Sexual humiliation of Iraqi men

Being forced to mimic homosexual acts, while cameras click and observers laugh? Being stripped naked in full view of male and female strangers? Does this sound like light-hearted academic and/or military hazing in England, France, or the USA?

Not this time.

On Friday, April 30, Arab TV viewers were shocked and angered when Arab-language networks broadcast censored photos of captive Iraqi men, naked except for hoods covering their heads, "piled on top of each other in a human pyramid and simulating sex acts", and otherwise being humiliated by male and female U.S. military police.
[For Associated Press story from Cairo, by Nadia Abou El-Magd, please go to
( http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/a/2004/04/30/international1524EDT0641.DTL ). ]

Imagine yourself, captured by hostile strangers, forcibly stripped stark naked, except for a hood over your head.
You can't see anyone, but you can hear people talking, jeering, and laughing. Some of the voices are male, some are female.
You know the strangers can see your exposed genitals. You hear cameras clicking.

For some Western adults, mostly men, the preceding paragraph might bring back memories of ribald initiation ceremonies by clandestine social groups, loosely (and often illegally) associated with military forces, colleges and universities, elite boarding schools, high schools, et cetera. One may take pride in having survived ritual abuse bravely and voluntarily, without complaining or quitting. But for Iraqi Arab men, there are no such mitigating traditions. They merely feel intense dishonor when clothed American women soldiers can gaze at their genitals, joke and laugh about their helpless exposure, and photograph their humiliating nakedness.

One photo reportedly shows an American woman pointing at the bare penis of a hooded Iraqi man, while she grins at the camera. As if she had pantsed him at some drunken party during a Tailhook convention. [Note: This writer hasn't actually seen the photos yet. If anyone has copies, preferably uncensored, please email these to
SeniorNude [at] prodigy.net ]

History exhibits many incidents of victors stripping defeated opponents, for various reasons. Roman generals marched enemy captives naked through the streets of Rome, to delight crowds watching victory parades.

My father, who served in World War Two in Europe, told me how his U.S. Army unit stripped captive German soldiers down to their "long johns" (old-fashioned long underwear), then cut the shoulder straps which held the garment up, and forced the men to parade slowly through the public streets of a Belgian town. Walking caused their only garment to slide slowly downward, inch by inch, until eventually the naked men were shuffling along with their underwear around their ankles, much to the amusement of watching civilians, who were of all ages and genders. Back in the 1940's, Yank men considered such humiliation of enemy soldiers to be merely a "practical joke".

In the 20th century, such incidents could often be kept out of the media. But now many U.S. troops carry electronic cameras, and enjoy free access to the Internet. This may explain why, after the Afghan war, the Bush regime offered an acceptable plea bargain to the "American Taliban" -- to avoid a trial which would have publicized amateur photos showing the naked Yank prisoner, tied to a stretcher, being exposed to public view and ridicule on a Navy ship.

For a man, just how humiliating is forced public nakedness? The emotional effect many vary widely, depending on the man's nationality, religion, culture, personality, experiences, and other factors. A modern secular California man, who may have visited nude beaches, may be far less distressed than would an Arab Muslim man who is deeply committed to medieval values. And many Australian, Dutch, or Scandinavian men, being more culturally progressive than most Americans, might be able to laugh back at those who tried to embarrass them.

Bush may demand punishment of low-ranking U.S. troops for these incidents. But the real blame should fall on the bumbling Commander in Chief who failed to withdraw U.S. troops as soon as Saddam was caught. That capture offered a graceful moment in which to declare victory and pull out, before any mass resistance had started.

The real culprit can and should be defeated in November.


Tortuga Bi LIBERTY,
for Senior Unlimited Nudes,
San Francisco
http://pages.prodigy.net/seniornude

Friday, 30 April 2004
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PS: Meanwhile, our queer struggles continue:

............
CAL: SF: from now thru 30 June 2004: photo exhibit, "Just Married": San Francisco Exposure Gallery
( http://www.ExposureGallery.org ).
CAL: SF: 2004: book projects, collecting stories from married same-sex couples.
There are at least two competing efforts, so far:
(A) ( http://KarenAndMelody.com/spousesforlife.html ).
(B) (info [at] intelligentobserver.com)
.............

