fredag, juni 22, 2007
Farsad and Farnam Story, a gay couple who have been tortured for being gay
Farsad and Farnam Story, a gay couple who have been tortured for being gay
by Arsham Parsi
"Pinglish Text": Dostan'e Aziz, Tarjome'ye in matlab dar Cheraq Shomare'ye 30
be Farsi montasher khahad shod.
June 20, 2007
Pictures: http://www.irqo.net/IRQO/English/pages/059.htm
I have always wondered if keeping silent about the status quo can lead to
peace of mind, or whether a scream in protesting the misery caused by certain
events is a more logical response. Despite the heterogeneity of Iranian
society in general and Iranian queer community in particular, sometimes the
oppressive events of the day force us to action. Though a small number of
sexual minorities in Iran do not have any problem with police, security and
their families, they are the exception. There are still many in the Iranian
LGBT community who are struggling with huge hardships due to family
interference and government oppression. The almost daily news of the arrest,
humiliation, and torture of Iranian LGBT community members enrages me, and I
am concerned by the reaction of our community as it deals with horrifying
murders and savage executions committed in the name of "the law".
Generally speaking, the reaction from the Iranian community at large falls
into two camps: those who feel that organizational activity and resistance by
the Iranian LGBT community would provoke a strong government reaction, which
in turn could lead to an international reaction against Iran as a whole, and
those who seek a return of their full civil rights. The difference between the
first and second group is that the second is not under pressure from the
government due to their sexual orientation. I believe they can be asked to
demonstrate for our full civil rights, as well. This crucial point could
inspire us to express ourselves and demand what we want, instead of keeping
silent.
During the last few months, Iran has seen the brutal arrest and prosecution of
women's rights activists. Concurrently, IRQO has encouraged the queer
community and its supporters to begin petitions and seek popular support.
Interestingly, these people were not anxious about an international military
action against the Iranian regime due to human rights violations. I signed all
their petitions, because I believe human rights are for everybody, not for one
particular group. In spite of this, my name and those of other activists were
erased from those lists due to concerns about the general situation in Iran.
There is no comment on the following pictures. The two are homosexual and they
have been prosecuted because of their sexual orientation. There is no
disputing this as we possess copies of their tribunal documents regarding
their verdicts and sentences. I ask you, should we keep silent? Should we
paint a false picture of their daily life situation? Certainly silence is not
an option. Probably we should even be laouder. They received eighty lashes; I
doubt that I would be able to endure one. I admire their courage. After
getting his punishment, one of the men asked the person who executed this
barbaric sentence, whether he felt closer to the god by this savagery or not.
These pictures are taken almost one month ago, and a month after they’ve
lashed. When I called them by phone of the first day, they were not able to
talk. Because of the pain they could not even sleep. Farsad is 26 years old
and Farnam is 24, (their names have been changed to protect their identities,
as they have long been in contact with IROQ). Their lives, like many, if not
all the other LGBTs in Iran, is miserable. Farsad lost his father at fifteen
and his mother re-married a revolutionary guard member (a military organism
developed by the Iranian regime), which itself is a bitter story. “Since
childhood I could not find any attraction to the opposite sex; yes of course I
am a homosexual.” Farsad says. At 21, in order to meet other people like
himself, he set up a successful weblog. The secret police found his address
through his IP and arrested him. He spent three weeks in solitary confinement,
and then he was accused of obscenity, advocating decadent values and
homosexuality. They sentenced him to six month in prison. After completing his
sentence he suffered from depression and phobia about revealing his identity
and going back to prison, with symptoms so debilitating he was hospitalized.
Then his diary was found by his stepfather, who demanded Farsad denounce his
homosexuality. When Farsad resisted, his step-father took him to Qom (a holly
city in Iran, and a center of Ayatollahs) to be seen by the grand ayatollahs;
He spent a few nights in custody, was humiliated by the security forces there.
They threatened him with stoning unless he denounced his homosexuality.
