Ahmed, aged 14, shot dead on doorstep - Murdered to cleanse the community - Fundamentalist police blamed – Ahmed, gone but not forgotten
Iraqi police are accused of executing a 14 year old boy in the al-Dura district of Baghdad in early April.
Ahmed Khalil was accused of corrupting the community and creating a scandal because he had sex with men.
Ahmed was, in fact, a victim of poverty. He sold his body to get money and food to help his impoverished family survive.
"According to a neighbour, who witnessed Ahmed’s execution from his bedroom window, four uniformed police officers arrived at Ahmed's house in a four-wheel-drive police pick-up truck. The neighbour saw the police drag Ahmed out of the house and shoot him at point-blank range, pumping two bullets into his head and several more bullets into the rest of his body," said Ali Hili, an exiled gay Iraqi who is Middle East Affairs spokesperson for the London-based gay human rights group OutRage!.
Mr Hili is also coordinator of the Iraqi LGBT – UK group, consisting of more than 30 Iraqi gay exiles in the UK. They are in contact with an underground network of gay people in Baghdad and other cities.
Mr Hili was given details of Ahmed's execution by his friends in Baghdad, including J, a university graduate and professional, who lives in the al-Dura area and who has spoken to eye-witnesses and Ahmed's neighbours.
More details about Ahmed’s life and death follow below.
Mr Hili said:
"Young Ahmed was a victim of poverty. He was summarily executed, apparently by fundamentalist elements in the Iraqi police.
"According to our contacts in Baghdad, the Iraqi police have been heavily infiltrated by the Shia paramilitary Badr Corps. They are seeking to impose a fundamentalist morality on the people of Iraq.
"The murder of Ahmed follows a pattern of Badr executions of suspected gays and lesbians in Iraq. Badr are using their members in the police to enforce the violent homophobia of Sharia law.
"Badr's policy is to murder gay people, prostitutes, unveiled women, sellers and consumers of alcohol and people with Sunni-sounding names.
"Inspired by the Shia spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has issued a death fatwa against lesbians and gays, Badr is kidnapping and executing people suspected of homosexuality, even young kids.
"Our gay contacts in Baghdad condemn the sexual exploitation of young people. They are working to help rescue teenagers pressured into prostitution by their impoverished circumstances,” said Mr Hili.
"We are greatly indebted to Ali Hili and his gay friends in Baghdad for investigating the tragic murder of Ahmed and other gays and lesbians," added Peter Tatchell, campaign coordinator of OutRage!.
"They are taking great personal risks to expose the wave of fundamentalist-inspired homophobic killings. Documenting these brutal, barbaric murders takes time and money. Our gay friends in Baghdad are surviving on tiny incomes. We are trying to get them funding to cover transport, phone bills, internet and email access, and the purchase of a computer,” said Mr Tatchell.
Donations to help Iraqi LGBT in the UK and in Iraq should be made payable to "OutRage!", with a cover note marked "For Iraqi LGBT", and sent to OutRage!, PO Box 17816, London SW14 8WT, England, UK.
--------------------
Ahmed's story – A cruel, barbaric death. Gone but not forgotten
Ali Hili, of OutRage! and Iraqi LGBT UK, was told about the execution of Ahmed Khalil by gay friends in Baghdad. They knew Ahmed and his family, and have collected eye-witness accounts from Ahmed’s neighbours, which they have relayed to Mr Hili in London.
This is Mr Hili's story about the execution of Ahmed, based on firsthand accounts given by eye-witnesses and neighbours:
"Ahmed Khalil was a likeable, playful 14 year old boy, born in the southern Iraqi town of al-Ammara," said Mr Hili.
"The eldest child, he came from an uneducated family who lived in great poverty.
"After the 2003 US-led invasion, the Iraqi economy collapsed, causing widespread unemployment and the disintegration of social services.
"With no income or welfare support in al-Ammara, Ahmed's family moved to Baghdad a couple of years ago, after the fall of Sadaam Hussein.
"His father wanted to find a job to support his wife, two sons and daughter. The family settled in al-Dura, a very poor southern district of Baghdad.
"Ahmed's father worked as a night watchman on a building site for the pitiful wage of 10 dollars a month, plus permission for him and his family to live on the site until the construction of the new houses was completed. They lived in the shell of the unfinished buildings. It was a life of desolation and destitution.
