"Layla Project" about the cancellation ceremony in Byblos: "That's the reason for the bluff"

The official Leila project on Facebook has issued a statement after the cancellation of the international festival of Beblos, scheduled for 9 August. The statement included a definition of the group and its objectives, and highlighted the events that had unfolded since the opposition to the establishment of the concert until the decision was made. cancellation, in addition to a clarification of the group.

Here is the text of the statement:

"Who are we?

We are a Lebanese group founded 10 years ago. One of the most important reasons for our pride is our multiplicity: we are different sects, regions and identities in a country where there are many projects of the same color. We carried our differences along Lebanon and participated in most of its festivals until we reached the world.

Last week, we talked a lot about ourselves and the hidden projects that we serve in secret. All we want to say is that we all have a great love for our country, Lebanon and its people. We, like others, have our ideas about this country, how to be more beautiful and better. Our project is based on the right to be different, mutual respect and tolerance and we will always be attached to these values. This is the Layla project group, we are aiming for what is beautiful and creative. It is neither a demonic group nor a Masonic group and has no secret purpose or project.

How did the events of last week evolve?

Last week, we saw a big bias in our team. It all started with a video that has spread to social networking sites, where terrible things have been said and certainly not true. It is said that the name of Leila refers to the night of eternal injustice. We asked about the priest who produced the video. We therefore understood that he had received a disciplinary judgment requiring him to suspend all his activities in the church. But he does not have it.

The hours have not stopped until many pages of social networks are active. What shocked us was the size of the accusations and the change in the meaning of the songs and the lies, until the making of the images. The programmed campaign has reached the point of direct threat and blood wastage. But many of them have launched Hachtagat: "blood on you", "what are you cutting" (ie the party), and "if we are moving away from me".

After continuing this speech, human rights organizations called on the state to intervene to end the lawsuit that took place against us on the street. But we were interviewed for the first time in the march of our group on two of our songs, without taking any position to protect us. The investigation does not clearly indicate that we have committed a criminal offense, but the situation has never changed and the attack has remained the same. Few had heard of it and often the previous opinion preceded us where we are going.

We have been judged in the street, transforming all those who want to judge sentences and applying them against us. This is a departure from the logic of the state, an outlet that strikes at the lowest point any sense of our security and our ability to art and creativity.

Clarification and correction:

The attack began with the publication of a portrait of Madonna, who would be responsible for its manufacture. This image was not published by the group and has never been published on any of its pages. The bulk of what has happened is that one of its members posted on his page in 2015 an article by writer Scott Long containing this picture, an article dealing with the conversion of the popular culture in cultural icons, before coming back and removing it from its page in 2016. All other images attributed to the band or one of its members are images manufactured, manufactured and incorrect.

All erroneous interpretations and misinterpretations of certain expressions in the two songs of the group out of 50, it is important to point out that these songs have been performed in Lebanon since 2015 and that no one has opposed it ever since. Suffice it to say here that the meanings of work often differ from direct linguistic meanings, especially if they are removed from context. This is the cause of all this blasphemy.

Position:

There is our constant principle: it is motivation and motivation in our work: our love for the homeland, for our society. On the basis of this love, it is important to clarify and declare:

We sincerely and honestly regret anyone who feels their beliefs in any of our songs. We badure him, and everyone else, that these songs do not violate either sanctity or belief, and that the feelings that have been caused to him are mainly due to campaigns of defamation, defamation and false accusations. which we were the first victims and unfair responsibility. Our respect for the beliefs of others is as strong as our respect for the right to divergence, and what will happen eventually will increase our concern.

The circumstances in which we pbaded, which resulted in the decision of the Byblos International Festival Committee to cancel the ceremony, were very difficult and stressful. We felt the fragility of the situation in Lebanon. As we work hard to overcome these feelings, we thank our loyal audience and all those who spoke to us about local and international human rights organizations, cultural organizations and media, activists, friends and the community. family in this difficult time, hoping to meet them with the most beautiful of our achievements. And in the hope that it will be in a more tolerant and receptive environment to what is different, in a country that really looks like what boasts of the adage.