Traumatized by the threats, he was then taken to see a grand ayatollah, where
he signed his confession and forgiveness plea. He was then returned to Tehran,
where he received 95 lashes before being released. Almost as an afterthought,
he was questioned by the supreme leader’s office in the university where he
was studying … and was expelled from school, as well.
Last winter, he met Farnam in a gay chat room. After corresponding they moved
in together to start life as a couple, in disguise but together. They invited
a small group of their friends to celebrate this union. Just fifteen minutes
after the party began, the police broke into their house and arrested
everyone. They were brutally beaten, says Farsad, and then transported to a
police detention center. They spent the entire Persian new year holidays in a
prison cell. “We were beaten to the point that my spine hurt permanently; I
still feel the pain caused by the fists pounding my face”, Farsad says.
They were accused of advocating decadency, homosexuality and prostitution.
Because they were arrested together, the authorities insisted on more details
about their relationship. During the police interrogation, they were asked,
"Did you have sexual intercourse with each other?” They did not admit to this
question, and eventually they were sentenced for having an improper
relationship, for which they received 80 lashes. All other guests were
released conditionally and they were ordered to remain in the city and not get
in-touch wiht each other. Two weeks before the execution of their sentence,
the party attendees were arrested again and were sentenced to 60 lashes each,
which all received in the same day. Farsad and Farnam were told that 80 lashes
was just for holding the party , and that their sentence for the improper
relationship would be executed later.
Under increasing pressure from their families, and the government’s threat of
reopening their older files, which could lead to a possible death sentence,
they decided to escape the country, and now are waiting to be transferred to a
safe, gay friendly country. IRQO has been actively following their case and is
pursuing it in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We hope one
day full civil rights are granted to the LGBT community all over the world.
"please feel free to publish this story on your medis"
--------------------------
Arsham Parsi
Executive Director
IRanian Queer Organization – IRQO
Formerly Persian Gay & Lesbian Organization – PGLO
www.irqo.net
arsham@irqo.net
tel: 001-416-548-4171
fax: 001-416-352-7459
----------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe, send a blank message to irqo-on@irqo.net
by Arsham Parsi
"Pinglish Text": Dostan'e Aziz, Tarjome'ye in matlab dar Cheraq Shomare'ye 30
be Farsi montasher khahad shod.
June 20, 2007
Pictures: http://www.irqo.net/IRQO/English/pages/059.htm
I have always wondered if keeping silent about the status quo can lead to
peace of mind, or whether a scream in protesting the misery caused by certain
events is a more logical response. Despite the heterogeneity of Iranian
society in general and Iranian queer community in particular, sometimes the
oppressive events of the day force us to action. Though a small number of
sexual minorities in Iran do not have any problem with police, security and
their families, they are the exception. There are still many in the Iranian
LGBT community who are struggling with huge hardships due to family
interference and government oppression. The almost daily news of the arrest,
humiliation, and torture of Iranian LGBT community members enrages me, and I
am concerned by the reaction of our community as it deals with horrifying
murders and savage executions committed in the name of "the law".
Generally speaking, the reaction from the Iranian community at large falls
into two camps: those who feel that organizational activity and resistance by
the Iranian LGBT community would provoke a strong government reaction, which
in turn could lead to an international reaction against Iran as a whole, and
those who seek a return of their full civil rights. The difference between the
first and second group is that the second is not under pressure from the
government due to their sexual orientation. I believe they can be asked to
demonstrate for our full civil rights, as well. This crucial point could
inspire us to express ourselves and demand what we want, instead of keeping
silent.
During the last few months, Iran has seen the brutal arrest and prosecution of
women's rights activists. Concurrently, IRQO has encouraged the queer
community and its supporters to begin petitions and seek popular support.
Interestingly, these people were not anxious about an international military
action against the Iranian regime due to human rights violations. I signed all
their petitions, because I believe human rights are for everybody, not for one
particular group. In spite of this, my name and those of other activists were
erased from those lists due to concerns about the general situation in Iran.
