BAGHDAD -- At least 14 youths have been stoned to death in Baghdad in the past three weeks in what appears to be a campaign by Shiite militants against youths wearing Western-style "emo" clothes and haircuts, security and hospital sources say.
Militants in Shiite neighborhoods where the stonings have taken place circulated lists on Saturday naming more youths targeted to be killed if they do not change the way they dress.
The killings have taken place since Iraq's interior ministry drew attention to the "emo" subculture last month, labeling it "Satanism" and ordering a community police force to stamp it out.
"Emo" is a genre of punk rock music that originated in the United States in the 1980s. Fans are known for their distinctive dress, often including tight jeans, T-shirts with logos and distinctive long or spiky haircuts. At least 14 bodies of youths have been brought to three hospitals in eastern Baghdad bearing signs of having been beaten to death with rocks or bricks, security and hospital sources told Reuters under condition they not be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Nine bodies were brought to hospitals in Sadr City, a vast, poor Shiite neighborhood, three were brought to East Baghdad's main al-Kindi hospital and two were brought to the central morgue, medical sources said.
Six other young people, including two girls, were wounded in beatings intended as warnings, the security sources said.
"Last week I signed the death certificates of three of those young people, and the reason for death I wrote in my own hand was severe skull fractures," a doctor at al-Kindi hospital told Reuters. "A very powerful blow to the head caused these fractures which totally smashed the skull of the victim."
Other sources put the"emo" death toll much higher. Hana al-Bayaty of Brussels Tribunal, a nongovernmental organization dealing with Iraqi issues, said the current figure ranges “between 90 and 100,” below
A leaflet distributed in the Shiite Bayaa district of east Baghdad seen by Reuters on Saturday had 24 names of youths targeted for killing.
"We strongly warn you, to all the obscene males and females, if you will not leave this filthy work within four days the punishment of God will descend upon you at the hand of the Mujahideen," the leaflet said.
Another leaflet in Sadr City bore 20 names. "We are the Brigades of Anger. We warn you, if you do not get back to sanity and the right path, you will be killed," it said.
In a statement last month the interior ministry said it was monitoring "the 'emo' phenomenon, or Satanism" which it said was spreading through schools, particularly among teenage girls.
"They wear tight clothes that bear paintings of skulls, they use school implements with skulls and wear rings in their noses and tongues as well as other weird appearances," it said.
After reports of the stonings circulated on Iraqi media, the interior ministry said this week that no murders on its files could be blamed on the reaction to "emo".
"Many media have reported fabricated news reports about the so-called 'emo' phenomenon -- stories about tens of young people killed in various ways, including stoning," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"No murder case has been recorded with the interior ministry on so-called 'emo' grounds. All cases of murder recorded were for revenge, social and common criminal reasons."
Clerics denounce killings
Iraq's leading Shiite clerics have condemned the stonings.
Abdul-Raheem al-Rikabi, Baghdad representative for Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani, called the killings "terrorist attacks."
"Such a phenonomenon which has spread among young people should be tackled through dialogue and peaceful means and not through physical liquidation," Rikabi told Reuters.
In a response to questions on his website on Saturday, Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric whose followers dominate Sadr City, described "emo" youths as "crazy and fools," but said they should be dealt with only through the law.
"They are a plague on Muslim society, and those responsible should eliminate them through legal means," he said.
Abu Ali al-Rubaie, a leading Sadr aide in Sadr City, said the cleric's followers had nothing to do with the killings.
"In this issue and in all such problems we always use peaceful and educational methods to correct any wrongdoings. We are not connected in any way to those groups allegedly responsibility for killing those young people."
Another revered Iraqi cleric, Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yakoubi, said in a statement on Friday that the killings of “emo” teens in the country was exaggerated and aimed at tarnishing the image of those who are religious and have problems with the current government. “Media outlets have published some news on the killing of 'Emo' teenagers in Baghdad and other provinces but did not confirm the authenticity or the correctness of neither the news nor the numbers mentioned,” he said, according to Al Arabiya.
In the years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, most of Baghdad's neighborhoods were under the firm grip of Sunni and Shiite religious militias which enforced strict dress codes.
Today, the militias have largely disappeared, Baghdad is far more peaceful and many youths experiment with Western styles, although much of Iraqi society remains conservative.
