Killing of gay Iraqis shouldn't be ignored
We applaud Rep. Jared Polis for his efforts last week to shine the spotlight on the killings of homosexuals in Iraq.
By The Denver Post
Posted: 04/12/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12110664The U.S. State Department must not stand idly by if the Iraqi government fails to protect basic human rights, even if the persecution stems from traditional cultural or religious beliefs.
We applaud Colorado Congressman Jared Polis for his efforts last week to shine the spotlight on the killings of homosexuals in Iraq, and to press the State Department to demand accountability from the Iraqi government.
The first openly gay man to be elected to the House, Polis has been investigating the treatment of gays in Iraq for several months, according to The Post's Michael Riley. His research led to the discovery of a transgender Iraqi man who told the congressman he had been arrested, beaten and raped by security forces with Iraq's Ministry of Interior.
