The love that dared not speak its name in the Foreign Office

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Source: The Independent

Chris Bryant's civil partnership is a measure of how far the Foreign Office has come on gay rights. Charles Crawford, a former ambassador to Sarajevo and Belgrade, remembers a darker time and the colleague driven to suicide because of his sexuality

Late one evening back in 1986, perched in a room high in the Foreign Office overlooking St James's Park, I was the diplomatic service's duty officer, tasked with dealing sensibly with anything that might turn up.

The telephone rang. A colleague called Robert Facey was at the front desk, asking if he could borrow some money. I happened to know him and invited him up. He arrived with a Nigerian student he had met at an anti-apartheid demonstration.

Robert had "come out" on a posting in Latin America. Homosexuality was a bar to a Foreign Office career - memories of British Cold War traitors ran deep, and gays were considered especially vulnerable to blackmail. He was now in a bad way. His FCO job prospects were somewhere between bleak and nil and he said he had fallen out with friends and family; he was almost living rough on the streets.

A surreal couple of hours ensued. Robert was under evident stress and talked furiously about gay rights in Africa (the baffled but amused Nigerian student denying that there were any gays in Africa). I lent Robert £20. He and his companion eventually left.

I never saw Robert Facey again. His life and career dissolved, and he committed suicide in June 1989.

Twenty years later, in January 2010, I thought of him. Tall and stocky, with dark tightly-curled hair, he had been a quirky, brilliant diplomat who talked in non-stop Oscar Wildeish epigrams, with ghastly vivid stories of his posting in Lagos and dead bodies on the streets.

His life had been destroyed.

So I decided to ask the Foreign Office under Freedom of Information to open its archives from that period, in search of answers. Throughout the 80s, ministers and diplomats had mulled over whether the Foreign Office should continue to ban gays from the service.

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Comment: Iraq is the most dangerous place on earth for gays

Source: pinknews.co.uk

By Paul Canning

It often shocks people to hear this but talk to Iraqi gays who've made it out and they'll tell you – life was better under Saddam.

Baghdad played the role that Beirut does now as a sanctuary for Middle Eastern gay life with clubs which men from the Gulf and Saudi Arabia flocked to.

In sharp contrast, for the past six years Iraq has been the worst place in the entire world to be gay. Far, far worse than Uganda or even Iran. Hundreds of gays, lesbians and trans people have been hunted down and killed in the most vile ways imaginable – and imagination is the right word. Doctors have confirmed reports of men have had their anuses glued shut by militia forces and others have accused the government of being involved.

No one has been prosecuted and the Iraqi government has failed to do anything to stop it. So Iraqi gays have helped themselves. They have created safe houses, although many have been discovered and become a new killing field.

Many have fled but they have faced a cold wall of indifference and they have needed friends and luck to actually make it to sanctuary.

Our government, the British government, has turned its back on those who have arrived here. All have initially been refused asylum. The system instead has told them that Iraq is safe and they should go home.

I am not making this up. Faceless bureaucrats in Alan Johnson's department (and Jacqui Smith's and John Reid's before him) have had the front to write "Iraq is safe" on gay asylum letters.

Why? How? Because they can. Because no one, no gay MP, no LGBT group, no one has pressured them, forced them, to do otherwise.

It gets worse. Because of an "unfit for purpose" system, their claims take years to resolve, wasting untold amounts of taxpayers' money as other bureaucrats and Johnson's hired gun lawyers fight them to the bitter end despite the mountain of evidence that Iraq is a deathzone for gays.

In the meantime they survive on handouts as they're not allowed to work. They are stressed out in ways those of us lucky enough to be born in the 'west' cannot begin to imagine, fearing that Johnson's agents will pick them up and put them on a plane to Baghdad.

Of course there are people helping Iraqi gays who make it here, though they are few. Most of all Iraqi gays are helping themselves.

Chief amongst them is Ali Hili, the leader of organised group Iraqi LGBT. It is he who first brought the world's attention to the pogrom against gays in Iraq. He has had the balls to be the public face and has paid the price in death threats and a fatwa against him.

But he is stuck in what John Reid described as an "unfit" system. This incredibly brave gay leader is just another number and the failure to grant him asylum is affecting the ability of Iraqi gays to draw the world's attention to their plight.

He cannot go visit the US Congress. He cannot visit the European parliament. In both places there are Very Important People, those who can practically help, who want to hear firsthand of the situation.

