسادية التي جرى التصدي بها لشباب الإيمو، من معنى أو عزاء، فهي أنها اجترحت وأضافت بُعداً فلسفياً عميقاً لأداء التيار المدني العقلاني الذي لم تنقطع جذوره أبداً في بلاد شهدت انبثاق كل أنواع الأيديولوجيات المتصارعة وقيم الجمال المتسامحة على مدى تسعة عقود من الدماء والآمال.
إن عملنا التنويري الشاق والدؤوب والمفعم بالأمل حيناً وباليأس أحياناً، سيزهر ويثمر في شوط قادم من مشوار هذا الزمن الاجتماعي الهادر، فقط لأننا لا نحرّف الحقائق ولا نخاف الحرية.

TRANSLATION:

(The stigma) EMO .. And chronic fear of Iraqi freedom!
Monday, March 19, 2012 5:25 d. Nazmi Kamal Fares
D. Nazmi Kamal Fares

 Did not our political history in contemporary Iraq in the face of its aspects, a history of bullying Sikobathia of the strong over the victims, and the Liberal Almuhomin, frightened and unsure of, and owners on the Who's?

But this bullying Alkotaiaa prey on surrendering, take a new turn today through the ritual of stoning the rising class youth against a small bear - such as Rajmiha - Iraqi identity, became known as "EMO".

No evidence is available and documented physical evidence of the size of the physical harm suffered by these young men, as it surrounds the ambiguity of my information and confusion and media hype blackout official and a community. But all that does not mask the fact that the essence of it is not about young men emo themselves, but Balforh Alastisadah which affected parties to several in the community and the state, Anbert for beating the drums of "virtue" warning of "danger" of imminent the "purity" of the social fabric, and even incitement to cropping of these "rogue" on the right path.

I Pthalila to this phenomenon herd "disciplinary" exclusively, and an explanation of scrutiny and anticipation. The IMO themselves do not represent only the formal technical background of the phenomenon, since they are not considered a blood sample, which allowed us to analyze the health situation of the whole body.
I follow the ritual of stoning the primitive of these with a mixture of sadness and spiritual joy Substances: sadness spiritual as a result of hysteria Assembly violent "Alokhalaqoah" against a couple of young men and girls wanted to exercise depressed the national public, peaceful and aesthetically pleasing; and happiness but ecstasy mental because these young people succeeded in a spontaneous and daring to provoke each Heritage irrational of civilizations and Islamism Alzkoroah Almtlaqahtin Bgenj very crowded in the forest Iraqi Btaoalat open philosophical and realistic prospects for the various development or regression of social - political next.

The involvement of community groups and official circles and media outlets in Alsolh "honorary" They are against the ongoing "IMO", but brings us back directly to the problem of intellectual debate that has not stopped one day on the priority of justice or freedom? Should not really be usurped all the dilemmas of the human condition to the chronic problem of freedom: In pursuit of her or fear them? Is it possible to advance the concrete in the field of fight against deprivation and the establishment of social justice in a country can actually be achieved in a relatively well-established institutional, without a prerequisite for achieving a reasonable degree of community awareness of the need for robust freedom and sanctity?!

What is EMO?

Distinction must be made first between the phenomenon of "EMO" in the origin of the first in Western societies developed in Europe and America during the last decade of the last century and beyond, and the cases of IMO sporadic has been shown in developing societies, including Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as equates nominally limited phenomenon the mother, within the limits of fashion and live in virtual worlds for social networks.

Missed a single "IMO" Emo in the west of the term "emotional" Emotional refers to a psychological phenomenon-strong sensitivity emotional extreme to the idea of ​​pain, spread among teenagers of both sexes in age (12-17 years) who follow a certain behavior and thinking, feeling and fashion, music, hairstyle Hair and lifestyle. In addition to wearing tight pants or loose fitting, shirts dark and accessories instinctual Kaljmajm, eager to be their eyes ploy colored dark, and their hair Vahma Mnsdla covers one eye or half of the face under the pretext that they do not see only half empty cup, or to hide their feelings and tears. The Vtantma their music to rock and metal, and includes poems express the deep sorrow the positions of great derive from the facts of life. But most of all is their philosophy of life, as Atzmon Bash_khasyatem melancholy pessimistic, and silence, shame and sadness lasting with tears, and their lack of full feeling of self-worth and self-confidence, and see themselves as outcasts socially, and they Anzhabion very not meet their eyes never the eyes of others, but at the same time associated with each other relations based on deep understanding and familiarity. Yet they find their relationships to the rest of the people is unnecessary and unfriendly, but they respect others whatever they are. The pay grief, depression, some of them to cut Almzmannan Ersaghm because of their suicide, what makes them vulnerable to isolation and mental disorders. The rush to some drugs or drug addiction or the practice of homosexuality in order to complete the separation of mental from traditional norms of society. As for what they said about vampires or Satan worshipers, there is no sound, because the IMO is not a specific religion but a way of life is a subculture Subculture only, which is cross-strata and economic distinctions.