"Ahmed was often bullied by the neighbourhood boys for being poor. He had no one to protect him.
"It is unclear whether Ahmed was gay or not. He had sex with men, often in exchange for small amounts of money and food. He did this in order to help his family financially. Sometimes they were so desperate, he had sex for a few potatoes or some bread.
"Ahmed's 'gay' reputation spread all over his neighbourhood, causing great scandal. His behaviour was reported to the police by informants in the community.
"In early April 2006, Ahmed was found dead on the doorstep of his house. He had been shot, with two bullets in the head and several bullets in the rest of his body.
"According to a neighbour, who saw Ahmed's execution from his bedroom window, four uniformed police officers arrived at Ahmed's house in a four-wheel-drive police pick-up truck. The neighbour saw the police drag Ahmed out of the house and shoot him at point-blank range.
"Several other neighbours confirm this account, although they did not see the actual shooting. They say they heard gunshots and saw the police leaving the scene. They then found Ahmed's body lying on the ground outside his house. It is believed by these neighbours that Ahmed was executed by the police.
"Two days before Ahmed’s execution, his father was arrested and interrogated by the police. They demanded to know what he knew about Ahmed's sexual activities and blamed Ahmed for corrupting the community. Officers eventually released Ahmed’s father. His son was killed soon afterwards.
"Both Ahmed's mother and father wept over their sons' brutal killing. Even though homosexuality is taboo, they did not agree he deserved to die. The family see him as a victim of poverty and police murder.
"Because they are so poor, the family could not afford a funeral for their son.
"The day after Ahmed was murdered, his family moved out of the area, fearing police retribution and denunciation within the local community. The family's whereabouts and fate is unknown.
"Ahmed is one of many hundreds of teenage boys and girls in Iraq who sell their bodies to survive and support their impoverished families.
"Our gay contacts in Baghdad condemn the sexual exploitation of young people. They are endeavouring to help rescue teenagers pressured into prostitution.
"Iraqi LGBT in London and Baghdad call on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross and Red Cresent and international aid agencies to take action to aid poor Iraqi families, so that children no longer feel obliged to resort to sex-for-money in order to survive," said Mr Hili.
ENDS
Ahmed Khalil was accused of corrupting the community and creating a scandal because he had sex with men.
Ahmed was, in fact, a victim of poverty. He sold his body to get money and food to help his impoverished family survive.
"According to a neighbour, who witnessed Ahmed’s execution from his bedroom window, four uniformed police officers arrived at Ahmed's house in a four-wheel-drive police pick-up truck. The neighbour saw the police drag Ahmed out of the house and shoot him at point-blank range, pumping two bullets into his head and several more bullets into the rest of his body," said Ali Hili, an exiled gay Iraqi who is Middle East Affairs spokesperson for the London-based gay human rights group OutRage!.
Mr Hili is also coordinator of the Iraqi LGBT – UK group, consisting of more than 30 Iraqi gay exiles in the UK. They are in contact with an underground network of gay people in Baghdad and other cities.
Mr Hili was given details of Ahmed's execution by his friends in Baghdad, including J, a university graduate and professional, who lives in the al-Dura area and who has spoken to eye-witnesses and Ahmed's neighbours.
More details about Ahmed’s life and death follow below.
Mr Hili said:
"Young Ahmed was a victim of poverty. He was summarily executed, apparently by fundamentalist elements in the Iraqi police.
"According to our contacts in Baghdad, the Iraqi police have been heavily infiltrated by the Shia paramilitary Badr Corps. They are seeking to impose a fundamentalist morality on the people of Iraq.
"The murder of Ahmed follows a pattern of Badr executions of suspected gays and lesbians in Iraq. Badr are using their members in the police to enforce the violent homophobia of Sharia law.
"Badr's policy is to murder gay people, prostitutes, unveiled women, sellers and consumers of alcohol and people with Sunni-sounding names.
"Inspired by the Shia spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has issued a death fatwa against lesbians and gays, Badr is kidnapping and executing people suspected of homosexuality, even young kids.
"Our gay contacts in Baghdad condemn the sexual exploitation of young people. They are working to help rescue teenagers pressured into prostitution by their impoverished circumstances,” said Mr Hili.
