Songs of the "Leila Project" in Beirut … to protest against "the strangulation of freedoms"

Hundreds of people in Beirut on Friday night attended a protest concert in solidarity with pro-gay group Laila Project, who canceled a concert scheduled for the same evening in an art festival north of the capital after been accused of insulting Christianity.

At the end of July, the Byblos International Festival Department announced that it had decided to cancel the "Laila Project" concert in order to "prevent bloodshed" after a violent debate that constituted a death threat.

The decision to cancel the concert comes after the "Laila Project" and the management of the Byblos festivals was the subject of a violent campaign through the media and social media, particularly the part of the Maronite church, following accusations of the group aimed at insulting Christian holy places in songs and earlier publications on the Internet.

The cancellation of the Lebanese group's concert provoked negative reactions from parties that expressed concern over the continuing restriction of liberties in Lebanon.

In solidarity with the group, whose leader Hamid Sinno expresses himself alone, over 1500 people gathered Friday night in Beirut for an alternative concert entitled "The Sound of Music Loud".

Although Project Laila did not participate in the concert, one of the organizers read to the audience a statement from the group that, instead of celebrating its 10th birthday, the main theme was "our freedom to say this." that we think ".

In its statement, the group called for "a future that offers us at least fundamental freedoms, a future in which censorship and self-censorship prevent us from expressing ourselves".

Many of the audience seemed to come out and express their position on the issue.

Abdel Halim Jabr, 57, professor of architecture at the American University of Beirut, where members of the Leila project studied, said that this organization supported the "battle for freedoms".

"If we lose it, what will remain in this country?", He added, noting in particular the difficult economic situation and the risks for the environment.

Behind the scenes, the artist Ziad Sahab said that he had participated in the concert to protest "against the religious authorities that hinder our choice of musicians".

He added, "I'm not going to the mbades to impose on them what they say."

The cancellation of the Lebanese group's concert provoked negative reactions from parties that expressed concern over the continuing restriction of liberties in Lebanon. This was particularly evident in a petition titled "Freedom of Expression: Do not Give Up to Violence", signed by more than 200 of the most famous personalities in the fields of art, culture, media and even the clergy.