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30th anniversary of Pride Toronto and Iranian Queers
(July 4, 10)
Happy
Pride!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 Today
is 30th anniversary of Pride Toronto and I took this
opportunity to give you some information about Iranian queer human rights
violations first, and then I will talk about international support and our
expectation from international organizations and governments. In other
words, what is the responsibility of international organizations like the
United Nations and governments regarding Iranian queer human rights
violations?
Iranian queers have well-founded fears of persecution based on their
sexual orientation or gender identity. The Penal Code of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, permits the punishment of queer people by lashing,
hanging, stoning, cutting in half by a sword, or dropping from a tall
building or cliff.
My own and IRQR's experiences in researching human rights violations in
Iran suggests that in "morals" cases, substantial evidence is likely to be
flouted by the judiciary in the name of protecting cultural and religious
standards. In Iran, four male witnesses who attest that a defendant is
homosexual, even on the basis of rumor or slander, will have their
testimony accepted instead of being more rigorously cross-examined.
Iranian legal and judicial procedures ensure that a judge’s prejudice
against a defendant, even based solely on a defendant's appearance or
demeanor, is allowed near-limitless scope to determine a verdict based
purely on subjective opinion. It is worth noting that even under the
reform government of Mohammed Khatami, the Islamic judiciary remained one
of the bulwarks of religious conservatism in Iran. This has now
strengthened even more under the hardline rule of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The death penalty for homosexuality does not merely exist on paper. It is
practiced and enforced widely in the Islamic Republic. According to
Amnesty International, at least 734 people have been executed in Iran in
since 2008. It is certain Iranian queers were among them. Trials on moral
charges in Iran are held on camera, but international outrage over the
frequency of executions has led the government to exercise tighter control
over press reports of executions. For these reasons, confirming the
frequency of executions for homosexuality is effectively impossible. Yet
those repressive measures have not been able to hide the ugly truth from
the eyes of the world. I will report the following case for legal and
historical records.
On May 27, 2010, Iranian security forces raided Reza and Alireza's
apartment and arrested both men, along with some guests who were visiting.
Their computer and personal belongings were confiscated as evidence. Reza,
23, and Alireza, 28, are partners and live together in a small rented
apartment in Sari. Alireza works at his father’s real estate office. Reza
stays at home, as his more outwardly 'feminine' behavior attracts
homophobic comments from neighbors. Neither of the men's families accepts
their sexuality or their decision to live together as a loving couple. The
guests were released by the security forces a few days later, after being
forced to testify that Reza and Alireza lived together as lovers. They say
that during their arrest they heard that the police was responding to a
complaint by the two men's families about their sons. Reza and Alireza
were sent to the Revolutionary Court of Sari. We do not know what sentence
they have received, but there are rumors that it is the death penalty.
As a result of all the pressure and well-founded fear of persecution, many
Iranian queers have had to leave Iran and seek asylum. A refugee myself, I
went through lots of difficulties and now because of my work with the IRQR
I am in contact with hundreds of queer Iranian asylum seekers. Being in
limbo is not only unjust and difficult, but also intolerable and
frightening.
There is international support for Iranian queers today and I thank all
elected officials, organizations and individuals who are working with us
in order to help more Iranian queers. But we need more support since the
number of refugees is increasing due to Iranian government's daily
pressures.
Some governments sign conventions or issue statements that Iran must stop
the violation of human rights of its citizens. But when it comes to
refugee issues, they reject asylum seekers and advise them to go back to
Iran, hiding their sexual orientation to stay safe. This paradox is very
significant.
It seems that in the last few years, most organizations like the United
Nations and international governments see Iran's nuclear program as the
only issue of concern. As you know, the United Nation Security Council
has passed another sanction on Iran for nuclear enrichment. So why didn't
the first, second or third sanctions work, and what is the point of a
forth and further possible sanctions? In the meantime, queers, women,
religious minorities, ethnic minorities, students and just about every
single Iranian has no basic human rights or freedom - how long will we
continue to talk about nuclear bombs? Why is human rights violation not
the first priority of international organizations and governments? Is
writing a few official letters and statement on Iran's human rights
situation enough?
Especially regarding the Iranian queer community, we have the
responsibility of documenting their unjust situation. Our most difficult
issue is not dealing with the Iranian government, but lobbying the
European governments to acknowledge the very real fear of persecution
Iranian queers have, and their need for international protection. If they
have concerns about refugee numbers, then it would be great if they could
focus more on human rights issue in Iran and try to find a diplomatic
resolution.
Finally, I would like to say that the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees
is ready to work with all local and international organizations, officials
elected, and individuals in order to improve the global queer community.
Let's dream of a day where no one will be discriminated against for their
sexual orientation and gender identity, and everyone will have their peace
and freedom.
Arsham Parsi
Executive Director
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Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees - IRQR
www . irqr . net
info @ irqr . net
(001) 416-548-4171
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IRQR is federally incorporated as a non-profit group according to Canadian
law. Biographies of IRQR Board Members and more information can be found
at our website.
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IRQR Mailing Address:
477 Sherbourne St. Suite 312
Toronto, On - M4X 1K5 Canada
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