Aug 4, 2013

In a rare instance of solidarity, the hard-line Association of Muslim Scholars endorsed the Lebanese Orthodox Church’s objection to the presentation of a particular dance performance during the Baalbek International Festival in August, which, due to the war in Syria, has been relocated from the Roman ruins of the City of the Sun in the Bekaa Valley, to a 19th century silk factory in Sid El Baouchriyeh, a suburb north of Beirut.

The church’s objection, voiced by Beirut’s Orthodox priests in the name of Archbishop Elias Audi, came as a result of world-renowned Belgian-Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s use of a Byzantine hymn to the Virgin Mary as part of his only performance in the festival. In their letter to the festival’s organizing committee, the priests stated, “Despite our appreciation for your efforts and our support for art and culture in general, we categorically object to the mixing between what is holy and what is artistic, and ask that you refrain from using the hymn that you have chosen during the dance recital.”

It was not long before the Association of Muslim Scholars issued a statement to the effect: We declare our solidarity with the Orthodox Church in its position against this injurious and offensive show, and ask President Michel Suleiman to immediately intervene via the appropriate authorities — among them the General Security Directorate — to halt this offense, in defense of responsible liberty and the Lebanese constitution. This move is reminiscent of the position adopted by the French Catholic magazine La Croix, which, in its own way, backed those who objected to Charlie Hebdo’s caricature of the Prophet Muhammad — harshly criticizing it for publishing the satirical cartoon, despite the fact that most French written media outlets had stood by Hebdo in the face of the campaign unleashed by Muslims who felt affronted by the caricature’s publication in September 2012.

The Orthodox priests’ letter was followed by a Facebook campaign calling for the boycott of the Baalbek International Festival and hinting at the adoption of escalatory measures in protest of the recital.

However, the spokeswoman for the Baalbek Committee, Zeina Sfeir, told Al-Monitor that the Orthodox Church’s position was erroneously based on a television ad that showed a montage of dances with the Byzantine hymn playing in the background. In reality, however, the show will be different. She added that contacts are underway to resolve the issue, and that “we still have a lot of time because the concert is scheduled for Aug. 30.” She expressed confidence that “the cooperation shown by both sides would lead to a positive outcome. We have notified the Orthodox Church of the proper selection of music that will be used on stage.”