A horrifying new report has revealed that over 90 “emo kids” have been stoned to death, allegedly by Shia militants in Iraq. As many as 58 have been killed in the last six weeks alone.

The victims, who were identified by their apparent emo-fashions, characterised by tight jeans and graphic t-shirts, were all gay or perceived to be gay. Militants have distributed hit lists divulging personal information of the targets. One such list which was recently sent out contained names or nicknames as well as home addresses of 33 victims in Baghdad’s Shiite Sadr City, all but one of them men. It also contained a chilling warning,

“We warn in the strongest terms to every male and female debauchee,” the Shiite militia hit list says. “If you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen.”

The killings themselves have been brutal, almost medieval acts, with witnesses saying that some victims were bludgeoned to death with cement blocks.

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In the West, emo is a relatively innocent abbreviation of the term “emotional”, referencing the popular and annoying teen subculture. However, in Iraq the term is widely associated, and often synonymous, with homosexuality. It is unknown why the recent surge of hate crimes has come about but it is believed that it is at least in part a result of the Iraqi interior ministry bringing attention to the emo subculture last month, by posting a statement to their website which labelled it as Satanic.  The following is an extract from the statement.

The Emo phenomenon or devil worshipping is being followed by the Moral Police who have the approval to eliminate [the phenomenon] as soon as possible since it’s detrimentally affecting the society and becoming a danger…

They wear strange, tight clothes that have pictures on them such as skulls and use stationary that are shaped as skulls. They also wear rings on their noses and tongues, and do other strange activities.

Homosexuality is strictly forbidden by the Quran, and hate crimes are often dealt as “honour killings”, with the intention of preserving the purity of the religion.

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Incentive to investigate the crimes is low, as those believed to be responsible for the killings intimidate local authorities. Official reactions to the crimes vary widely.

Hardline Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr labelled “emos” as “crazy fools” who were a “lesion on the Muslim community” and advised that “experts must finish them”.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a revered Shiite sheikh, called the killings acts of “terrorism” that were a “bad phenomenon for the peaceful co-existence project.”

A statement from another Iraqi cleric called the killings “exaggerated”, the facts of which were fabricated for political purposes.

An estimated 750 gays have been killed in Iraq since 2006.

[Source: The Atlantic Wire, The Daily Mail, Al Arabiya News, ABC News]