Elton John to perform in Morocco despite calls to ban him
Gay singer Elton John will still perform at a music festival in Morocco despite calls to ban him because of his homosexuality.
Members of the Islamist Justice and Development Party said he should be barred from the Mawazine festival because he might encourage homosexuality and breach the festival’s values.
But the event’s organiser, artistic director Aziz Daki, told AFP that the singer would be welcome.
He said: “At the Mawazine festival we invite artists on the basis of the quality of their performance on stage and according to their artistic career. [Elton John is] one of the world’s top pop singers and composers…. [He has] many fans in Morocco. His private life is none of our business.”
Last week, John’s May 18th concert in Egypt was cancelled because of anger of comments he made recently about Jesus.
He told American magazine Parade in February that Jesus was a “super-intelligent gay man”, and added: “Try being a gay woman in the Middle East – you’re as good as dead.”
