statement from al-fatiha

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, Merciful

August 29, 2001: LGBT Muslims condemn ongoing trial of "Cairo 52"

"Portraying human rights as something that contradicts Egyptian social norms is nothing but a ploy to take the pressure away from the real issue at hand..." - Faisal Alam, Founder & Director, Al-Fatiha August 29, 2001.

Al-Fatiha, an international organization dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) condemned the ongoing trial which 52 men who are being detained because of their alleged sexual orientation.

The men who were arrested in late May and early June faced an initial hearing in July and the first day of their trial occurred on August 15, 2001. The men who are being referred to as the "Cairo 52" have been in prison for more than three months and will face the second day of their trial today, August 29, 2001. In a letter sent to the Egyptian embassy in Washington DC and faxed to President Hosni Mubarak today, Al-Fatiha condemned the government of Egypt for failing to release the men.

"With thousands of emails, phone calls, and letters sent to your government and with demonstrations around the world to condemn the trial, it is extremely sad that such an international outcry has fallen on deaf ears," wrote Faisal Alam, Founder & Director of Al-Fatiha in the letter. The letter continues by saying that "portraying human rights as something that contradicts Egyptian social norms is nothing but a ploy to take the pressure away from the real issue at hand - the mistreatment, harassment, and torture that the 52 men have faced." The letter ends by urging the government of Egypt to release the men immediately.

International human rights organizations, LGBT groups, faith-based organizations, civil rights groups and government officials around the world have condemned the trial and have demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the men. The Egyptian government flatly denies that the men have been arrested because of their sexual orientation and continues to say that they were engaged in public sex acts which are considered immoral by Egyptian society and are criminalized through Egyptian laws.

In a meeting held on August 14 with a representative of Amnesty International USA, Egyptian officials stressed that the men were part of a religious cult that blasphemies the religion of Islam and threatened Egyptian civil society. In a separate meeting held with the Egyptian embassy in Sweden after protests were held in Geneva outside of a UN building, representatives of the Swedish Federation of LGBT Rights (RFSL) and the Amnesty International Swedish section on August 22, 2001, Egyptian officials emphasized that the men were indeed going to have a fair trial even though it is taking place in an Emergency Security Court where no appeals on rulings are allowed.

Al-Fatiha has also learned from these two meetings that a minor (the age has not been determined) was arrested together with the men and is facing a separate trial. Al-Fatiha launched an international campaign in late July 2001 to bring world-wide attention on Egypt and the on-going trial in Cairo. On August 15 (the first day of the trial) Al-Fatiha marked an International Day of Solidarity and Mourning by collaborating with dozens of organizations around the world to hold concurrent demonstrations in ten cities.

In addition thousands of people across the globe flooded the Egyptian government with emails, phone calls, and faxes to denounce the arrest and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the 52 men.

Today (on August 29) Al-Fatiha has renewed that call to action by asking people around the world to once again flood the Egyptian government with emails, faxes, and phone calls to put pressure on the government to release the men.

Emails, phone numbers, and faxes of Egyptian embassies and consulates around the world can be found at:http://www.mfa.gov.eg/missions_a.asp?id=0505

Media Contact: Faisal Alam
US Tel.: 202-390-5305
Email: gaymuslims@yahoo.com