He has already told the Foreign Office. This other branch of the same government, whose gay minister Chris Bryant proudly touts its work on supporting gays around the world. The Foreign Office is extremely keen to take Ali's evidence, write it up in their Human Rights Report and use that to sell the caring-and-sharing face of the UK government, especially to gay voters.

So when you read the letter from some minion in the UK Border Agency saying that his case is not "compelling", that his case cannot be expedited so he can go visit Washington and New York and Brussels, what do you think? Does it make you angry?

Yes? Do something. Ask your MP – you can find them on this website theyworkforyou.com/ – to ask the Home Secretary Alan Johnson to intervene.

Johnson can do it. Remember Mehdi Kazemi? The young gay Iranian who Jacqui Smith insisted could be safely sent back despite all the evidence including the execution of Mehdi's teenage boyfriend? Well, she intervened and Mehdi is now safe. But it took an enormous effort to make that happen so – please – don't just read this and be angry. Write your MP, write Johnson and the Prime Minister. Tell everyone you know what's going on and ask them to do something as well.

The Ali campaign can be found here http://bit.ly/alihili

Action alert: Iraqi LGBT need your help

Photo by Stefan Ferreira

The UK government through its Border Agency has decided not to give priority to the asylum application of Iraqi LGBT leader Ali Hili, in exile in London. The application has been outstanding for nearly three years and while it is outstanding, Ali cannot travel.

This decision directly impacts not just on Ali but on harshly persecuted Iraqi lesbians and gays through the reduced ability of their sole visible leader to raise their profile internationally.

Can you help?

As you may be aware, numerous human rights organisations and journalists have documented the pogrom against lesbians and gays in Iraq. Iraqi LGBT estimates that over 700 LGBT have been assassinated over the past few years. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has advised 'favourable consideration' for asylum claims because of the situation.

As the public leader of the only group representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people both inside Iraq and in the diaspora, Hili has received a fatwa from inside Iraq as well as numerous threats in London which have forced him to move. He is under the protection of the Metropolitan Police.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin spoke last month of their concerns for LGBT both in Iraq and as refugees, in a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton co-signed by 64 other Congresspeople.

Hili has received many requests to speak about the situation in Iraq internationally, including from US-based groups such as the Gay Liberation Network and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Campaign, which he has been unable to pursue.

His solicitor, Barry O'Leary, wrote to the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in August 2009 that: "he desperately wishes to do this [travel] in order to further the aims of his organisation, that is, supporting lesbians and gay men in Iraq and bringing the world's attention to their plight."

Six months later, the UKBA told O'Leary that:

• the assistance given by Hilli to the Foreign Office "does not count"
• the fatwa does not mean that Hilli "falls within the classification of clear and immediate vulnerability"
• that the delay in deciding Hilli's asylum case (since July 2007) "is not in itself an exceptional circumstance"
• his case is not "compelling"

Peter Tatchell says of Ali:

"It was Ali Hili of Iraqi LGBT who first alerted the world to the organised killing of LGBT people in Iraq - way back in 2005. For a long time, he was a lone voice."

"Mr Hili was also the person who set up the 'underground railroad' and safe houses inside Iraq, to give refuge to LGBT people on the run from Islamist death squads and to provide escape routes to neighbouring countries - which saved the lives of many Iraqi LGBTs.

Ali must travel!

The UK Foreign Office Human Rights Report for 2009 specifically names Iraqi LGBT over other NGOs as a key source of information. Hili has met with them numerous times. The report quotes Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell condemning persecution of LGBT in Iraq.

Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant wrote in his blog on Feb. 24: "I know some people dismiss LGBT rights as something of a sideshow in international relations, but I am proud to say that the FCO has argued for a decade that human rights are a seamless garment."

Yet the same government through the Home Office is effectively aiding that persecution through the failure of government recognition to Iraqi LGBT's leader.

We want the UK government to expedite Ali Hili's asylum claim so he is properly able to tell the world about what is happening to LGBT in Iraq.

How you can help

Write to the UK Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to ask that he intervene in Ali's case that his asylum application be prioritised. Please mention Ali's Home Office reference which is S1180507/7. (Get a standard letter - please personalise and remember to sign it)

Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Home Secretary, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
Telephone: 020 7035 4848
public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Write to UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to ask that they ask Johnson to intervene in Ali's case. Please mention Ali's Home Office reference which is S1180507/7. (Get a standard letter - please personalise and remember to sign it)

The Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA
Email the Prime Minister’s Office

Write to your MP to ask that they ask Johnson to intervene in Ali's case.