EMO in Iraq

Return to Iraqi society, According to the observations of macroscopic and indicators of field and testimonies of living of young people themselves, the incidence of IMO observed can not be counted phenomenon of stable parameters, as nothing more than Tkulaiat behavioral peaceful appeared in young women and young men with limited number of ages ranging between (18-24) years, included the trend towards self Aktiabia, combined with feelings of pain and despair of the social scene of life year, and low self-esteem, and self-belief of helplessness and powerlessness, and nihilism trend as a result of anomie (Allamaaaria) community growing. All this came together with modeling (ie, tradition) superficial as issued by the West, media and business of fashion, jewelry, hairstyles, give privacy stylistic needed by the young man at this age anxious, but their strength because it will give him distinctive and unique and surprising in a world of "empty" does not see the meaning of or attachment to a very worthy or emulation.

Did not reach it in any of these young people to forsake their families and live in communities of their own as in the West, was there any evidence on the exercise of the Organization of homosexuality or alcoholism or pharmacological or Almkhaddrati, or any practices of ritual exception for religious heritage Tawhidi is customary at the Iraq; but many of them expressed his talents or hobbies Masterpieces, and the ability for verbal expression in striking melancholic mood and sadness towards the noble philosophical Almasa scene around them.

What, then move this community and statist mob together against this marginalized group, but these individuals afflicted by depression popular Comprehensive Mass Depression and the desperate desire for isolation and turn a blind eye to the daily threats to their tragedy? What to humiliate and stimulate furrow their pride and their reputation attaching this stigma? What is the motive behind force them to shave their hair, or the inclusion of their names in the lists of blacks to be killed, or even the threat of smashed their heads?

In every age a human concern and thickener tragedies, there was a "Imo" of some sort "requires" to target the majority of the masses failed to find real solutions to the crises. The issue in Iraq is also a graduate from this framework, it is not about the young IMO currently or gay sex two years ago, per se, but to meet the human (official and popular), who wants to exercise Astisadeh under the weight of mechanisms of psychiatric illness, can be identified in two contexts: one respect to the state and the other for the community, and branch off from each other at several levels.

Psychology of targeting Aldavlata Emo

1 - node "Altalvahih Albedwianah" resulting from the pattern of fascist power Alqomanah earlier, still active in the depths of the subconscious to the authority of Altaslm sectarian political current, as a result Tmahiaa Alavttani subconscious power that preceded it. In both cases, these are the monopoly of the node "virtue", through the underlying neurotic desire to launch invasions Antroyh to combat "vice" sadistic means located outside the framework of the legitimate judicial institution of the state. As if the Iraqis trapped in a game of endless absurdity of circular, what a nightmare to leave until they find themselves confronted again.

2 - Some elements of the security services, driven by the culture of tyranny that are still rooted in the institutions of the state, exercising on an individual basis unstructured programmed formal mechanism, the mechanism of "displacement" (or replacement) Displacement, replacing it subconsciously in the face of continued defeats opponents real hard access to them (ie, political extremism - religious bloody, crime and corruption, organizers), the "victories" peek at imaginary foes, and easy to flush them out in broad daylight (ie, youth IMO and before them gay and amateur rap music). In this displacement is achieved Alabdulah Achaabaaan clinical psychologists, are important to the security official on capturing IMO: ((So, I am able and active professionally, and I am able and active also morally)).

Targeting of community psychology Emo

1 - as long as people are unable to undermine the Ombudsman established that impede their hopes for the security, prosperity and dignity, it must be a "scapegoat" Scapegoat weak removing him all the power, resentment and anger accumulated in their hearts Almtheloma humiliation and pain, even for a few days or even hours limited. Want to achieve any "victory" in the small defeats a life full of great breeding. It is intolerance as a mechanism for the disposal of unconscious energy frustration of aggression against a peaceful minority do not fear or danger of it. And intolerance here means Tusim that minority and contempt and excluded socially outside the framework of admissibility and Acharanih, even with tools cruel end up killing: ((We are unable to eradicate the misery and oppression of our lives, but at least we still incompetent and immoral because we are able to monitor offenders and transgressors and get them out of our field Tahir! )).

