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
Hide the following 3 comments
Likewise, Hitler used the 'bad' jew, 'good' jew trick to target all jews
04.05.2006 16:53
FROM THE ***ONLY*** NON-BLAIR CONTROLLED MEDIA OPERATING IN IRAQ, reporting a day or so back
-----------QUOTE------------
Americans tighten noose on people of ar-Ramadi Tuesday: water and electricity having been cut off, Americans ban use of private generators and threaten to kill anyone trying to get river water. US troops raid all Internet cafes in city cutting off communications with outside world.
In a dispatch posted at 7pm Makkah time Tuesday evening, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that US occupation forces raided and searched every Internet café and office in the city of ar-Ramadi, about 110km west of Baghdad on Tuesday afternoon.
In another move to cut off the residents of ar-Ramadi from the outside world, the American occupation forces threatened to arrest anyone caught using a cellular telephone in the city. The Americans claimed that this order was needed because the Resistance – whom they called “terrorists” as is their habit – use cellular phones as a means of communication and for setting off bombs by remote control.
The ar-Ramadi correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that US troops arrested owners of the Internet cafes and confiscated all their equipment. They also threatened to arrest anyone seen outside his house during the nighttime curfew from 8pm until 6am.
After cutting off the national electricity grid to the entire city of ar-Ramadi, the Americans then banned the use of private home generators, the one alternative source of electric power to which many people have recourse given the ruined state of the country’s infrastructure thanks to the years of murderous US sanctions and destructive occupation.
The American occupation forces have also shut down the water supply to the city, undergoing a stringent American siege, Mafkarat al-Islam’s correspondent reported on Tuesday that US troops had now tightened the noose on the local population by issuing a warning that they would shoot to kill any individuals seen approaching the Euphrates River, which runs past the city, to try to get water.
The correspondent reported that over the previous three days, residents of ar-Ramadi had been depending on the river as their only source of needed water, following the American cut off of water supplies to the city.
----------UNQUOTE----------------
So now Blair has imposed the death penalty (the universal consequence of disobeying any of Blair's laws in Iraq) for the possession of private electricity generators. Blair likes playing Ghengis Khan, although Khan lacked Blair's flair for rape, torture, and mass murder.
Iraq was, of course, a secular nation (with a socialist government, albeit under the control of a dictator). Women's rights, for that part of the world, were excellent. Blair invaded Iraq (and Afghanistan) with the active participation of Iran (much like Hitler invading Poland with the assistance of the USSR), so that he could later use this fact to turn on the Iranians (the purpose of Tatchell's article above).
The final 'play' before Blair's extermination of Iran (when millions of humans INCLUDING gays will be slaughtered) will take the same form as that immediately before the attack against Afghanistan, namely a focus on 'religious extremism'. Blair has worked hard to 'fool' the anti-Blair forces into thinking that the Iran Shia takeover of Iraq was against his wishes and intentions. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The reality is that IRAQ hasn't even begun to suffer yet. Blair's genocide of Iran will be Blair's genocide of Iraq, for the two lands will be treated as one for the purpose of the coming war. For a short time after the attack on Iran begins, Sunnis will be invited to revenge themselves on the stooge Iranian forces that currently have power in most of Iraq. For those of you with better knowledge of WW2 in Europe, you will remember that Hitler and Stalin and Churchill used the same trick persuading the various 'tribes' of Europe to slaughter each other,
After several years of demonisation, Tatchell, and the rest of Blair's New Reich thugs are about to depict the sunni's as the 'good' muslims, and the Iranian shia as the 'bad' muslims that have to be wiped out for the good of islam. Hitler used the same trick in the early days over 'good' and 'bad' jews.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. You and I know the reality of WW2 through the simple facts of what that terrible time involved. HOWEVER, at the time (and just before) millions of column inches of garbage was written in the newspapers, so that 'ordinary' people would be able to 'analyze' the situation. Today, if YOU were invited to read through the papers in order to understand WW2, you would laugh out loud, and state that you can damned well see for yourself the consequences of a World War. The same is true today. Blair is going to attack Iran and start a World War. The purpose of Outrage and other is to lay down the propaganda that will make this possible. As Blair gains even greater power, he has access to extraodinary funds to directly reward any number of New Reich thugs, and history ALWAYS shows that unfettered, money can always corrupt enough to get any enterprise of the ground, no matter how evil.
To fight back against Blair requires the rejection of ALL HIS PROPAGANDA (whether based on minor truths or not). Hitler's propaganda was NOT 100% lies, but it was 100% EVIL. The same is true today with Blair, and the purpose of such articles as the one I am replying to.
twilight
Does Twilight hate the gays?
04.05.2006 21:18
Steffan
the only reason I read Indymedia
05.05.2006 21:26
ollie-x