If you are outside the UK, ask politicians, prominent persons and organisations to invite Ali to your country and make Brown and Johnson aware of this request.

Ask those politicians, prominent persons and organisations to issue their own public statement in support of Hili's asylum prioritisation from the UK government.

Write to newspapers, write blog posts in support of Ali, tell people about Ali.

Please copy any letters to the campaign in support of Ali Hili to gayasylumuk@gmail.com

Join the Facebook page

Outrage as UK government refuses to act on asylum application of Iraqi gay leader

Source: UK Gay News

The refusal of the UK government to give priority to the asylum application of gay Iraqi any form of priority is hindering the work of Iraqi LGBT, the London-based group that assists gay Iraqis who face persecution – and death – in their country.

Ali Hili, who runs Iraqi LGBT without pay, told UK Gay News this evening that he has had to turn down invitations to speak in the USA as, being an asylum seeker, he has no passport.

He fled Iraq and first applied for asylum in UK which was turned down.  But he was given leave to remain in UK almost three years ago.

Mr. Hili revealed that last summer he had been invited to undergo a short speaking tour of USA during the autumn.  He said that he had also been forced to turn-down other invitations to speak in other countries.

“But without a passport, I had to decline the invitations,” he said, adding that the speaking tour might well have raised thousands of dollars towards providing help, including safe houses, for threatened gays in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.

Mr. Hili said that the projected US tour six months ago even had the backing of a US congressman.

And tonight, campaigners are demanding action from Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

The decision by the Border Agency of the Home Office “directly impacts on harshly persecuted Iraqi lesbians and gays”, his supporters said earlier today in an embargoed press statement.

“The [asylum] application has been outstanding for nearly three years and while it is outstanding, Mr Hili cannot travel,” the statement says.

“As the public leader of the only group representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people both inside Iraq and in the Diaspora, Hili has received a fatwa from inside Iraq as well as numerous threats in London which have forced him to move.  He is under the protection of the Metropolitan Police.”

Mr. Hili is known to have assisted the UK Foreign Office to determine foreign policy about Iraq – and it’s gay community.

Read more »

Exhibition of Cardiff gay artist to go ahead despite deportation

Media release
no borders wales

An exhibition of the work of Azerbaijani artist Babi Badalov is to go ahead despite the fact that he has been deported from the UK. The show opens at 6pm on Saturday 27th September running until Sunday 19th October at the tactileBosch studios, Llandaf North, Cardiff.

Babi, who has become a fixture of the Cardiff art scene since he claimed asylum in the UK and moved to the city in 2006, has worked with friends to make sure the show will go on.

Babi, an openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan was arrested on Tuesday 16th September while signing on at the UK Border Agency Offices in Cardiff. He went for his weekly sign-in with friends from the Keep Babi Safe in Cardiff Campaign.

When he did not come back out of the building campaigners became concerned and enquired after his well-being only to be told he had been detained and would be removed from the country as soon as possible. Despite massive pressure from MPs, campaigners, and friends, Babi was deported on a BMI flight from Heathrow last Saturday 20th September.

On hearing of Babi's deportation, Kim Fielding tactileBOSCH's Director and one of the curators of the exhibition, said:

“This is deeply saddening for all of us at tactileBOSCH. Babi is a unique character, an asset to the arts community in Cardiff, someone to be treasured, not deported”.

Neesha Lamb a friend and No Borders South Wales activist said:

“We are all incredibly sad that Babi is not in Cardiff any longer. He is inspirational and we feel like he has been ripped away from us. It is traumatic when someone you love and have a connection with is taken back to a place that they truly fear. We're really glad that his exhibition is still going ahead despite his deportation and are grateful to all at tactileBosch for helping make this happen”.

No Borders South Wales, who worked with Babi on his campaign to stay will be holding a stall to spread the word about the UK’s racist migration regime. They will also be holding a collection to help Babi survive in Azerbaijan.

