‘Emo’ youths murdered in Iraq

Shiite death squads have killed more than a dozen young Iraqis over the past month for wearing Western-style emo clothes.  The Interior Ministry singled out the emo subculture—made up of youths who listen to Western emo music and wear tight jeans and long hair— last month, branding it “devil worshiping” and calling on the “moral police” to stamp it out. Since then, at least 14 emo teenagers have been stoned to death, and at least six others, including two girls, were beaten.  Militants in the Shiite neighborhood of Bayaa circulated leaflets naming more youths who would be killed if they didn’t change their style.  “We strongly warn you, to all the obscene males and females, if you will not leave this filthy work within four days the punishment of God will descend upon you at the hand of the Mujahideen,” the leaflets said.  Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a revered Shiite sheikh, condemned the killings.