Persecution of Homosexuals (International)

Note that this page may contain news regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, and transsexual people (LGBTT)

New president of the United Nations General Assembly, Ali Abdussalam Treki, says homosexuality is “not really acceptable”, and regarding the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality, “as a Muslim, I am not in favour of it”

The newly-installed president of the United Nations General Assembly, Ali Abdussalam Treki, has said that homosexuality is “not really acceptable”.
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One question concerned the UN resolution which calls for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality.

In reply, Treki said: “That matter is very sensitive, very touchy. As a Muslim, I am not in favour of it ... it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favour of this matter at all. I think it’s not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition.

“It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy ... I think it is not,” he added.

New United Nations General Assembly President calls homosexuality ‘unnacceptable’
Jessica Geen, PinkNews, September 24, 2009

Islamic and Arab-African nations succeed in getting a U.N. General Assembly panel to delete condemnation of anti-gay killings from U.N. resolution

Western delegations expressed disappointment in the human rights committee's vote to remove the reference to slayings due to sexual orientation from the resolution on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions.
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The General Assembly passes a resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings every two years. The 2008 declaration included an explicit reference to killings committed because of the victims' sexual preferences.

But this year, Morocco and Mali introduced an amendment on behalf of African and Islamic nations that called for deleting the words "sexual orientation" and replacing them with "discriminatory reasons on any basis."

That amendment narrowly passed 79-70. The resolution then was approved by the committee, which includes all 192 U.N. member states, with 165 in favor, 10 abstentions and no votes against.

U.N. panel cuts gay reference from violence measure
Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, November 17, 2010

56 Islamic states slam gays for "abnormal sexual behaviour," warning UN to ignore anti-gay violence because it "have nothing to do with fundamental human rights." Muslim envoys walk out in protest of gay rights debate

A Pakistani spokesman for the UN's Islamic bloc sparked outrage today after telling the UN's top rights body that its 56 member states would ignore a scheduled UN rights panel on anti-gay violence, saying they were “disturbed" at the "attempted focus on certain persons" on the grounds of their "abnormal sexual behaviour,” which "have nothing to do with fundamental human rights."

The Islamic announcement, obtained by the Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch and posted on its website, is provoking sharp reactions from human rights activists.

UN Watch director Hillel Neuer today called on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to condemn the "scandalous assault on the right of gays not to be put to death in countries like Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. Human rights are universal and there is no religious exemption for barbaric violence against innocent human beings anywhere." Neuer lauded Clinton for her previous leadership on this issue at the UN.

Diplomatic sources have also reported to UN Watch that the Islamic states are considering a walk-out during the March 7th panel.

The letter by Pakistan's Geneva envoy Zamir Akram on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation—comprised of 56 Islamic UN member states and the Palestinian Authority—was sent on Valentine's Day to UN Human Rights Council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. Click here for letter.

The OIC declared its unequivocal opposition to the upcoming March 7th panel discussion concerning a new UN report on discriminatory laws and practices and violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The OIC will “will not accept its considerations and recommendations.”

The unprecedented panel and report were mandated by the council's historic June 2011 resolution, which passed by a slim majority of 23 to 19, with 3 abstentions.

The OIC letter said the panel on anti-gay violence addresses "controversial notions” that have “no legal foundation in any international human rights instrument," “misinterpreting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

The OIC warned the debate would “seriously jeopardize the entire international human rights framework," and “shift the focus from the real issues that deserve the attention of the Council.”

“The Panel will discuss issues that relate to personal behavior and preferences, and have nothing to do with fundamental human rights,” said the OIC.

To justify its position, the OIC cited UN language, seemingly giving exemptions to universal rights laws, that “historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind. From this perspective, the issue of sexual orientation is unacceptable to the OIC.”

The OIC letter comes on the heels of Wednesday's Libyan speech to the UN this week accusing gays of threatening the continuation of the human race.

Outrage at UN as 56 Islamic States Slam Gays for "Abnormal Sexual Behaviour," Warning UN to Ignore Anti-Gay Violence
UN Watch, February 17, 2012

The 47-member state council was holding a session on sexual orientation-based discrimination for the first time after a historic resolution seeking equal rights for everyone was passed in June 2011, to the consternation of Muslim states.

On Wednesday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab group and the African group made their opposition clear, by walking out during the meeting.

“Licentious behavior promoted under the concept of ‘sexual orientation’ is against the fundamental teachings of various religions including Islam,” Pakistan’s envoy said.

“From this perspective, legitimizing homosexuality and other personal sexual behaviors in the name of sexual orientation is unacceptable to the OIC,” he added.

Muslim envoys walk out in protests at U.N. gay rights debate
AFP, March 7, 2012

Pew survey finds seven of the ten countries that are least tolerant of homosexuality are Muslim majorities (Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Senegal and Tunisia)

A new survey by the Pew Research Center has found that Pakistan is among the least tolerant countries out of 39 surveyed, when it comes to homosexuality.

The global survey found that “there is broad acceptance of homosexuality in North America, the European Union, and much of Latin America. However, rejection of homosexuality is equally widespread in predominantly Muslim nations and in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and in Russia.”

The countries that viewed homosexuality most positively were:

Spain (88% say it should be accepted by society) Germany (87%) Czech Republic (80%) Canada (80%) Australia (79%) France (77%) Britain (76%) Argentina (74%) Italy (74%) Philippines (73%)

The countries that viewed homosexuality least positively were:

Nigeria (1% say it should be accepted by society) Pakistan (2%) Tunisia (2%) Ghana (3%) Senegal (3%) Egypt (3%) Jordan (3%) Indonesia (3%) Uganda (4%) Palestinian territories (4%)

"Pakistan among least tolerant of homosexuality globally: Survey" (archived)
The Express Tribune, June 14, 2013, http://tribune.com.pk/story/563152/pakistan-among-least-tolerant-of-homosexuality-globally-survey/. 

Gulf states to introduce medical testing on travellers to detect gay people and stop them from entering the country

A medical test being developed by Kuwait will be used to 'detect' homosexuals and prevent them from entering the country – or any of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), according to a Kuwaiti government official.

GCC member countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – already deem homosexual acts unlawful.

This controversial stance is being toughened, according to Yousouf Mindkar, the director of public health at the Kuwaiti health ministry.

He told Kuwait newspaper Al Rai: ‘Health centres conduct the routine medical check to assess the health of the expatriates when they come into the GCC countries. However, we will take stricter measures that will help us detect gays who will be then barred from entering Kuwait or any of the GCC member states.’

Richard Lane, from gay rights campaign group Stonewall, said: ‘These proposals are not only futile but contrary to international human rights law. Many Gulf states have gone to great lengths to market themselves as open for international business. Their leaders should think long and hard about putting forward measures to restrict freedom of movement and further prohibit the best talent from doing business in the region simply because of their sexual orientation.'

Those taking part in homosexual acts in Kuwait, if they’re under 21, can receive a jail sentence of up to 10 years.

Earlier this month Oman newspaper The Week was suspended over an article that was deemed to be sympathetic to homosexuals, according to the BBC.

It’s illegal to be gay in 78 countries, with lesbianism banned in 49. Five countries mete out the death penalty to gay people – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Mauritania...

"Gulf states to introduce medical testing on travellers to 'detect' gay people and stop them from entering the country" (archived)
Ted Thornhill, Mail Online, October 8, 2013, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449051/Gulf-states-introduce-medical-testing-travellers-detect-gay-people-stop-entering-country.html. 

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