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Sarajevo Queer Festival attacked

by Rex Wockner

At least 10 people were injured – six of whom required hospitalization – when dozens of hooded, bearded men shouting "Kill the gays" and "Allahu akbar" ("God is great") attacked the opening of the first Sarajevo Queer Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sept. 24.
Some attendees were dragged from cars while others were chased down the streets near the Academy of Fine Arts, site of the festival's opening events. A police officer and two journalists also were injured.
The five-day indoor arts and culture festival offered exhibitions, performances, movies and public discussions.
Some local media had campaigned for violence against the festival, urging that the organizers be lynched, stoned, doused with gasoline or expelled from the country.
Posters advocating "Death to gays" appeared around Sarajevo in early September, and the festival was denounced by some imams, who objected, among other things, to its coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"We do not feel safe for ourselves or for our families," one of the event's organizers told Amnesty International prior to the festival's opening. "Some of us had to find new accommodation because our names and addresses were made publicly known. We are afraid to use public transport or go out alone."
The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights strongly condemned the attacks.
"It is a cowardly behavior to challenge the views one disagrees with by violence," said Intergroup President Michael Cashman. "Bosnia-Herzegovina wants to become a member of the European Union and the country should clearly show that it is ready for membership. Authorities and society at large must show that they can respect the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people not just in law, but also in practice. Respect for human rights is at the heart of EU membership."
Intergroup Vice President Sirpa Pietikaeinen added, "Religious and political leaders should be aware that the violence … is a result of their homophobic speeches."

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Topics: News
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