These were the words of Peter Tatchell after his recent beating and arrest at Moscow Gay Pride. I would urge people to sign this petition:http://www.petitiononline.com/RusLBGT/petition.html
Photo: View across to Whiteshill from near top of Ash Lane
The Green Party have also issued statements condemning the Moscow Police for arresting peaceful gay and lesbian rights activists - and standing by while those activists were attacked by extremist thugs, at a protest on Sunday to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Russia. The arrests and assaults took place in front of and opposite Moscow City Hall. Here is some more info below from the Green party press release - see also Derek Wall's blog for more info.
Activists, including European lawmakers, senior foreign human rights officials and celebrities, attempted to submit a letter, signed by around 50 MEPs, protesting against Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s renewed ban of the Moscow Gay Pride Parade. Veteran human rights campaigner and Green Party member Peter Tatchell was amongst those beaten by gangs of neo-Nazis, nationalist extremists and Russian Orthodox fundamentalists, with the apparent collusion of sections of the Moscow police and the Russian OMON riot squad.
Peter Tatchell had traveled to Moscow at the request of the Moscow Gay Pride organizers to support the event and the campaign for gay rights in Russia. He was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the Moscow Gay Pride conference on Saturday morning, 26 May 2007 at the Swissotel. The first people arrested were Mr. Alekseev, the organizer of Moscow Pride and German Green Party Member of Parliament Volker Beck. They were seized as they attempted to deliver a letter to Moscow Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, at City Hall.
Soon afterwards, Peter Tatchell unfurled a placard reading, "Gay Rights," written in both Russian and English. He was set upon and repeatedly bashed by right-wing extremists. Moscow riot police, the OMON, stood by while neo-Nazis punched Mr. Tatchell in the face, dragged him to the ground, and kicked him all over his body. Clutching a bloody eye, he was arrested by the riot police.
Speaking after the attacks he said: "They arrested me, but let my attackers walk free. There is no rule of law in Moscow. The right to protest does not exist. This is not a democracy. Today's protest was about much more than gay rights. We were defending the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest for all Russians, gay and straight. The ban on Moscow Gay Pride is one aspect of a much wider attack on civil society and human rights. It is evidence of a failed transition from communism to democracy and of a rising trend towards autocracy and authoritarianism."
Green Party Principal Speaker Dr. Derek Wall condemned the attacks: "This type of police action simply confirms that human rights are not respected in President Putin’s Russia. Russia, as a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, has a responsibility to allow its citizens the right to peaceful protest. European democracies must do everything they can to ensure that Russia does not shirk that responsibility. In this case, EU countries should impose a travel ban on Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, just as they did on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko because of his appalling human right record. The EU is a force for anti-discrimination, and Green MEPs have been at the forefront of promoting new policies to ensure equal employment and partnership rights across the EU. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population deserves political allies who will work with us to benefit our community. The Green Party will keep on campaigning for a Europe that we can be proud of, where the LGBT community is treated as an essential and valued part of the our rich and diverse culture."
Following the violence against demonstrators in Moscow, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was amongst those who wrote to Moscow Mayor Luzhkov. He said:
Dear Mayor Luzhkov, I am writing to convey my deep concern at the reported physical violence against, and arrest of, Peter Tatchell, a Parliamentary candidate for the Green Party in Britain, and other supporters of lesbian and gay rights, during their participation in an event in Moscow seeking to present a petition to you to lift a ban on the Gay Pride parade in Moscow. I have known Peter Tatchell for many years and know him to be a person committed exclusively to peaceful political activity. I would urge you to use your good offices to seek the lifting of all charges against Mr Tatchell and his fellow demonstrators. I would also urge you to resolve the root cause of this protest by lifting the ban on the Gay Pride parade in Moscow in line with the practice of most cities throughout the world. Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
4 comments:
While supportive of some of the points in a comment made here in the last 24 hours I have nevertheless removed it due to what appeared to be a threatening statement.
Phillip - I am amazed. In no way was there any threat stated or implied in my comment which you deleted.
It's good that Mayor Livingstone supports Gay rights in Russia. But in England his bigger support goes to radical right-wing Imams who openly preach hate and violence towards Gays in London Mosques.
More and more of the LGBT community is waking up to this fact. Do some research on how Gays are treated in Islamic countries. Like the recent case in Saudi Arabia where a Gay man has been sentenced to 7000 lashes! Yes, 7000 lashes!
How can Ken Livingstone promote an ideology that advocates that?
My 'ABSURD THOUGHTS' are very absurd and sarcastic in order to make people think logically.
Support LGBT & Woman's Rights!
STOP KUFFARPHOBIA Demonstration in London, at Whitehall 12pm Friday 10/26/07!
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
sex for FUN is evil
save it for procreation
have dozens of children
absurd thought -
God of the Universe is
MAD at Gays on Earth
all will decide to be gay
if they can be married
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
outlaw gay microbe sex
NO recreational sex
procreation must be goal
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
behead homosexuals
while screaming GOD IS GREAT
and The Left will defend you
.
