BEIRUT – Lebanon’s culture minister pushed on Wednesday to ban the film “Barbie” from theaters, claiming it “promotes homosexuality” and opposes Christian beliefs.
Minister Mohammad Mortada is backed by the powerful Shiite armed group Hezbollah, whose leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has increased his rhetoric against the LGBT population, citing Islamic texts that demand for the death penalty in a recent speech.
According to Mortada’s ruling, the video “promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation” and “contradicts values of faith and morality” by downplaying the importance of the family unit.
Based on Mortada’s action, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi requested that the video be reviewed and recommended by General Security’s censorship committee, which is under the interior ministry and is generally responsible for censorship decisions.
Later in the day, Kuwait followed Lebanon’s lead, stating it had banned “Barbie” and the supernatural horror film “Talk to Me” to defend “public ethics and social traditions,” according to the state news agency.
Lebanon was the first Arab country to organize a gay pride week in 2017, and it is often regarded as a safe haven for the LGBT population in the otherwise conservative Middle East.
However, the topic has recently gained prominence, causing tensions to rise. Mawlawi made the decision last year to prohibit activities “promoting sexual perversion” in Lebanon, which is often assumed to refer to LGBT-friendly groups.
Nasrallah urged on Lebanese authorities last month to take action against publications he perceived to be promoting homosexuality, including “banning” them.
Source: Reuters
