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The Ministry of Culture in Lebanon may decide to ban the film “Barbie” after it accused the film of “promoting homosexuality” on Wednesday. Lebanon, normally perceived as relatively open and free in the Middle East, has seen its ruling elites gather around hardcore conservative values.
Anyone who has seen Greta Gerwig’s film knows that the character Barbie aspires to a world of peace and love.
In Lebanon, however, this American comedy is fueling tensions.
The film is showing in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, but the heroine played by Australian actress Margot Robbie, could be banned from the generally liberal Lebanon.
The question is, why has this film been stirred up by the political classes? Some argue that it could be a way to bury the underlining economic and judicial issues, as well as the lack of water and electricity that gas infuriated the population since the disastrous explosion in 2020.
“Barbie’s release in the Middle East was initially planned for August 31 but it was recently brought forward to August 10, seemingly indicating that any censorship issues had been resolved. Films are often delayed in the region to allow time for production companies to censor them or gather committees to review them.
Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada announced on Wednesday August 9 that he had asked for the film to be banned because it “promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation” and “contradicts values of faith and morality” by diminishing the importance of the family unit. Mortada is backed by the powerful Shi’ite armed mlitant group Hezbollah, who’s Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has ramped up his rhetoric against the LGBT community, referring in a recent speech to Islamic texts that call for punishment by death.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi asked the country’s General Security’s Censorship Committee, which falls under the Interior Ministry and is…
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Source : france24
