The stoning of a gay man in Syria retriggers the alarm over the growing violence towards the LGBT community by ISIS

The latest death of a gay man at the hands of the Islamic State, occurring yesterday in the town of Tel Abyad in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa, retriggers the alarm and the call to the international community to ensure the integrity of LGBT people throughout the world. This death, along with last week’s events in Iraq and the genital mutilation of two million girls, adds to the violence in general that has cost the lives of various countries’ citizens, including aid workers and peacekeepers. 

We the Argentine LGBT Federation express our shock at the news of another death of a gay man by the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Syria, and again demand a response by the international community to ensure the freedom and integrity of our community throughout the world.

Today we mourn the death of a gay man stoned in northern Syria in one of the regions where ISIS has installed a caliphate, a system of government whereby the caliph sets himself up as the ultimate leader of Islam and of the people and government in accordance with Sharia principles (Islamic law).

This leads to a climate of violence towards various groups that claims lives every day and wherein atrocities are committed like the genital mutilation of two million girls in Iraq, ordered by the jihadist group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In addition, last week the world witnessed the execution of a Japanese hostage and the murder of two gay men thrown from a building in northern Iraq.

It must be remembered that, beyond what has happened in the Islamic State, throughout the world a growing climate of violence towards LGBT people carries on in more than 70 countries (especially in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia) that criminalize sexual diversity. In seven of those countries, punishment of the accused means death.

FALGBT President Esteban Paulón stated: “We are shocked by another killing of a gay man by the Islamic State, this time thrown off a building and later stoned, which adds to the execution of hostages and aid workers and every type of abuse towards various social groups. But what concerns us more is the indifference shown on this topic by certain governments, public officials, and international bodies.”

“We are incredibly concerned about the growing climate of violence towards LGBT people that carries on in numerous countries in the world, violence motivated in large part by religious fundamentalism. We demand urgent international action supporting the freedom and integrity of our community that would ensure the observance of human rights and free expression of sexual orientation and gender identity for people all over the world. We hope that world political and social leaders take a clear and unambiguous stance against violence and discrimination, which must be a collective commitment.”