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Article: More fallout from the war: some Muslim allies of the United States may take this opportunity to crack down on gay men and lesbians in their countries. (World).(War on Terrorism)(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)
- Article date:
- November 20, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Regent Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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An Arabic saying, roughly translated, warns: "Beat the constrained, and it is the free who will be frightened."
In many Muslim countries oppressive rulers have long used their local gay and lesbian populations as public whipping boys to chill, all kinds of dissenting voices at home.
International human fights observers fear that the September 11 attacks on the United States and the subsequent U.S. bombing of Afghanistan--a Muslim country--could make gays and lesbians living in many of those Muslim countries the latest casualties of the terrorist attacks.
"A lot of governments stir up controversies in their own countries in order to deflect ...