----Ends----
Notes for editors:
More info about the exhibition can be found at the tactileBosch website here: http://www.tactilebosch.org/
Background info on Babi’s campaign: http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/campaign-to-stay/keep-babi-safe-in-cardiff/
For his current situation: http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/tag/babi-badalov/


Among others Babi's campaign has gained the support of writer and playwright Patrick Jones, Leanne Wood AM, Bethan Jenkins AM, Chris Bryant MP, Adam Price MP, Jenny Willott MP, Cardiff Council Leader Rodney Berman and Deputy Leader Neil McEvoy.

Babi’s art and poetry have been explicitly critical of the government and prominent members of present/past regimes in Azerbaijan. These factors have led Babi to become a target of repression and persecution over many years. Because of his sexuality and the radical nature of his creative activities, he has endured government-led suppression together with physical and mental abuse from other sectors of society. He has now been completely disowned by his family. His brothers have threatened to kill him to defend their honour because of the shame that his being gay is seen as having brought on the family.

A recent ILGA report into the human rights of Gay people in Azerbaijan states that the price of open homosexuality is often “estrangement from family, bullying, social exclusion, discrimination, blackmailing and hate crimes”. Similarly an Amnesty International report into freedom of expression in the country cited numerous instances of “harassment, including physical abuse at the hands of law enforcement officials” and a number of “violent attacks which have led to serious injury and even death”.

Babi arrived in Cardiff in December 2006 and engaged fully with various parts of the local community, making many friends in his new home. He remained continued to produce art and poetry despite the mental stress brought about in part by the precariousness of his immigration status. He is in the process of writing a book about his art/gay life experiences and is also working on a film addressing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. This latter work, as well as many other aspects of his art, would of course be impossible in his country of origin. For the first time in his life, Babi felt happy and safe in Cardiff. He felt able to openly express himself artistically, politically and with regard to his sexuality, without associated feelings of fear, shame and imminent repression.

Airline Caves In To Anti-Deportation Pester Power

Azerbaijan Airlines have bowed to public pressure, and refused to deport a gay radical artist Babi Badalov (Babi), who fears for his life if returned home.

The Airline has been inundated with phone calls from friends and supporters expressing their extreme concern about the company’s involvement in the deportation. Spokesman Omar Khamal told one campaigner:

“Azerbaijan Airlines will not be carrying out the deportation now or in the future.”

Another employee, who would identify himself only as Tahir, told another of Babi’s supporters:

“We were asked to remove this man, but we’ve told the Home Office we’re refusing to do this. He won’t be flown out on one of our flights. We’ve had people contacting us about this all day, and we haven’t been able to do any work or sell any tickets. This morning I got 50 phone calls and 60 e-mails. It’s really affecting our business”.

The Home Office refused to comment on their relationship with the airline, and are tight-lipped about whether they will seek to deport Babi using another company.

Babi Badalov, the internationally renowned artist from Azerbaijan, was snatched by UK Border officers in Cardiff on Tuesday this week. He was held in a police cell, and has since been moved to Campsfield detention centre where he was told he would be forcibly removed this Saturday. He has received no new removal directions since the Airline’s U-turn.

Friend and activist Hywel Bishop from No Borders South Wales has said:

“We’re sceptical about Azerbaijan Airlines’ assurances they won’t be carrying out the deportation. Previous experiences with airlines tell us that they will say anything to fob people off and stop them telephoning. This was the case with Kemi Ayinde a migrant from Nigeria who was due to be deported some time ago on a Virgin Nigeria flight. Many supporters received emails stating Virgin Nigeria had never carried out a deportation flight before, which was just not true.

“Until we know for certain that Babi will not be on that flight we’ll keep contacting the airline to complain. Ideally they’ll be so inconvenienced by this protest that they’ll think twice about operating removal flights in the future.”

----Ends----

Notes for editors:

Background info on Babi’s campaign: http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/campaign-to-stay/keep-babi-safe-in-cardiff/

For his current situation: http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/tag/babi-badalov/

For further info email: noborderswales@riseup.net

Babakhan Badalov, (Babi) the openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan was arrested last Tuesday while signing on at the UK Border Agency Offices in Cardiff. Babi went for his weekly sign-in with friends from the Keep Babi Safe in Cardiff Campaign. When he did not come back out of the building campaigners became concerned and enquired after his well-being only to be told he had been detained and would be removed from the country as soon as possible. At present he is in Campsfield Detention centre in Oxford.