There is no comment on the following pictures. The two are homosexual and they
have been prosecuted because of their sexual orientation. There is no
disputing this as we possess copies of their tribunal documents regarding
their verdicts and sentences. I ask you, should we keep silent? Should we
paint a false picture of their daily life situation? Certainly silence is not
an option. Probably we should even be laouder. They received eighty lashes; I
doubt that I would be able to endure one. I admire their courage. After
getting his punishment, one of the men asked the person who executed this
barbaric sentence, whether he felt closer to the god by this savagery or not.
These pictures are taken almost one month ago, and a month after they’ve
lashed. When I called them by phone of the first day, they were not able to
talk. Because of the pain they could not even sleep. Farsad is 26 years old
and Farnam is 24, (their names have been changed to protect their identities,
as they have long been in contact with IROQ). Their lives, like many, if not
all the other LGBTs in Iran, is miserable. Farsad lost his father at fifteen
and his mother re-married a revolutionary guard member (a military organism
developed by the Iranian regime), which itself is a bitter story. “Since
childhood I could not find any attraction to the opposite sex; yes of course I
am a homosexual.” Farsad says. At 21, in order to meet other people like
himself, he set up a successful weblog. The secret police found his address
through his IP and arrested him. He spent three weeks in solitary confinement,
and then he was accused of obscenity, advocating decadent values and
homosexuality. They sentenced him to six month in prison. After completing his
sentence he suffered from depression and phobia about revealing his identity
and going back to prison, with symptoms so debilitating he was hospitalized.
Then his diary was found by his stepfather, who demanded Farsad denounce his
homosexuality. When Farsad resisted, his step-father took him to Qom (a holly
city in Iran, and a center of Ayatollahs) to be seen by the grand ayatollahs;
He spent a few nights in custody, was humiliated by the security forces there.
They threatened him with stoning unless he denounced his homosexuality.
Traumatized by the threats, he was then taken to see a grand ayatollah, where
he signed his confession and forgiveness plea. He was then returned to Tehran,
where he received 95 lashes before being released. Almost as an afterthought,
he was questioned by the supreme leader’s office in the university where he
was studying … and was expelled from school, as well.
Last winter, he met Farnam in a gay chat room. After corresponding they moved
in together to start life as a couple, in disguise but together. They invited
a small group of their friends to celebrate this union. Just fifteen minutes
after the party began, the police broke into their house and arrested
everyone. They were brutally beaten, says Farsad, and then transported to a
police detention center. They spent the entire Persian new year holidays in a
prison cell. “We were beaten to the point that my spine hurt permanently; I
still feel the pain caused by the fists pounding my face”, Farsad says.
They were accused of advocating decadency, homosexuality and prostitution.
Because they were arrested together, the authorities insisted on more details
about their relationship. During the police interrogation, they were asked,
"Did you have sexual intercourse with each other?” They did not admit to this
question, and eventually they were sentenced for having an improper
relationship, for which they received 80 lashes. All other guests were
released conditionally and they were ordered to remain in the city and not get
in-touch wiht each other. Two weeks before the execution of their sentence,
the party attendees were arrested again and were sentenced to 60 lashes each,
which all received in the same day. Farsad and Farnam were told that 80 lashes
was just for holding the party , and that their sentence for the improper
relationship would be executed later.
Under increasing pressure from their families, and the government’s threat of
reopening their older files, which could lead to a possible death sentence,
they decided to escape the country, and now are waiting to be transferred to a
safe, gay friendly country. IRQO has been actively following their case and is
pursuing it in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We hope one
day full civil rights are granted to the LGBT community all over the world.
"please feel free to publish this story on your medis"
--------------------------
Arsham Parsi
Executive Director
IRanian Queer Organization – IRQO
Formerly Persian Gay & Lesbian Organization – PGLO
www.irqo.net
arsham@irqo.net
tel: 001-416-548-4171
fax: 001-416-352-7459
----------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe, send a blank message to irqo-on@irqo.net
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