Egyptian authorities was able to stem the tide of immorality when they arrested seven people accused of being gay and promoting homosexuality. The suspects were caught trying to raise the dirty rainbow flag of the LGBT movement at a concert, even when it is crystal clear that it is against the law.
The flag was a deplorable sign of support for the highly unpopular and criticized homosexuals in conservative country. It took place at a Cairo performance last 22 September by an unknown Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila, a jazzy, electro-Arabesque group whose lead singer is reported to be a gay.
The seven were arrested and charged appropriately with “inciting immorality,” security officials said, adding that the Supreme State Security Prosecution acted after authorities discovered the seven had “raised the flag of homosexuals.” The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
Homosexuality is highly taboo in Egypt among both majority Muslims and the Christian minority, but it is not explicitly prohibited by law. In practice, however, the state regularly seeks to prosecute individuals under alternative charges, including “immorality” and “debauchery,” which are normally reserved for prostitution.
Prosecutors also sometimes charge gay people with “blasphemy,” which is also considered a crime in a country that wants a regulated free speech.
Shortly after the concert, images and videos of the flag-raising went viral, with many lambasting the behavior while others posting virulent attacks on social media. An exasperated host on one television channel urged Reza Ragab, the deputy head of the official musicians union, to explain how such a thing could have happened “on Egyptian soil.”
“We are against gay art,” Ragab said in a phone interview on AlAssema TV. “It is depraved art.”
He said the band had all the necessary permits, including approval by the ubiquitous state security services, but added that the union would ban the group from further performances.
The flag was a deplorable sign of support for the highly unpopular and criticized homosexuals in conservative country. It took place at a Cairo performance last 22 September by an unknown Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou’ Leila, a jazzy, electro-Arabesque group whose lead singer is reported to be a gay.
The seven were arrested and charged appropriately with “inciting immorality,” security officials said, adding that the Supreme State Security Prosecution acted after authorities discovered the seven had “raised the flag of homosexuals.” The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
Homosexuality is highly taboo in Egypt among both majority Muslims and the Christian minority, but it is not explicitly prohibited by law. In practice, however, the state regularly seeks to prosecute individuals under alternative charges, including “immorality” and “debauchery,” which are normally reserved for prostitution.
Prosecutors also sometimes charge gay people with “blasphemy,” which is also considered a crime in a country that wants a regulated free speech.
Shortly after the concert, images and videos of the flag-raising went viral, with many lambasting the behavior while others posting virulent attacks on social media. An exasperated host on one television channel urged Reza Ragab, the deputy head of the official musicians union, to explain how such a thing could have happened “on Egyptian soil.”
“We are against gay art,” Ragab said in a phone interview on AlAssema TV. “It is depraved art.”
He said the band had all the necessary permits, including approval by the ubiquitous state security services, but added that the union would ban the group from further performances.