2 - Anbert religious groups, extremists, claims to theological heirs, and no nose clear by the security services, the acceptance of a community in general, harassed young men IMO, taking the their contract mental civilization and their systems of mind mythological closed tool alternative to achieve social control mandated assumption and the constitution of the state wise missing us for decades . These young people represent their conduct maximum personal freedom Options that do not dare to exercise the majority community because they fear the burden of freedom. Valaimo as a minority liberal, remember Babboudathm others in a manner not feeling padded. It is a conflict myself between Aradtan: a powerful minority in the performance of the symbolic Alhaddathwai, and the majority of weak performance bonded Alosatira chore: ((what we could not do our hostages Almkpoton, do these liberals Abihon. We hope to be like them, but we fear our freedom, how can can shatter Each Altaboat not upright lives, but it? Where do we go Bosnamna chronic breathes in us? therefore not before us but stoned as they are able and brave, not helpless and Mtkhazlin like us. jealous of them. They remind us Baknotna and Zlna and our failure nor the meaning of our lives, so they must purge from our memories, social, should be killed!)).

Complement the above, what then is the central function Alsosiothagafah resulting from all these Almikanzmat psychological sub? It's "Social ingestion" practiced by Aljmanih herd against surrendering individuality, various tools subjugation: the deaf and defamation and detraction and stoning and annihilation. It is the mental association, which does not Tptna "virtue" but Ptvsik others, because of deep dismay Abboudatha deprive them of any freedom of confident rock bars "Masomatha" fragile. It is the horror of the contrast by reminding them Bbasha, it must be to regain that swallowed "Mtalegatha" safe: ((kill their freedom to stay safe in Abodety!)).

Political implications of stigma for EMO

All societies in crisis is in crisis and must be excreted or marginalized groups are excluded socially, politically or economically, culturally, for reasons of attraction and expulsion balances between the groups, including the categories of ritual rebellion or behavioral or phenotypic Kalaimo and others. And Iraq in particular is packed with categories excluded to the maximum extent of exclusion and rejection, such as minorities, religious and ethnic groups, and the unemployed, the disadvantaged and illiterate people, orphans, drug addicts, the disabled and beggars, widows and unmarried women and the mentally ill; why all this hype about the IMO specifically, with silence from the rest of the tragedies of social chronic and deeply rooted in the deep structure of society?!

The crisis of IMO today alerts us again to the need to sustain the determination to raise the issue of civil liberties in Iraq, specifically the question of the relationship of the majority minority in a manner Taesela and rooting does not stop, it was clear once again clearly the inability of the majority of structural absorb the freedom of the minority, and failing to establish a humanitarian perspective of the other different.

All the evidence frequent and accumulated indicates that the political power that emerged after the year 2003 is still Tercieih containment in their performance towards its political opponents and intellectual, a Baediologitha Alosatiria you want to promote implicitly and explicitly the myth of the eligibility of the majority (religiously and ideologically, ethnically and culturally) about Mkhtoih minority, within the building states of confused, to say the least it is infested with a statue of despotism and cracks covered by a breach of democracy.

It's not about how right or paraphonia value system posed by the Options protest silent Kalaimo, but it comes to the premises under natural and guaranteed human and constitutional right to free expression and peaceful for the damage of the right Bansanatha Almtheloma, so that was the term grotesque and shocking to the familiar social, and involves the failure of myself a certain degree.

Psychological turmoil is not the stigma itself, it is a jewel in the condemnation of the prevailing culture of community and the ruling political system, which failed to give them the justice to people and being social with a positive meaning.

A final summary

EMO cases in Iraq are nothing more than a peaceful protest, with a tendency Aatlalah psychological and existential legitimate, do not threaten only the owner who cut primarily relates to the interactive community and isolated by the alienation and despair. A youth fad Ahbataiwih non-aggressive, you need to embrace and sympathy and understanding, solidarity and sentimental of society and the state. Not legally entitled to any official or popular to intervene in a way arbitrary rude to deal with such cases, except for academic institutions specializing in social sciences operates according to scientific methods and therapeutic guidance.

Issue IMO Mbgesa opened a new development in the Encyclopedia of social consciousness the issue of freedoms in Iraq. What is returned is the confrontation between Altaslm and secularization, or the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, but also began the day the issue of what might be called "free choice of lifestyle", or "freedom to deal with appearance and body." It is a pioneering step, no matter how limited, to raise the veneration of individuality and prestige. Will not end up at this point, but will trickle out similar issues in the future, as long as the authorities of Alabuatan: political, social, did not inform the cultural coming of age after.

If the mob tragic and sadistic that have been addressed by the youth of IMO, meaning or consolation, is it Ajtran added dimension philosophically deep for the performance of the current civil rational, who did not cut off its roots at all in the country has seen the emergence of all kinds of ideologies in conflict and the values ​​of beauty tolerant over nine decades of bloodshed and hopes.

Our work enlightened and tireless hard work and sometimes hopeful and sometimes despair, and yield in Sazahr half coming from the journey this time the social rumbling, just because we do not Nhrv facts and not be afraid of freedom.