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Lebanese singer performs in Bahrain despite Islamist opposition
2008-05-01
Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe, known for her sexy looks and revealing outfits, went ahead with a performance in Bahrain despite an attempt by the Islamist-dominated parliament to stop the show. "Haifa Wehbe was dressed modestly. She was almost veiled," Adel Surour, 37, who attended the Wednesday night show with his family, told AFP on Thursday. "Her performance was measured compared to her usual demeanour. We thoroughly enjoyed the show." Surour said the audience consisted mainly of families, including Gulf Arabs from neighbouring countries. Al-Ayyam newspaper on Thursday carried pictures of Wehbe dressed in a long green gown with a low V-neckline during the performance. On Tuesday Sunni and Shiite Islamist lawmakers approved an urgent motion in parliament asking the Bahraini government to ban the show, which was timed to mark Thursday's May Day celebrations. The move by the 40-member parliament, where Islamists hold three-quarters of seats, came despite assurances by organisers that Wehbe would dress modestly during the show, which would be reserved for families and respect Bahraini traditions. Islamist MPs regularly campaign to ban shows and other entertainment deemed to violate Islamic tenets in Bahrain, which has been relatively liberal by the standards of the conservative Gulf region. Four years ago, Sunni Islamist lawmakers close to the government forced Saudi-owned MBC satellite television to suspend the production of an Arabic version of the reality TV show Big Brother, that was being filmed in Bahrain, charging that it flouted Islamic traditions.
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