Police brutality charge by African teen disturbs mayor

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he is "very
troubled" by claims that a Homewood high school student was beaten by
undercover police. Jordan Miles, 18, was treated at a hospital twice after an arrest
last week by three plainclothes Pittsburgh police officers. Police
suspected he had a concealed gun and -- after a chase and a struggle with the Creative and Performing Arts High School senior -- concluded he was holding a bottle of Mountain Dew instead. He was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, but when officers did not show for a court hearing Thursday, the matter was postponed. Mr. Miles took several blows to the head and face, was Tasered and
had a chunk of hair ripped from his head, his lawyer said. He was
walking between homes owned by his mother and grandmother when police stopped him. Police claimed that they identified themselves to Mr. Miles and
repeatedly tried to subdue the 18 year old after he fled. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10023/1030533-53.stm#ixzz0dSGORqqE

Honour and secrecy for families of gay Muslims

Pink News: Last week, the LGBT homeless charity Albert Kennedy Trust warned it was seeing an increase in the numbers of gay Muslims fleeing from forced marriages and family violence. However, for one gay Muslim, the experiences of gay EastEnders character Syed Masood are closer to home. While I haven't been a fan of the show for quite some time, I was intrigued when I heard that EastEnders was to feature a storyline outlining the struggles faced by gay Muslims. Being someone who is both gay and (quasi)religious in their Islamic faith, I was interested to see how they would cover it. As many people know, the relationship between religious communities and homosexuality can be volatile with both sides often holding open contempt for each other, but nowhere is this shown more than in the families of gay Muslims.