Pink Paper report:
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Qatar-based imam who is banned from USA was praised by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone (pictured), as a leading Islamic scholar who should be treated in the same way as the late Pope, John XXIII who led the Catholic Church between 1958 and 1963.
Mr Livingstone caused a major row last year when he invited the Islamic cleric to London as his guest of honour. The invitation sparked protests from gay rights campaigners and Jewish leaders.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is known to have supported suicide bombings in Israel, the oppression of women’s rights and has argued in the past that gay men should be put to death.
The Mayor, responding to questions posed by the Home Affairs Select Committee, claimed that al-Qaradawi's views concerning the death penalty for gays is a “a series of questions of a philosophical nature. We are clearly not going to see Dr Qaradawi on a gay rights march - but you wouldn't see the Pope on a gay rights march and I would meet him.”
Mr Livingstone further claimed, “Of all the Muslim leaders in the world today, Sheikh Qaradawi is the most powerfully progressive force for change and for engaging Islam with western values. I think his is very similar to the position of Pope John XXIII.”
And nore from Indymedia with Green party quotes:
StraightWay Foundation backs Mayor - The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is at the centre of a new controversy after revelations that he sent a message of gratitude to an organisation set up to campaign against gay Muslims, in which he says “your support is very much appreciated”.
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is at the centre of a new controversy after revelations that he sent a message of gratitude to an organisation set up to campaign against gay Muslims, in which he says “your support is very much appreciated”.
The Mayor’s “thank you” was in response to The StraightWay Foundation’s support for his embrace of homophobic cleric Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
The StraightWay Foundation, which has links to the Christian fundamentalist “ex-gay” organisation, The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, has published on their website a letter from the Mayor thanking them for their “kind comments” and “support”.
The StraightWay Foundation is a reactionary, homophobic Muslim organisation. It advocates “healing” gay people and converting them to heterosexuality.
It also republishes articles from the Islamic Party of Britain, which advocates the death penalty for public displays of homosexuality,
The StraightWay Foundation wrote to Mr Livingstone expressing agreement with Dr Qaradawi’s condemnation of homosexuality, and thanking the Mayor for inviting the cleric to City Hall.
They also sent the Mayor a document entitled: “Statement on Homosexualist Campaign against Muslim Scholar”. This statement declares StaightWay’s belief that “homosexual relationships go against the natural order and harm both the individuals involved and society at large”. It describes homosexuality as “an affliction”.
“It is astonishing that the Mayor has expressed thanks to an organisation that holds such repugnant homophobic views,” said Brett Lock of the gay human rights group OutRage!.
StraightWay also denounces out and proud gay Muslim groups, such as Al-Fatiha, suggesting they are “twisting Islam to suit their desires”.
On the issue of the death penalty for homosexuality, the StraightWay statement forwarded to the Mayor concedes that scholars differ over the appropriate punishment for homosexuality, but that many state “the death penalty should be applied.” The group have also republished on their website a fatwa by Dr Qaradawi where he explains why the death penalty is justified, together with several similar fatwas from other scholars.
“How can the Mayor offer his appreciation to a group that publicises fatwas urging the execution of queers?” added Mr Lock.
Another article on the StraightWay website states: “not all minorities are oppressed, and some deserve to be dealt with severely.”
“The Mayor apparently has no qualms accepting support from an aggressively homophobic organisation like StraightWay,” said Mr Lock.
“If the BNP had written to the Mayor expressing its support for the congestion charge, I doubt he would have sent back a polite and grateful reply,” he added.
Greater London Assembly members reacted angrily to the StraightWay document. Assembly chair, Brian Coleman, dismissed it as “bigoted rubbish”, while Green Party member Darren Johnson described it as “offensive” and “anti-gay propaganda”.
Mr Johnson added that it was “tragic that organisations are set up with the aim of persuading people to deny their true sexuality”.
Another London Assembly member, Jenny Jones, wrote back to StraightWay stating that she was “extremely alarmed” that Dr Qaradawi “justified the execution of homosexuals and saw fit to denounce homosexuality as evil live on British television”.
In contrast, Ken Livingstone replied to StraightWay effusively: “Dear Mujahid. Thank you for your email and your kind comments. Your support is very much appreciated. Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.”
“Ken has no excuse for giving his sincere thanks and appreciation to these twisted bigots. They are hell-bent on destroying the lives of gay Muslims. Their straight therapy programme causes huge damage to vulnerable individuals who fall into their clutches,” said Mr Lock.
“All the world’s leading psychological experts agree that attempting to ‘cure’ homosexuality doesn’t work and is emotionally, psychologically and sexually damaging,” he added.
Further Information:
The document StraightWay sent to the Mayor can be downloaded from:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/SWF_Statement_17-11-04.pdf
The StraightWay letter to the Mayor, and his reply, can be found on their website here:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/gla.htm
Artcile “The Organised Homosexual Movement - Its Methods and its Goals” by the Islamic Party of Britain, republished on the StraightWay website:
http://straightway.sinfree.net/responses/baron_organised.htm
The Islamic Party of Britain – Death Penalty policy
http://www.mustaqim.co.uk/ipb-archive/question/ans41.htm
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