Blairs Holiday in Egypt Despite Queer Crackdown
British Prime Minister Accused of Turning a Blind Eye to
Human Rights
QueerCompany, December 31, 2001
http://www.queercompany.com/affairs/newswires.cgi?storyid=11522
Tony Blair has enraged Egyptian queer activists by taking his family on a
private holiday to Egypt.
The country has recently been at the centre of international attention
following a series of arrests of men accused of being gay, as well as the
torture and imprisonment of a teenage boy.
In November, 23 men were jailed with hard labour for their alleged sexual
orientation and/or their views on sexual freedom.
The PM and his family flew to Cairo on Boxing Day, to the delight of the
country’s tourism authority.
Samia Khafaga, director of the London embassy’s tourist office, said:
"It is a very good advert for the country.
"To have such a dignitary visit our country is very effective for
tourism."
Not so delighted is the gay website Egypt.com which has continually strived
to publicise the abuse of gays in Egypt.
The site writes: "At his party’s last annual conference, Britain’s
Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that from now on human rights would be
right at the centre of British foreign policy.
"Now it seems he and his family have chosen to go on a secret holiday
to Egypt despite the calls from human rights groups for tourists to boycott
the country following the hard labour sentences imposed on dozens of Egyptian
men for the alleged homosexuality."
—Rebecca Sandles
[Home] [News] [Egypt]
