Add Category
Posted
Egyptian authorities have arrested seven people who allegedly raised a rainbow flag at a concert held in Cairo.
- Homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited under Egyptian law
- Authorities instead prosecute people under alternative charges including inciting immorality
- The Lebanese band has since been banned from performing in Egypt
The flag raising was a rare sign of support for highly marginalised homosexuals in conservative Egypt.
It took place at a concert held on Friday by popular Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou' Leila, whose lead singer is openly gay.
The band has subsequently been banned from performing in Egypt by the country's official musicians union.
The seven were arrested on Monday and charged 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 to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised 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 offences relating to sex work.
Prosecutors also sometimes charge gay people with "blasphemy," which is also considered a crime in Egypt, which has severe limits on free speech.
Shortly after the concert, images and videos of the flag-raising went viral, with some praising the move but 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," Mr Ragab said in a phone interview on an Egyptian television network, labelling the band's music "depraved art".
He said the band had all the necessary permits, including approval by the ubiquitous state security services, but added the union would ban the group from further performances.
Mashrou' Leila has played in Egypt before, although the group was twice banned from performing in Jordan over allegations its musicians violate the kingdom's traditions and commit blasphemy.
It is one of the Arab world's few rock acts to gain significant resonance in the West, playing its Arabic-language fusion to a growing number of fans in Europe and the United States.
AP
Topics: sexuality, law-crime-and-justice, rights, music, egypt