Freedom
... so long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrranize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men. Voltarine de Cleyre
 
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Somalia

About Somalia

official name: Somalia
capital: Mogadishu
head of state: Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (2004)
state: transitional federal government
population: 8,863,338
independence: from Britain in 1960
languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
religion: Sunni Muslim
currency: Somali shilling (SOS)

Legal wise

status of homosexuality: illegal
age of consent: NA
laws covering homosexual activity: "The Indian Penal Code was applied in British Somalia from 1925 to 1973, when a Somali Penal Code was adopted. Article 409 punishes sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex with imprisonment from 3 months to 3 years, and an act of lust different from sexual intercourse from 2 months to 2 years.

According to Article 410, a security measure may be added to a sentence for homosexual acts. This is normally police surveillance -- to guarantee that the person convicted does not engage in these activities again". (Arno Schmitt and Jehoeda Sofer - "Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies")

[Jehoeda Sofer does not specifically confirm whether the above Articles apply to lesbian sex. On the basis that they are based on the Indian Penal Code, it is assumed that they do not]

Communication

main lines in use: 100,000 (2005)
cellular telephones: 500,000 (2005)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 5 (2001).
Radios: 470,000 (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 3; note: two in Mogadishu; one in Hargeisa (2001).
Televisions: 135,000 (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2006)
Internet users: 90,000 (2005)

links and contacts

Queer Somalis/ Qaniisiinta Soomaaliyeed
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/queersomalis/

Articles:

A FASHION SHOW WITH A TWIST

somalis launch public gay site

one somali family

IGLHRC ACTION ALERT

u.n. analyst underscores the importance of human rights

queer somalis talk to new president by Mask Admin 22/10/2004
chaotic somalia picks a president by Mask Admin 14/10/2004
death hangs over somali queers by Mask Admin 3/5/2004

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