Mehdi Kazmi and what Galloway has to say on the subject

I am sure some will think I am happy to have a go at George Galloway and use anything against him.Honestly, my feelings were of anger and upset at seeing this video clip, sent to me by Mod. I really wish the left could be united in supporting a teenager facing execution if he is returned to Iran. I would rather see Galloway lending his support to the campaign than make what some might see as cheap political shots.

In my posts I have called on other blogs to publicise and support the campaign and the demo on the 22nd. I was , genuinely, pleased to see Andy as a RR member plug it on Socialist Unity, especially as it would get a much bigger audience than this blog and that's all for the good.

That is why I was angered to see Galloway on TV downplaying the reality for LGBT people in Iran. We have our own Govt saying LGBT people will be safe if they are 'discreet'. They are going to send Medhi back to certain death. The left should be united against this. This teenager is now caught in the left's bloody stupid inability to criticise a war on Iran AND criticise the Iranian state who execute people for being gay. George says people are not executed for being lesbian or gay, OK, George, split hairs. Someone can be Lesbian or gay and just pretend not to be. But the reality is if someone has gay sex then they can be executed. So as George says, people are not executed for being gay. So would that be OK if it applied to religion ? Pretend to be someone you're not.

So its 'only' if someone has sex they are executed, well that's OK then.

Its not OK to execute people for having gay sex, which can be anything from a one night stand to a long term relationship. And why is being lesbian or gay so defined by sex . Its about relationships as well.

I'm not going to shut up about it because people like George see criticism as part of the propaganda against Iran. The reality is Iran is a reactionary, repressive brutal state. It oppresses Lesbian and Gay people, women who step out of line, trade unionists and socialists. Shutting up shows us as apologists and abandons the people we should support. Its unprincipled, disgusting and also tactically stupid.

We also mustn't forget that its the British Government that will be sending him back to his death, so the argument about propaganda is not clear cut. They are not being consistent .We should be though.

We need to grasp the complexities, say we are against war and that we support those in struggle against the Iranian state to overthrow it. What the fuck is so difficult about that. Its honest and its principled and it doesn't betray those suffering, often paying with their lives, in Iran.

As I said at the start I would much rather see Galloway on a platform supporting Mehdi , strengthening rather than weakening the case for not just him but others who also face deportation and risk of execution because of their sexuality.

Here is the you tube:



A you tube featuring those puppets of Imperialism; a gay Iranian(from Iranian Queer Organisation) and Peter Tatchell is over at Mod's site.

You know this is about a young man who will end up executed because he is gay . Shouldn't we be on his side and not apologising for the Iranian regime .

update
The second Wright Stuff programme where Galloway again says Lesbian and Gays arent executed and can freely meet for trysts !Not much worse than Tonbridge Wells apparently. Hmmm...