'Be discrete about your gayness and you won't be killed' says Brit gov to refugees

[Grimmlok]

An Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain after her girlfriend was arrested and sentenced to death faces being forcibly returned after losing the latest round in her battle to be granted asylum.

The case of Pegah Emambakhsh, 40, comes a day after The Independent reported on the growing public outcry over the plight of a gay Iranian teenager who fears he will be executed if he is deported to Iran.

Both cases have provoked international protests against Britain and led to calls for an immediate moratorium on the deportation of gay and lesbian asylum-seekers who fear they will be persecuted in Iran.

More than 60 MEPs have signed a petition asking Gordon Brown to reverse the decision on Mehdi Kazemi, 19, who escaped to the Netherlands after the Home Office refused him asylum last year. His case is still before Dutch judges who will decide this month whether he should return to Britain where he faces deportation to a country which has already executed his boyfriend.

Gay rights group claim there are dozens more cases of gay and lesbian asylum-seekers living in Britain in fear of persecution and facing harsh punishments if forced to return to Iran.

Ms Emambakhsh came to the UK in 2005 fearing for her life after her partner had been arrested by Tehran police. Iranian gay rights groups have reported that that partner is in custody under sentence of death by stoning. Speaking through her asylum representative in Sheffield yesterday, Ms Emambakhsh said: "I will never, never go back. If I do I know I will die."

Under the Iranian Islamic Punishment Act, lesbians found guilty of sexual relations can be sentenced to 100 lashes. But, for a third offence, the punishment is execution.

Ms Emambakhsh narrowly avoided deportation in August last year but only after her local MP, Richard Caborn, and other parliamentarians persuaded the Government to allow her to stay while further legal avenues of appeal were explored. She says she was already on the way to Heathrow when she learnt of her last-minute reprieve. But last month the Court of Appeal turned down her application for permission for a full hearing. Ms Emambakhsh said yesterday that she was "very disappointed" by the ruling but planned to apply for a judicialreview at the High Court. The Home Office has also agreed to consider fresh legal representations on her behalf.

The Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Ludford has written to the Home Secretary to request her urgently to review the case of Mehdi Kazemi. Lady Ludford, the party's European justice spokesperson and a member of the European Parliament's Gay and Lesbian Rights Intergroup, said: "Jacqui Smith must recognise and act on the real threat of persecution and even execution which Mr Kazemi would face if he was to be deported to Iran."

Mehdi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2004 but later discovered that his boyfriend had been arrested by the Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.

In a phone conversation with his father in Tehran, Mr Kazemi was told that, before the execution in April 2006, his boyfriend had been questioned about sexual relations he had with other men and under interrogation had named Mr Kazemi. Fearing for his own life if he returned to Iran, Mr Kazemi claimed asylum in Britain. Late last year, his claim was refused. Terror-stricken at the prospect of being deported, he made a desperate attempt to evade deportation by fleeing to the Netherlands where he is being detained amid a growing outcry from campaigners.

In turning down Ms Emambakhsh and Mr Kazemi's asylum applications, the Home Office has said that, provided Iranians are discreet about their homosexuality, they will not be persecuted. But Omar Kuddus, of Gay Asylum UK, demanded that Britain follow the example of the Netherlands and Germany in imposing a moratorium on all deportations involving gay and lesbian Iranians. He asked: "How many more young Iranians have to die before the British Government takes action?"

The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, Lin Homer, said: "Our country guidance for such cases is published and is considered as amongst the best in the world. We have expert case workers who make decisions on such cases and there are further avenues through the courts. When and if a court decides that we should look at a case again we will do that."

Now Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain faces deportation - Home News, UK - Independent.co.uk

Excuse me? Just be "discreet" about your existence and nobody will kill you?

As AMERICAblog put it:

The British government says it's the gays fault if they get executed by the Iranian government for being gay. If the gays were simply more "discrete" no one would want to execute them. (I can imagine the British Home Office circa 1943: "If European Jews would only stop acting so Jewish...") Absolutely astounding.

Fuck you, Britain. Fuck you very much.

[joy0923]

Has there been any update to this story?

I feel so bad for this young man. I believe that if he is sent back there is no question he will be hanged.

Interesting that his fate is now in the hands of Dutch judges.
Dutch politician Geert Wilders' anti-Muslim short film "Fitna" is finally available on the Internet. Near the end of it it shows what happens
to gays.

Here is a link to the film..there are a few parts that are hard to watch.
LiveLeak.com - Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran (English)

Wilders life is now very much at risk. But i think he is very brave.

[Grimmlok]

as far as i know, he was rejected by the dutch and was headed back to the UK for deportation.

[MissDecember]

I thought Britain was more progressive than that.

Hopefully they will *eventually* do the right thing in regards to the gay Iranians.

[Dixie Normos]

Jeez. Iran sucks ass for killing gay people, why is every other country BUT Iran called evil in this?

[Grimmlok]

Fine, Iran is evil. Britain and DutchFunboyLand are dicks.

[Dixie Normos]

*calms the eff down* well, that's alright then.

I say let ALL the gays into our countries, they tend to go on welfare less and generally stay out of jail...they're the perfect citizens, lol!

[witchcurlgirl]

I found this:

UK government reconsidering deportation for gay Iranian teenager - AOL News

It says the Brits were reconsidering deporting him, but it's dated March 14. Maybe one of our friends here from across the pond knows what the current situation is.

[celeb_2006]

I simply don't understand this at all. It seems like many European countries like the U.K. have been accomodating left and right to cater to Muslim/Islamic demands and "rights," yet they cannot give asylum to one person that will possibly be killed for their sexual orientation? What's wrong with this picture?

[MissDecember]

Originally Posted by Dixie Normos

Jeez. Iran sucks ass for killing gay people, why is every other country BUT Iran called evil in this?

It goes without saying that Iran is evil. If you are anything but a straight rich male born in Iran, your life is pretty much fucked, and I'd wager that a lot of males born there have to mind their P's and Q's too. In some instances you don't even need to be gay or an adulteress/etc. to merit punishment, all it requires is an accusation.

I'm EXTREMELY grateful that I was not born in Iran.

[january]

Originally Posted by celeb_2006

I simply don't understand this at all. It seems like many European countries like the U.K. have been accomodating left and right to cater to Muslim/Islamic demands and "rights," yet they cannot give asylum to one person that will possibly be killed for their sexual orientation? What's wrong with this picture?

I know, right? They have a real problem with the fundies moving in and really trying to impose sharia law, and getting their panties in a bunch over stupid shit, and it seems like over and over again the UK has been giving into their demands. But you have a progressive Muslim who needs your help, and you say no? After you're lenient to the others? What is that about?

[Dixie Normos]

^they can't afford (literally) to piss the majority of them off. Most of the cultures in the Middle East HATE gays, if the UK says "Gay OK," you can bet your sweet caboose they'll be heavily targeted for all the crazy shit they are currently doing to one another.

[Grimmlok]

target them back, im tired of coddling their 7th century, stone age asses.

[Dixie Normos]

psst, I think that's what the US is doing at this very moment.

[witchcurlgirl]

^^ yes, it is. I thought this thread was taking on a neo-con hawk tone