Shi'ite militants in Iraq are reported to be stoning gay and "emo" youth to death -- the weapon of choice being cement cinder blocks. ("Emo" is shorthand for "emotional hardcore," and is a style based on 1980's punk, goth, etc.)
[Iraq] has been preparing to showcase itself to the world as host of a high-profile meeting of Arab leaders in late March ... But the news that young men in tight T-shirts and skinny jeans are being beaten to death with cement blocks and dumped in the streets has threatened to overshadow the new palm trees and fresh paint. The violence offers a reminder that the government has been unable to stop threats and attacks against small religious sects, ethnic groups and social pariahs like gay men.Human rights groups put the death toll as high as 40, although official estimates are considerably lower. That the Interior Ministry itself has called emo "satanic" can only have encouraged the killings and motivated officials to downplay the problem.
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