On the streets of Baghdad, people said they had heard of the killings through the media. Many expressed disapproval of the "emo" style, but said murder was no way to respond.
"I saw them a couple weeks ago ... a bunch of girls, high-school aged, walking together, dressed in black. They had long black eye makeup and bracelets with skulls and chains on their handbags with skulls," said Abdullah, 31.
"If they are close friends who have something in common, that's all right. If other things we hear about them are true, like sucking each other's blood or worshipping the devil, that is not accepted in our society. But I think this is just a trend to imitate the West."
Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this story.
‘Emo’ killings in Iraq create different reactions among religious clerics
Saturday, 10 March 2012
A picture of an “emo” Iraqi teenager killed. Extremists
kill these teenagers by battering their heads with concrete blocks.
(Courtesy of Radio Sawa)
By Al Arabiya
Iraqi religious clerics have reacted differently over reports of the killing of dozens of “Emo” teenagers in the country.
Recently, activists rang the alarm over the killing of dozens of teenagers by religious police for donning “Emo” hair styles. “Emo” is a popular culture by some teenagers in many parts of the world and comes from the English word “emotional.” “Emos” use their appearances and type of accessories as a way to express their emotions and to embody their will and their view of life in their behavior. Their way of dressing and use of certain accessories such as piercings is not acceptable by some conservative sections of the Iraqi society, some even brand them as a cult of “devil worshipers.”
The death toll of the total number of “Emo” youth is not clear, but reports of their killings have created a big uproar in Iraq. Hana al-Bayaty of Brussels Tribunal, an NGO dealing with Iraqi issues, said the current figure ranges “between 90 and 100.”
Recently, activists rang the alarm over the killing of dozens of teenagers by religious police for donning “Emo” hair styles. “Emo” is a popular culture by some teenagers in many parts of the world and comes from the English word “emotional.” “Emos” use their appearances and type of accessories as a way to express their emotions and to embody their will and their view of life in their behavior. Their way of dressing and use of certain accessories such as piercings is not acceptable by some conservative sections of the Iraqi society, some even brand them as a cult of “devil worshipers.”
The death toll of the total number of “Emo” youth is not clear, but reports of their killings have created a big uproar in Iraq. Hana al-Bayaty of Brussels Tribunal, an NGO dealing with Iraqi issues, said the current figure ranges “between 90 and 100.”
Various reactions
Extremist groups include names of “emo” teenagers in two lists, warning them if they do not leave their “emo” ways, they will be killed. The lists were proliferated in public places in Baghdad. (Courtesy of Sumaria News TV)
“Emos” are “fools” and “experts
much finish them,” the Iraq-based Al Sumaria News TV reported the
firebrand conservative cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as saying on Saturday.
But on the other end of the spectrum, one of the most revered Shiite sheikhs in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said on Thursday that targeting “Emo” youth is an act of “terrorism” and a “bad phenomenon for the peaceful co-existence project.”
Another revered Iraqi cleric said in a statement on Friday that the killing of “Emo” teenagers’ in the country was exaggerated and fabricated to serve those of certain anti-religion, government agendas.
The revered Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yakoubi was reported by Al Sumaria News as saying that it should be everyone’s religious duty to advise “Emo” youth.
The cleric said that those who exaggerated the alleged “Emo” killings have a political agenda aimed at tarnishing the image of those who are religious and have problems with the current government.
“Media outlets have published some news on the killing of 'Emo' teenagers in Baghdad and other provinces but did not confirm the authenticity or the correctness of neither the news nor the numbers mentioned.”
While the Egypt-based Al Akhbar newspaper cited statements released by the Iraqi interior ministry saying that it gave permission to religious or moral police to go after “Emo” youth, it denied on Thursday incidents of “Emo” killings taking place and accused the media of fabricating reports.
“The ‘Emo phenomenon’ or devil worshiping is being probed by the moral police who have the approval to eliminate it as soon as possible since it’s detrimentally affecting the society and becoming a danger,” Al Akhbar cited on Friday the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
Emerging evidence
Iraqi police sources and witnesses said that there were “mysterious” operations targeting “Emo” teenagers. The teenagers were assaulted with concrete blocks to batter their heads, coinciding with reports coming from activists and the Brussels NGO. Activists have also posted pictures online web of dead teenagers with their heads bashed in.
