Gay Syrian Asylum Seekers Face Threats From Fellow Refugees in Europe

As if fleeing from tyranny and war are not enough, Syrian LGBT refugees face continued abuse and hostility from other non-gay refugees in Europe.   By Anthony Faiola Washington Post October 24, 2015 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/gay-asylum-seekers-face-threat-from-fellow-refugees-in-europe/2015/10/23/46762ce2-71b8-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html   Dresden, Germany Rami Ktifan made a snap decision to come out. A fellow Syrian had spotted a rainbow flag lying

No Place For Gays in Yemen

A report from 2013 describes the situation for LGBT citizens in Yemen. Since that time little has changed for gay people in this war-torn country where Houthi rebels have taken over the government in 2014-15. Life for homosexuals is dangerous and deadly ; virtually no one reveals his sexual preference in public.   By Shuaib

Gay in Syria During a War

The revolution in Syria has put thousands of gay people at high risk of torture and death from all fighting sides–Islamist extremists, Assad loyalists and opposition rebels. It is currently one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a LGBT person. There is no mercy from any of these warring parties. The

Syria Country Photos

Syria in 2011-12 is in upheaval, rebellion and civil war with hundreds of thousands of ‘rebels’ battling against government military forces to end the dictatorial repressive regime of the ruling Assad family. The land itself is beautiful with historic Roman ruins and peaceful valleys. In the market souks of Aleppo and villages life continues as

Lebanon Country Photos

Lebanon is known for its unique efforts in the Middle East to guarantee civil rights and freedom to its citizens, ranking first in the Middle East and 26th worldwide (out of 66 countries) in the The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2011. Due to its tightly regulated financial system and the highest gold

Bahrain Country Photos

Bahrain has a reputation as a relatively liberal and modern Persian Gulf. The government  has encouraged tourism development which is a significant source of income. Despite a recent period of political liberalization including some changes in the criminal code, in 2011 during the ‘Arab Spring’ major protests against government policies led to massive street protests.

Kuwait Country Photos

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a parliamentary system of government, with Kuwait City serving as the country’s political and economic capital. The country has the world’s fifth largest oil reserves. It is the eleventh richest country in the world per capita. In 2007, it had the highest human development index (HDI) in the Arab

Saudi Arabia Country Photos

Saudi Arabia is a complex, mysterious, fundamentalist country with much wealth from vast oil fields. It boasts the most modern standards for the middle and upper classes. However the form of Islam practiced there is backward and repressive that does not allow much personal freedom of expression, especially for women. Salafism, also known as Wahabbism

UAE/Dubai Country Photos

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf. The seven states, termed emirates, are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Dubai is the most well known due to its progressive financial policies and daring architecture.

Palestine Photo Gallery

Palestine is both a historic settled culture and a territory in transition and conflict. Situated at a strategic location between Egypt, Syria and Arabia, and the birthplace of the Judaism and Christianity, the region has a long and tumultuous history as a crossroads for religion, culture, commerce, and politics. The region has been controlled by

Qatar Country Photos

Qatar has been ruled as an absolute monarchy by the Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling, it became independent in 1971, and has become one of the region\’s wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues. In 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al

Gay Life in Qatar

Much like other small Gulf States in the Arabian peninsula finding recent and in-depth stories about gay life is not easy. The biggest public kerfluffle about homosexuality in Qatar in recent years has not concerned any gay executions, witch hunts, persecution or demands for gay marriage. Rather, in December 2010 the football/soccer World Cup association

Oman Country Photos

Oman is a quiet prosperous, modern and progressive Arab sultanate where life has settled into a quiet place in the Middle East. Little is heard of it in the modern world except as a peaceful land of rugged beauty and friendly people. It is ruled by a benevolent Sultan who since his reign began in

Gay Life in Oman

(Updated January 2017) Information and insight about LGBT life in Oman is neither plentiful nor scarce. GlobalGayz has not yet been to Oman so we have been researching the internet for some inside ideas and experiences. What is noticeable is that the lengthier commentaries posted online come from expats who live or have lived in

Yemen Country Photos

Yemen has a land area of 555,000 square kilometers and a population of approximately 24 million (2010). Its capital and largest city is Sana’a. Yemen’s territory includes over 200 islands, the largest of which is Socotra, about 415 km to the south of mainland Yemen, off the coast of Somalia. It is the only state