In all the Left's defense of Islam, no one mentions their harsh treatment of the gay community. ( Flickr/Creative Commons )

Liberals, the Left, and name-callers of those who expose the evils of Islam conveniently ignore what Islamic law prescribes for homosexuals, "transgender" lesbians, bisexuals and others identifying with a gender other than their biological nature. The Quran identifies homosexuality as "the worst" sin, and is one among "great sins."

Homosexuality is identified as a sexual act different from (and worse than) adultery or other sexual sins. Quran 7:81 and 26:165-166 state:

"Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you?" "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing."

According to Islam, the punishment for homosexuality is generally death by stoning:

"For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds. ... And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone)" (Quran 7:80-84; 27; 29). The Quran rewrites the Biblical account in Genesis of Sodom and Gomorrah, as it does with every biblical passage. The "rain of stones" is often interpreted as the punishment for homosexuality is death by stoning.

Different Islamic caliphs determine legal punishment, but their rulings are based on text from the Quran. But it's clear that transgressors have an opportunity to "repent" from their sinful ways. Quran 4:16 states, "If two from among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone." (It is understood that this verse is referring to men, as verse 15 referred to women.)

However, despite varying degrees of punishment, no Islamic country legally permits homosexuality. In most cases, it is forbidden as part of a penal code. Numerous examples exist of how homosexuals are tortured and killed because of Sharia law. Below are only a few examples of thousands.

Ghana

In Ghana's capital city Accra, one Sharia-enforcing group called "the Safety Empire," is on a mission to eliminate any trend related to homosexuality other than death. They publicly seek out suspects, even without proof or any legal process whatsoever, any man suspected of being a homosexual is flogged. In 2015, for example, one suspect, after being undressed, received 100 lashes, whipped with belts, sticks and sharp metal. The Safety Empire's goal is to "wage war against homosexuality." It regularly releases videos on social media sites, evidencing their efforts.

Iran

Homosexuals are primarily executed in Iran. According to a 2011 Human Rights Watch report, We are a Buried Generation: Discrimination and Violence Against Sexual Minorities in Iran, trials related to "moral charges" are usually held in closed sessions. Regardless if the same-sex act is consensual or not, the death penalty is most often the sentence, because Iranian legal code doesn't differentiate between rape and homosexuality. Human rights activists estimate that some 4,000 alleged homosexuals have been executed in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iraq

Young homosexuals in Iraq, identified as "emos" because of their non-Islamic/Middle Eastern hairstyles and clothes, are regularly targeted by Sharia enforcers. These homosexuals are either stoned, beaten to death or shot dead. In Northern Bagdad, for example, a group called the Brigades of Anger, posts fliers naming who their targets are. In non-Islamic cultures, emos generally only refer to a teen's appearance and musical preference. In Iraq, this is not the case; emos are associated with homosexuality.

Kenya

In 2011, in response to the "rising cases of homosexuality," 150 madrassa teachers attended a workshop at the Madrasatul Munawarra Al-Islamiyya in Majengo estate, Mombasa, Kenya to address how they could coordinate demands to "crack down on institutions that spearhead the rights of gays and lesbians" in Kenya. The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya's organizing secretary, Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa, urged leaders to shun other religious and political leaders in their communities who enable homosexuality. He said:

"We are asking Kenyans to shun businesses owned by such people and further show them open discrimination as a way of stopping the beastly act. advertisement "They grossly abuse rights of others and should not be accepted among the society."

Lebanon

In 2012, police began targeting homosexuals in Beirut, Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Murr TV (MTV) channel, police raided Plaza Cinema in Beirut, which screens porn films and is widely known as a "gay cruising spot." In one raid, 36 people, including the Cinema's owner, were arrested.

Despite a 2009 judicial ruling that consensual homosexual relations did not "violate the laws of nature," Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code is still on the books and is still used to arrest homosexuals. (Article 534 prohibits having sexual relations that "contradict the laws of nature." Violators can get up to one year in prison.)

Saudi Arabia

In 2012, according to the Sharq Arabic language daily news, Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, began enforcing an official order to ban "gays and tom boys" from Saudi schools and universities. The initiative was designed to lessen the spread of the "homosexuality phenomenon" in the Gulf state. The Commission announced:

"Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites."

If not killed, homosexual men are often sentenced to prison, depending on the level of their offense. In 2010, for example, the Saudi Arabic language news Okaz reported that a 27-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison and received 500 lashes for "indulging in homosexual activities and publishing obscene photos of himself online," which included pictures of him wearing women's underwear. Okaz stated:

"The court found that this defendant had indulged in obscene acts that contravene Islamic teachings ... the judge also decided to fine him SR50,000."

Syria

In Syria and Iraq, ISIS is vigilantly pursuing and executing homosexuals. First they are hurled off of rooftops, and when they hit they ground, they are either shot or stoned to death to finish the job. Photos and videos released by ISIS reveal that several men at a time are killed in front of groups of people and/or before crowds. Others are held captive, tortured, then shot to death.

U.K.

Any nonheterosexual who "comes out" to their family or community in a Western country, such as the U.K., is arranged to marry someone of the opposite sex against their will. The British government actually has a "Forced Marriage Unit" (FMU) to investigate reports of young homosexual men and lesbian women who express fear that they will be forced into marriages by their families against their will.

One young girl described her experience of being a lesbian in an Islamic family to the BBC News. She explained: "I tried to introduce it to them, because I knew it was a thing you don't talk about. It's forbidden. But once you mention 'homosexual,' the discussion is over. You can't go into detail about it." Her parents, not native to the U.K., rejected anything she said, scheduled weekly meetings with eligible bachelors, and eventually resorted to violence to make their teenage daughter comply.

Bethany Blankley worked in politics for over 10 years, on Capitol Hill for four U.S. Senators and one U.S. Congressman, and in New York for a former governor. She also previously taught at the New York School of the Bible and worked with several nonprofits. She earned her master's degree in theology from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her bachelor's degree in politics from the University of Maryland. She is a political analyst for Fox News Radio, and she has appeared on television and radio programs nationwide. Follow her: @BethanyBlankley, bethanyblankley.com.

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