Why Mashrou' Leila is banned from Lebanon's Byblos festival

(L-R) Musicians Haig Papazian, Carl Gerges and Hamed Sinno of Mashrou' Leila pose for a picture on November 1, 2017 in New York.
The symbol of solidarity brought a harsh backlash. As Lebanese rockers Mashrou' Leila played in Cairo, fans hoisted in the air rainbow flags, the global emblem of gay equality. The open-air festival on September 22 passed peacefully. But as pictures of the flags spread, Egyptian authorities launched roundups of the gay community, arresting dozens of people, with rights groups sayi

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Musicians Haig Papazian, Carl Gerges and Hamed Sinno of Mashrou' Leila pose for a picture , New York, Nov. 1, 2017.

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Why Mashrou' Leila is banned from Lebanon's Byblos festival

Subscribe for less than $9/month to access this story and all Al-Monitor reporting.