Kiana Firouz has no where to run. Because she is gay and she was born in Iran. Neither her religion nor her country accepts her existence. Iranian movie maker and actress’ recent documentary –drama movie “ Cul De Sac” based on her own life story explains how painful to be a gay in an Islamic country like Iran where homosexuality is a crime .
“Homosexuality is not my choice ,it is my nature .” says Firouz in her movie “Cul De Sac” which is now at Nothing Hill Coronet Cinema. Being born in Iran and living under Islamic Law (sharia) are not 27 year-old movie maker’s choice either. Does that mean she has to be hanged like 4000 gays who have been executed since 1979 Revolution in Iran ? Unfortunately, yes. People in Iran and six other Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia ,Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Yemen people have been made believe that God orders to kill those who are gay .Why did God create them as a gay in the first place then? But ,are people allowed to question any single thing in any religion? No!
The fact is ,according to Sharia, Firouz ,who has been living in the UK since 2008, will be lashed 100 times and this will repeat three times if she had to return to Iran. Fourth punishment will be death. Gay activist, whose first application to refuge in the UK has recently been refused , will be given choice of death styles like being hanged ,stoned, halved by a sword or dropped from the highest perch if her second application gets refused by the British Home Office.
“Cul De Sac” which means end of life is a proof of Firouz’s endless fight and pain to be heard by both the UK and Iranian authorities to have a right to live as she is.
“As an Iranian lesbian ,I think the film is the best way to show how difficult life is for lesbians in my country.”, says Firouz in a recent interview with and international human right organization The Everyone Group and adds : “This film contains sex scenes that would be sufficient evidence for receiving a death sentence if I were sent back to Iran. Now my only hope is to mobilise the international LGBT community.”
The Everyone Group has announced on its website that it appealed to the British Government and the democratic forces of the European Union ,the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ,that Kiana Firouz to be immediately guaranteed adequate humanitarian protection and that the order for her deportation be repealed .Organisation has also launched a petition at www.everyonegroup.com against the decision to her deportation.
Concerned readers can either take part in the petition at www.petitononline.com/kianaf or email to the British Home Office on public..enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk to stop Iranian movie maker’s deportation.
Kiana Firouz has become a symbol of the international fight against homophobia and repression of gays and lesbians inlamic countries since “Cul De Sac” attracted global media attention after its trailer published on youtube in December 2009.