Among others Babi's campaign has gained the support of writer and playwright Patrick Jones, Leanne Wood AM, Bethan Jenkins AM, Chris Bryant MP, Adam Price MP, Jenny Willott MP, Cardiff Council Leader Rodney Berman and Deputy Leader Neil McEvoy.

Babi’s art and poetry have been explicitly critical of the government and prominent members of present/past regimes in Azerbaijan. These factors have led Babi to become a target of repression and persecution over many years. Because of his sexuality and the radical nature of his creative activities, he has endured government-led suppression together with physical and mental abuse from other sectors of society, including his own family (who have threatened to kill him to defend their honour).

A recent ILGA report into the human rights of Gay people in Azerbaijan states that the price of open homosexuality is often “estrangement from family, bullying, social exclusion, discrimination, blackmailing and hate crimes”. Similarly an Amnesty International report into freedom of expression in the country cited numerous instances of “harassment, including physical abuse at the hands of law enforcement officials” and a number of “violent attacks which have led to serious injury and even death”.

Since arriving in Cardiff in December 2006, Babi has engaged fully with various parts of the local community and has made many friends in his new home. He is still producing poetry, is writing a book about his art/gay life experiences and is also working on a film addressing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. This latter work, as well as many other aspects of his art, would of course be impossible in his country of origin. For the first time in his life, Babi felt happy and safe in Cardiff. He felt able to openly express himself artistically, politically and with regard to his sexuality, without associated feelings of fear, shame and imminent repression.

Babi Badalov detained

The Azerbaijani artist and gay asylum seeker Babi Badalov has been detained and has been given deportation directions for this coming Saturday.

Campaigners are urgently seeking the intervention of his local MP, which they believe will stop the deportation.

Babi's campaign has already gained the support of writer and playwright Patrick Jones, Leane Wood AM, Bethan Jenkins AM, Chris Bryant MP, Cardiff Council Leader Rodney Berman and Deputy Leader Neil McEvoy.

A demonstration is also being urgently organised. A campaign organiser wrote to me that, "I've never seen him, or anyone for that matter, looking so scared".

When he was informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi responded by saying “I feel sick”

To which the UK Border agent told him “well you make us sick, you're going back where you belong.”

As a result of beatings and bullying over the years Babi has only eight teeth remaining and suffers from a number of mental health problems.

Since arriving in Cardiff in December 2006, Babi has engaged fully with various parts of the local community and has made many friends in his new home. He is still producing poetry, is writing a book about his art/gay life experiences and is also working on a film addressing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. This latter work, as well as many other aspects of his art, would of course be impossible in Azerbaijan.

For the first time in his life, Babi felt happy and safe in Cardiff. He felt able to openly express himself artistically, politically and with regard to his sexuality, without associated feelings of fear, shame and imminent repression.

Babi is under open threat of death by 'honour killing' but Jacqui Smith believes he can be 'discreet'.

What you can do to help Babi stay

Use this model campaign letter to copy/amend or write your own letter to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, asking her to allow Babi to stay safe in Cardiff.

Hand-written letters can be more effective, if you have the time. Remember to quote the Home Office ref. number: B1234623

Send to:

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department
3rd Floor Peel Buildings
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

• Fax: 020 8760 3132 (00 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)
  E-mail: jacqui.smith@homeoffice.gov.uk
• Sign the online petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/badalov/petition.html
• Collect signatures using this Babi campaign petition
• Distribute information about the campaign using the Babi campaign flyer

Please send any copies of letters/faxes to:

Friends of Babi Badalov
c/o Refugee Voice Wales
389 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 1TP

keep_babi_safe_in_cardiff@yahoo.co.uk

Music and poetry event for Babi Badalov

An awareness raising event took place on 19th June for gay asylum seeker Babi Badalov. The evening of poetry and acoustic music was organised by the 'Keep Babi Safe in Cardiff' campaign, in collaboration with Welsh poet and playwright Patrick Jones.

The free event was held at Cardiff's Butetown History and Art Centre and was attended by around 60 people. There were contributions from Bethan Jenkins AM, poets Mike Jenkins and Mike Church, music from New State Radio and Lethargy and physical theatre by Gaijin- San.

The campaign has gained the support of Leanne Wood AM, Chris Bryant MP, Jenny Willot MP, Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council Neil McEvoy and Cardiff Council Leader Rodney Berman.

The campaign to keep Babi safe in Cardiff will continue to build upon the support shown at this event.