"We are greatly indebted to Ali Hili and his gay friends in Baghdad for investigating the tragic murder of Ahmed and other gays and lesbians," added Peter Tatchell, campaign coordinator of OutRage!.
"They are taking great personal risks to expose the wave of fundamentalist-inspired homophobic killings. Documenting these brutal, barbaric murders takes time and money. Our gay friends in Baghdad are surviving on tiny incomes. We are trying to get them funding to cover transport, phone bills, internet and email access, and the purchase of a computer,” said Mr Tatchell.
Donations to help Iraqi LGBT in the UK and in Iraq should be made payable to "OutRage!", with a cover note marked "For Iraqi LGBT", and sent to OutRage!, PO Box 17816, London SW14 8WT, England, UK.
--------------------
Ahmed's story – A cruel, barbaric death. Gone but not forgotten
Ali Hili, of OutRage! and Iraqi LGBT UK, was told about the execution of Ahmed Khalil by gay friends in Baghdad. They knew Ahmed and his family, and have collected eye-witness accounts from Ahmed’s neighbours, which they have relayed to Mr Hili in London.
This is Mr Hili's story about the execution of Ahmed, based on firsthand accounts given by eye-witnesses and neighbours:
"Ahmed Khalil was a likeable, playful 14 year old boy, born in the southern Iraqi town of al-Ammara," said Mr Hili.
"The eldest child, he came from an uneducated family who lived in great poverty.
"After the 2003 US-led invasion, the Iraqi economy collapsed, causing widespread unemployment and the disintegration of social services.
"With no income or welfare support in al-Ammara, Ahmed's family moved to Baghdad a couple of years ago, after the fall of Sadaam Hussein.
"His father wanted to find a job to support his wife, two sons and daughter. The family settled in al-Dura, a very poor southern district of Baghdad.
"Ahmed's father worked as a night watchman on a building site for the pitiful wage of 10 dollars a month, plus permission for him and his family to live on the site until the construction of the new houses was completed. They lived in the shell of the unfinished buildings. It was a life of desolation and destitution.
"Ahmed was often bullied by the neighbourhood boys for being poor. He had no one to protect him.
"It is unclear whether Ahmed was gay or not. He had sex with men, often in exchange for small amounts of money and food. He did this in order to help his family financially. Sometimes they were so desperate, he had sex for a few potatoes or some bread.
"Ahmed's 'gay' reputation spread all over his neighbourhood, causing great scandal. His behaviour was reported to the police by informants in the community.
"In early April 2006, Ahmed was found dead on the doorstep of his house. He had been shot, with two bullets in the head and several bullets in the rest of his body.
"According to a neighbour, who saw Ahmed's execution from his bedroom window, four uniformed police officers arrived at Ahmed's house in a four-wheel-drive police pick-up truck. The neighbour saw the police drag Ahmed out of the house and shoot him at point-blank range.
"Several other neighbours confirm this account, although they did not see the actual shooting. They say they heard gunshots and saw the police leaving the scene. They then found Ahmed's body lying on the ground outside his house. It is believed by these neighbours that Ahmed was executed by the police.
"Two days before Ahmed’s execution, his father was arrested and interrogated by the police. They demanded to know what he knew about Ahmed's sexual activities and blamed Ahmed for corrupting the community. Officers eventually released Ahmed’s father. His son was killed soon afterwards.
"Both Ahmed's mother and father wept over their sons' brutal killing. Even though homosexuality is taboo, they did not agree he deserved to die. The family see him as a victim of poverty and police murder.
"Because they are so poor, the family could not afford a funeral for their son.
"The day after Ahmed was murdered, his family moved out of the area, fearing police retribution and denunciation within the local community. The family's whereabouts and fate is unknown.
"Ahmed is one of many hundreds of teenage boys and girls in Iraq who sell their bodies to survive and support their impoverished families.
"Our gay contacts in Baghdad condemn the sexual exploitation of young people. They are endeavouring to help rescue teenagers pressured into prostitution.
"Iraqi LGBT in London and Baghdad call on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross and Red Cresent and international aid agencies to take action to aid poor Iraqi families, so that children no longer feel obliged to resort to sex-for-money in order to survive," said Mr Hili.
ENDS
Comments
Display the following 3 comments