Petrelis Files

Gulf News: Muslim Scholar Wants UAE Gay Arrestees Executed

December 4, 2005

LeRoy Potts
U.S. Department of State
Office of Country Reports and Asylum Affairs
Washington, DC 20037
Email: pottslg@state.gov

Dear Mr. Potts,

I am submitting this story and ask that its contents be considered for inclusion in next year's State Department human rights report on the United Arab Emirates, and how it treats basic freedoms for all of its citizens, including homosexuals.

Of particular concern to me is the mere mention in the Gulf News report of Islamic Sharia law which calls for the killing of homosexuals.

The November 29 article said, "On Monday UAE scholars and social experts denounced the 'homosexual wedding,' and stressed that such people should be punished by law.

"According to Islamic Sharia Laws, a man who has intercourse with another man 'should be executed,' said Abdul Salam Mohammad Darwish, an Islamic scholar and social and family counsellor. Darwish said, 'It is scandalous. It is not part of the Islamic religion or UAE culture.'"

I am troubled that Darwish says homosexuals should be punished by law, and it's Sharia law he wants executed, along with the men arrested.

As you know, there's been an alarming number of homosexuals and those suspected of male-to-male attractions publicly hanged in Iran this year, because the Islamic leaders in Tehran fervently follow Sharia law, so any time news accounts such as this appear and a religious scholar is quoted favorably about capital punishment for homosexuals, I ask that the State Department express strong condemnation of such talk and note it in the annual rights report for the United Arab Emirates.

Unfortunately, it can be a short period of time when comments like Darwish's hit the papers, and homosexuals are hanged.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
Gays Against Executions
San Francisco, CA

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November 29, 2005
Gulf News

Policeman arrested over gay pictures

Abu Dhabi: A policeman suspected to have taken and distributed
pictures of those arrested in connection with a gay wedding in Abu
Dhabi has been taken into custody for questioning, an official said.[...]

The Abu Dhabi General Directorate of Police said agents from the
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested 26 men, some of who
were dressed as women.[...]

On Monday UAE scholars and social experts denounced the "homosexual
wedding," and stressed that such people should be punished by law.

According to Islamic Sharia Laws, a man who has intercourse with
another man "should be executed", said Abdul Salam Mohammad Darwish, an
Islamic scholar and social and family counsellor.

Darwish said, "It is scandalous. It is not part of the Islamic
religion or UAE culture".

"Surely it was not the first time they met. They must have held
parties and met in similar unacceptable and abnormal celebrations.
There had been reports of similar incidents in other emirates," he
said.

He warned against the increase in such deviant behaviour. "Some of the
males who live an extravagant life became decadent," he said.

The counsellor urged the authorities to place those "sick men" in an
intensive psychological and educational rehabilitation programme.

Colonel Najm Al Howsani, Director of Social Support Centre at Ministry
of Interior, where the 26 men who had been arrested were referred to,
said the suspects would undergo a psychological and physical therapy
after the court rules into their case.[...]