You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Northwestern University canceled a planned event at its Qatar campus involving a Lebanese band whose singer is openly gay after the event became the subject of an anti-gay backlash online, Reuters reported.
Citing safety concerns, Northwestern said it had mutually agreed with the band, Mashrou’ Leila, to reschedule the event, a discussion of "media revolutions in the Middle East," at its campus in Illinois. Northwestern said rescheduling the event in the U.S. would ensure that Mashrou’ Leila’s “ideas and art could be heard.”
Mashrou’ Leila is known for its support for equal rights for marginalized groups and its lyrics dealing with topics like homophobia, sectarianism and gender equality. Critics who demanded the event's cancellation on Twitter described the event as against Qatari or Islamic values.
