Maronite church calls for cancellation of Mashrou’ Leila concert

The band is scheduled to preform on  August 9th in the context of the Byblos International Festival. Jbeil's eparchy intervenes objecting to the blasphemous texts of some songs. The controversy goes viral online. To date there are no official reactions from the organizers.

Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A senior representative of the Maronite Church has called for the cancellation of a concert by Lebanese band Mashrou ’Leila because, in his opinion, some of the band's songs would have blasphemous connotations. In response, the musicians have already raised a protest claiming to be the subject of a campaign of censorship and cancellation of freedom of expression.

In recent weeks the Lebanese band has been touring the country and has already performed in several cities. However, yesterday an online debate exploded - among fans of the band and critics close to the positions of the Church - around the expected participation in the Byblos International Festival, scheduled for next August 9th.

The group, which has already performed in the United States and Europe, has raised controversies in Egypt and has been banned from Jordan, has a declared homosexual frontman and singer. And the band's songs have fueled controversy and clashes in the Middle Eastern region, because of the texts dealing with oppression, classism, sectarianism and homophobia.

In a note published on July 22 last, the Maronite eparchy of Jbeil (Byblos) stated that most of the band's songs "violate the values ​​of the faith" and it is not the case that the city hosts concerts "that are in direct contrast with the Christian faith ”. Hence the request to the organizers to cancel their performance in the context of the show.

To date there have been no official reactions from the organizers of the event.

On social media channels the band Mashrou 'Leila remembers having already performed in other parts of Lebanon in the recent past and defines the "clamor" that emerged in these days as "strange" "knowing that it does not want to offend anyone or attack anyone's system of values " . Our mission, the note goes on, is not to "curse arbitrarily" or "disrespect religious symbols".

Meanwhile, the clash between supporters and critics of the musical group continues, while requests to cancel the preformance are multiplying. Some political leaders, including Naji Hayek of Free Patriotic Movement, are threatening violence in order to get the cancellation. Others, like the former parliamentarian of Byblos Fares Soaid, stand in defense of the band stressing that one must be free to "boycott", but "let Lebanon retain its taste of freedom".