MAY 2004:

CAL: San Francisco: Saturday, May 1: Cannabis Freedom Day at SF Civic Center, noon to 6pm.
(Can't attend in person? Tune in to live radio simulcast, KPOO, 89.5 FM.)
Free (give a donation if you can).

CAL: San Francisco: Sunday, 2 May (start time: 10am): Speedway Meadow, in
Golden Gate Park. "Running to the Altar" -- 5K run/walk fundraiser for marriage equality.
For more information on how to participate, please go to:
http://marriageequalityca.org/running.php

CAL: May 2: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.

USA: May 16, Sunday night: Hold a "house party" to show support for the Massachusetts Marry-In.

USA: May 17, Monday: "National Day of Solidarity Actions" for equal marriage rights,
and against discrimination, bigotry, and racism. Details at EMS (http://www.equalMarriageSolidarity.org).

NEW YORK, upstate: circa May 17: New Paltz, Ulster County (in the Hudson Valley): Defense lawyer for two
Unitarian ministers may file motion to dismiss misdemeanor charges of solemnizing marriages without licenses.

MASS.: circa May 17-18: Massachusetts MARRY-IN begins?

CAL: SF: 16 May, Sunday: Bay to Breakers: Same-sex couples could wear wedding costumes?
Nudes could have equality and peace symbols painted on their skin?

OREGON: May 18, Tuesday: primary election: including Bruce Broussard, anti-marriage bigot.

OREGON: Seattle (Multnomah County): May 20: Judge Bearden's April 20 order could go into effect today;
unless blocked by a higher court.

CAL: circa May 25: California Supreme Court may hear oral arguments on whether San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom acted illegally when he ordered clerks to issue same-sex marriage licenses
(in "the Winter of Love", February-March). If so, court may rule within 90 days (circa Aug. 23?)

........................

JUNE 2004:

CAL: 6 June: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.

OREGON: ___ June: State legislature, in special session on tax reform; might take up same-sex marriage issue.
Fascists want legislature to do their work for them (see July 2).

CAL, northern: June 21: signature deadline for Oakland Cannabis Initiative.

CAL: SF: June 26: Dyke March: Women (past, present, future) can demonstrate for equal marriage rights.
[Men (except transmen) should just watch and applaud the Dyke March.
But all genders can party afterwards, at clothing-optional Pink Saturday, outdoors on Castro Street.
Please donate generously when you enter the party zone, because proceeds benefit charities. ]

CAL: SF: June 27, Sunday: Honor Del & Phyllis in the big queer parade.

USA: circa June 30: Will Bush/Cheney give pseudo-sovereignty to Iraq?
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JULY 2004:

OREGON: July 2: Deadline for fascists to submit signatures for anti-marriage amendment to OR state constitution.

USA (except SF): July 4, Sunday: Dress up in red. white, & blue to show support for the U.S. Marry-In.
Also please wear brown ribbons to protest Bush's BS.

CAL: July 4: San Francisco: Bodypaint for peace & equal rights, at Baker Beach.[http://pages.prodigy.net/seniornude]

CAL: July 4: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.

MASS: Boston: July 25, Sunday, starting around 12 noon at Boston Commons: demonstration(s) concerning Democratic Party national convention. Make and bring your own equal-rights signs! Wear brown ribbons? Wear wedding costumes?
For frequent updates, please visit Boston Indymedia
( http://boston.indymedia.org )
.........................

AUGUST 2004:

USA: Traditionally, news media experience a shortage of "serious" news during "the dog days",
so this is journalism's "silly season", time to feature unusual events., especially those involving
nudity or sex. If you're planning an unusual action or demo, do it BEFORE the Olympics.

CAL: Aug. 1st: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.

USA: circa Aug. 13: Will Athens Olympics distract voters from political issues?

CAL: circa Aug. 23: By this date, California Supreme Court might hand down a decision about whether San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom acted illegally when he ordered clerks to issue same-sex marriage licenses
(in SF's historic "Winter of Love", February-March 2004).
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FORWARD FREELY!!!
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