>BBC published the testimony of a gay Iraqi man with the pseudonym Taim who had fled an area overrun by the Islamic State. He lamented the extent to which many in the communities in which he was raised cheered the Islamic State's persecution of perceived homosexuals. (The Islamic State is also known as ISIS and ISIL.) He said:
>Isis are also professional when it comes to tracking gay people. They hunt them down one by one. When they capture people, they go through his phone and his contacts and Facebook friends. They are trying to track down every gay man. And it's like dominoes. If one goes, the others will be taken down too.
>It's devastating to see the public reaction to the killings. Usually, when Isis posts pictures online, people sympathise with the victims — but not if they're gay. You should see the Facebook comments after they post video of the killings. It's devastating. "We hate Isis but when they do things like this, we love them. God bless you Isis." "I am against Isis but I am totally with Isis when they kill gays." "Amazing news. This is the least that gays deserve." "The most horrible crime on earth is homosexuality. Good job Isis." "The scene is ugly but they deserve it." "Those dirty people deserve Isis."
>A handful of gay men who escaped the clutches of the Islamic State gave testimony at a United Nations meeting in August.
>"In the Islamic State, gays are being tracked and killed all the time," said Subhi Nahas, a 28-year-old Syrian who fled via Lebanon and found sanctuary in the United States. "At the executions, hundreds of townspeople, including children, cheered jubilantly as [if] at a wedding."