Sumaria News reported police sources as saying that last week, around five “Emos” were killed in Baghdad. Three of those killed on Monday were in the northern capital, and two took place in the more upscale area of Karada.
In other Iraqi provinces police talked of “mysterious” suicides taking place, all of which involved “emo” teenagers.
An official from Babil’s province police department told Sumaria News that “seven suicide attempts took place in the province, from November 2011 and January 2012, two for girls and five for boys.”
Investigation shows that the seven were “emos” who listened to rock music.
“Religion is innocent from such crimes if proven true, and whoever kills a human being outside the legal frame, is guilty of committing a crime against God,” Yacoubi said, emphasizing that behavior of teenagers who are socially deviant should be treated with care.
He reiterated that those behind the news have agendas to estrange people from religion and said the whole uproar is a “made up phobia.”
He also accused the media of plotting against these teenagers by portraying them as “Mossad” agents that intend to spread vice and perversion in society.
Meanwhile, activists took a snapshot pictures of lists that include names of “emo” teenagers, warning them that if they do not leave their “emo” way, they will be murdered.
It is not the first time that oddballs in the Iraqi society were targeted, homosexuals were brutally murdered before.
One man, called Abu Sajat, told Sumaria News that a lot of homosexuals were warned before their killings, adding “there is no doubt that there are serious groups that are intending to kill the “emos”.”
(Written by Dina al-Shibeeb)
But on the other end of the spectrum, one of the most revered Shiite sheikhs in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said on Thursday that targeting “Emo” youth is an act of “terrorism” and a “bad phenomenon for the peaceful co-existence project.”
Another revered Iraqi cleric said in a statement on Friday that the killing of “Emo” teenagers’ in the country was exaggerated and fabricated to serve those of certain anti-religion, government agendas.
The revered Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yakoubi was reported by Al Sumaria News as saying that it should be everyone’s religious duty to advise “Emo” youth.
The cleric said that those who exaggerated the alleged “Emo” killings have a political agenda aimed at tarnishing the image of those who are religious and have problems with the current government.
“Media outlets have published some news on the killing of 'Emo' teenagers in Baghdad and other provinces but did not confirm the authenticity or the correctness of neither the news nor the numbers mentioned.”
While the Egypt-based Al Akhbar newspaper cited statements released by the Iraqi interior ministry saying that it gave permission to religious or moral police to go after “Emo” youth, it denied on Thursday incidents of “Emo” killings taking place and accused the media of fabricating reports.
“The ‘Emo phenomenon’ or devil worshiping is being probed by the moral police who have the approval to eliminate it as soon as possible since it’s detrimentally affecting the society and becoming a danger,” Al Akhbar cited on Friday the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
Emerging evidence
Iraqi police sources and witnesses said that there were “mysterious” operations targeting “Emo” teenagers. The teenagers were assaulted with concrete blocks to batter their heads, coinciding with reports coming from activists and the Brussels NGO. Activists have also posted pictures online web of dead teenagers with their heads bashed in.
Sumaria News reported police sources as saying that last week, around five “Emos” were killed in Baghdad. Three of those killed on Monday were in the northern capital, and two took place in the more upscale area of Karada.
In other Iraqi provinces police talked of “mysterious” suicides taking place, all of which involved “emo” teenagers.
An official from Babil’s province police department told Sumaria News that “seven suicide attempts took place in the province, from November 2011 and January 2012, two for girls and five for boys.”
Investigation shows that the seven were “emos” who listened to rock music.
“Religion is innocent from such crimes if proven true, and whoever kills a human being outside the legal frame, is guilty of committing a crime against God,” Yacoubi said, emphasizing that behavior of teenagers who are socially deviant should be treated with care.
He reiterated that those behind the news have agendas to estrange people from religion and said the whole uproar is a “made up phobia.”
He also accused the media of plotting against these teenagers by portraying them as “Mossad” agents that intend to spread vice and perversion in society.
Meanwhile, activists took a snapshot pictures of lists that include names of “emo” teenagers, warning them that if they do not leave their “emo” way, they will be murdered.
It is not the first time that oddballs in the Iraqi society were targeted, homosexuals were brutally murdered before.
One man, called Abu Sajat, told Sumaria News that a lot of homosexuals were warned before their killings, adding “there is no doubt that there are serious groups that are intending to kill the “emos”.”
(Written by Dina al-Shibeeb)
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