Belgium: Het Roze Huis (The Pink House) receives a visit from
Egyptian ambassador  Behind The Mask That is the information
given by Soliman Awaad, the Egyptian ambassador in Brussels,
during a very recent visit to Het Roze Huis (The Pink House) in
Antwerp, Belgium. 'Egyptian law does not mention homosexuality',
the ambassador declared. 'The 23 men were convicted because of
lewdness and contempt of religion.' Het Roze Huis, the GLBT
community centre in the Antwerp area, repeatedly focused on the
case of the 'Nile boat' in 2001. During the first half of last
year, 52 men were arrested at a party on a Nile boat. The
arrests caused an international outrage. Apart from the 52
adults, the police also arrested a male minor. After many
months, 29 adults and the minor were acquitted. However, 23 men
did receive severe prison sentences.  Our consistent attention
for human rights and the treatment of gays and lesbians in Egypt
led to more intensive contacts with Soliman Awaad, the Egyptian
ambassador for Belgium, the Gr