Mashrou' Leila Remove FB Posts after Interrogation

Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Ghada Aoun on Wednesday ordered the release of the members of Lebanese rock band Mashrou’s Leila after they were interrogated by the State Security agency.

“The band’s members removed Facebook posts that insult Christian sanctities at the behest of the Directorate General of State Security,” the National News Agency said.

The lawyer Christine Nakhoul, hired by social media activist Philippe Seif, had filed a lawsuit against the band’s upcoming gig at the Byblos International Festival, which has sparked a storm of controversy in the country over accusations that the band insults Christianity in its songs and on its social media accounts.

The lawsuit accuses the band of “insulting sanctities and religions and stirring sectarian sentiments.”

The band’s supporters and opponents have been clashing on social networking websites for days now, amid calls for banning the concert. Some users, including Free Patriotic Movement official Naji Hayek, have openly threatened to resort to violence to prevent the gig from taking place.

The Maronite Archbishopric of Byblos has meanwhile issued a statement calling for “barring the Mashrou’ Leila performance on the land of holiness, culture and history,” in reference to the city of Byblos.

The band had been banned from performing in Jordan in 2016 over similar accusations.

The director of the Byblos International Festival has said that there are efforts to solve the issue out of the public eye.

With its unique blend of intricate indie rock and enigmatic Arabic poetry, the band has become one of the Middle East's biggest bands. Its lyrics touch on sexuality but have also tackled the curses of Lebanese and Arab politics, materialism and social strife, often with satirical twists.