Posted on 03/28/2006 12:09:12 PM PST by presidio9
Fears that Iraqi captors might harm a Canadian hostage if they knew he was gay forced his partner to remain silent as loved ones called for an end to the ordeal, a director from the freed hostage's aid group said Monday.
During his four months of captivity, James Loney's sexuality was kept out of the media at the request of his family, said Doug Pritchard, co-director of the aid group Christian Peacemaker Teams.
"It's a sad fact that around the world gays and lesbians are more vulnerable to attack than straights," Pritchard said. "When Jim was already in a vulnerable position we didn't, nor did his family, want him exposed to further danger."
On Sunday, Loney's return home was marked by an emotional welcome at Toronto's international airport attended by friends, family and his partner, Dan Hunt. While family members made appeals for Loney's release during his hostage ordeal, the homecoming marked the first time Hunt appeared publicly.
In 2001, Amnesty International reported that Iraq's constitution was amended to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death. Although the constitution reverted back to the original 1969 document when Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in 2003, the status of gay and lesbian rights remain unclear.
Loney, 41, a peace activist with Christian Peacemaker Teams, was kidnapped off the streets of Baghdad on Nov. 26 along with fellow Canadian Harmeet Sooden, 33, Briton Norm Kember, 74, and American Tom Fox, 54.
Fox's bullet-ridden body was found dumped on the streets of Baghdad on March 9.
Last Thursday, coalition soldiers raided an otherwise empty house near Baghdad and rescued Loney, Sooden and Kember.
"We expect James to arrive in Sault Ste. Marie with Dan in the next few days," said his brother Matt, who also arrived Monday in the family's hometown in Ontario. "We look forward to celebrating with family, with our friends ... We are preparing a safe and loving place for James to arrive."
My opinion: He should STILL be in the closet. Why must they insist on the world knowing their sexual preferences?
Yeah, I know. But this guy is an infidel.
Last I heard, there were not actually any US troops involved.
He was the one with the most fabulously decorated cell.
Actually I think it is very telling that the peace activists realized just how dangerous the Muslims are, and I'm glad for any expression in the news that doesn't try to focus on how hate filled we are supposed to be.
I'm sure he gave the camel a rest!
That's different from the first reports, but would explain it.
Thanks.
well I dont know if its an arab/iraqi/muslim thing but it is common for men to have sex with men. men are for sex women are for babies. they also have man day on thrusday, supposely that is the day they can have sex with men. I heard that it was permissable if you are under 28 you can have homosexual relations, older the 28 I guess they just pull a wall down on you or put you in a sack throw you off a cliff. People have pointed out sections in the koran where its pretty much condoning man/boy relations. the whole culture(or lack of) confuses the crap out of me.
funny thing is when the Iraqi wanted to know if you swung that way they asked "[do]You like michael jackson?"
That issue was glaring to me also. This was critical enough to keep secret from the monsters. Classified information that, once disclosed, will certainly lead to military personnel, contractors and civilian deaths must be revealed.
The twisted logic has me at the end of my rope with the old media.
"Umm, do they realize that their "Iraqi partners" would unanimously call for his death if they knew?"
Muslims, like other humans have always had queers in the congregation. heir way around the theological conundrum posed by Islamic homosexual behavior is to prick one another with a needle to draw blood.
Thus they have fought, and the victor can do as he so sees fit with teh vanquished.
Transparent rationalization? Of course. But what of annulments?
Faith literally means believing.
I believe I have tried long enough to relay what a google search on Muslimqueers turned up.
Or should I say. "turned over", "dug up" - - ?
Maybe they were just trying to spread their Homosexual Agenda to Iraqis? Some sort of underground Gay bar.
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