Gay Men in Iran's Military Can Seek Exemption

AL MONITOR: Coming out as a gay man has severe consequences in Iran. Homosexuality is among the biggest taboos in Iran both on social and legal levels. The taboo transforms itself to a paradox however, if and when the issue of serving in the military arises.

Military service is mandatory for men and lasts two years. All healthy and able male high school graduates or drop-outs are mandated to serve in the military if they do not succeed in the University Entrance Exam. If they succeed and continue their education, they serve once they graduate.

During the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, a number of more affluent families would go above and beyond to find ways around the military service; be it through bribery, undergoing attempts to be smuggled out of the country, inventing false pretenses of illness, or many other ways people created to escape the military service, attempting to fit in as exceptions so they could be excused.

The Iran-Iraq war ended 25 years ago, and since then, serving in the military has been accompanied by low risk and very little danger. Yet, most people are quite reluctant to serve the 24 months. Many families consider the two-year period a waste of time, while a less sizable group believes it to be a good learning experience for young men preparing to enter the real world.

The document — a card which is issued upon completion of a citizen’s two-year service — is golden: Without that card, an Iranian man cannot officially buy or sell anything, cannot participate in formal public sector activities, nor can he be employed by the government, or qualify to obtain a passport. Some companies in the private sector tend to refrain from recruiting men who have not served.

Gay men who prefer to refrain from serving in the military must undergo the required medical and mental evaluations prior to commencing the two-year experience. Should the examining officers or physicians come across any evidence of “queerness,” they refer the soldier-to-be to appropriate officials for further evaluation.

If the psychological diagnosis confirms the individual’s homosexuality, an official, permanent exemption is issued for him. More often than not, a thorough rectal exam follows the mental evaluation. The physician’s observations providing proof of occurred same-sex intercourse is then written formally and submitted to the military. In some cases, further detail-oriented exams come into play, so the decision-makers can be certain of the applicant’s “queerness," making sure they are genuine, not a false pretense to escape the service. » | Mehrnaz Samimi for Al-Monitor Iran Pulse | Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Ongoing Trafficking of Homosexual Sex Slaves from Africa to the Middle East
JIHAD WATCH: It probably comes as no surprise to Jihad Watch's regular readers that certain countries in the Middle East continue to traffic in slaves from Africa, with the authorities either indifferent or as willing accomplices. While we've written on this before, there's now a novel twist. According to a recent media report, homosexual men in Kenya are lured to certain Middle Eastern countries with the false promises of lucrative legitimate employment, only to find themselves in involuntary servitude of the worse kind--as chattel and sex slaves of rich families and individuals. Remember, in Arabic the word for 'black' and 'slave' is the same: abed.

Islamic supremacists constantly lambaste the supposedly 'immoral' West for permitting homosexuality and even legalizing gay marriage in some jurisdictions -- homosexuality is in fact a capital crime in five Muslim-controlled countries. But these same supremacists, along with every Muslim government, hypocritically and blatantly ignore the ongoing Muslim trafficking of homosexuals (and others) for the explicit and sole purpose of sex. Read on and comment » | Posted by The Anti-Jihadist | December 30, 2011

Kuwait City: Gays Caught in the Act in Salmiya Mall
ARAB TIMES: Kuwait : Securitymen have arrested two homosexuals, who were engaged in immoral acts inside a commercial complex in Salmiya.
 According to sources, a team of securitymen on routine duty in the area arrested the suspects after noticing their ‘unusual’ behavior in the complex. A case was registered and the homosexuals were referred to the authorities for the necessary legal action. [Source: Kuwait Crime News: Arab News] |No Date or Journalist’s Name Available (NDJNA)

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