A Black day for humanity in 2012

Youngsters in Iraq are being stoned to death for having
haircuts and wearing clothes that emulate the ‘emo’ style
popular among western teenagers.
At least 14 youths have been killed in the capital Baghdad
in the past three weeks in what appears to be a campaign
by Shia militants.
Militants in Shia neighbourhoods, where the stonings have
taken place, circulated lists yesterday naming more youths
targeted to be killed if they do not change the way they
dress.
The killings have taken place since Iraq’s interior ministry
drew attention to the ‘emo’ subculture last month, labelling
it ‘Satanism’ and ordering the community police force to
stamp it out.
Fans of the ‘emo’ trend – short for emotional – wear tight
jeans and have distinctive long, black or spiky haircuts.

The bodies of at least 14 youths have been taken to three
hospitals in eastern Baghdad bearing signs of having been
beaten to death with rocks.
After reports of the stonings circulated on Iraqi media, the
interior ministry said this week that no murders on its files
could be blamed on attacks on ‘emos’.
Iraq’s leading Shia clerics have condemned the stonings.
Iraq's Moral Police released a statement on the interior
ministry's website condemning the 'emo phenomenon'
among Iraqi youth, declaring its intent to 'eliminate' the
trend.
The move is part of a wider clampdown on young people
taking on what government officials call 'Western
appearances' in Iraq.
'The Emo phenomenon or devil worshipping is being
followed by the Moral Police who have the approval to
eliminate (the phenomenon) as soon as possible since it's
detrimentally affecting the society and becoming a danger,'
the statement read.
'They wear strange, tight clothes that have pictures on
them such as skulls and use stationary that are shaped as
skulls. They also wear rings on their noses and tongues,
and do other strange activities.'
A group of armed men dressed in civilian clothing led
dozens of teenagers to secluded areas a few days ago,
stoned them to death, and then disposed their bodies in
garbage dumpsters across the capital, according to
activists, activists told the Cairo-based al-Akhbar website.
The armed men are said to belong to 'one of the most
extremist religious groups' in Iraq.
'First they throw concrete blocks at the boy's arms, then at
his legs, then the final blow is to his head, and if he is not
dead then, they start all over again,' one person who
managed to escape told Al-Akhbar.
Iraq's moral police was granted approval by the Ministry of
Education to enter Baghdad schools and pinpoint students
with such appearances, according to the interior ministry's
statement.
The exact death toll remains unclear, but Hana al-Bayaty
of Brussels Tribunal, an NGO dealing with Iraqi issues, said
the current figure ranges 'between 90 and 100.'
'What's most disturbing about this is that they're so young,'
she said.
Al-Bayaty said the killings appear to have been carried out
by extremist Shia militias in mostly poor Shia
neighborhoods and said she suspected 'there's complicity
of the Ministry of Interior in the killings.'
Photos of the victims were released on Facebook, causing
panic and fear among Iraqi students.