In Lebanon, Christian and Muslim establishments unite against the film "Barbie"

Those who have seen Greta Gerwig's film know: Barbie aspires to a world where only peace and love reign.

In Lebanon, however, this American comedy fuels tensions. On display in Saudi Arabia, the candid heroine played by Margot Robbie could be banned from Lebanese cinemas.

On Wednesday (August 9th), Mohammad Mortada, Lebanon's Minister of Culture, announced that he had called for the film to be banned, citing an attack on the country's values.

But on Friday the committee in charge of censoring the films did not find any scene justifying the non-broadcast of the film, according to information from MTV Lebanon News.

At this point, the future of Barbie, which has already passed the billion-dollar mark in global box office revenue, seems uncertain in Lebanon.

"He must not have seen the film"

Embodied by a Ryan Gosling at his best, virilism is mocked throughout the film. Above all, Greta Gerwig's comedy imagines a world ruled by women, reversing the roles of patriarchal society. The story concludes with an egalitarian and post-gender message: let's stop thinking of ourselves as "Ken" or "Barbie", let's embrace the individuals we really are.

No scene makes explicit reference to homosexuality. Mohammad Mortada, justifying his request to ban the film, nevertheless castigated the promotion of "homosexuality and sex reassignment".

"He must not have seen the film," said Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the Samir Kassir Foundation, an association that aims to "promote democratic culture" in Lebanon and the Middle East. "These remarks are part of a violent homophobic campaign launched a few weeks ago by the leader of Hezbollah (Shiite party, editor's note) Hassan Nasrallah. Previously, a similar movement had been promoted by extremist Christian groups."

" READ ALSO Lebanon: a Christian group, the "soldiers of the Lord", intimidate the LGBT community

Since June and Pride month, the place of homosexuals in society has been a source of violent controversy among Lebanon's political elites.

In July, Hassan Nasrallah claimed that, according to Islamic law, any homosexual "should be killed" and called for a boycott of all rainbow products.

The representatives of the various Christian communities largely share this rejection of homosexuality, which is condemned in both the Bible and the Koran.

Under pressure from religious leaders, the country has repeatedly cancelled LGBT+ activities in recent years.

Last year, the animated feature film "Buzz Lightyear", featuring a lesbian couple, was banned.

"Spiritual motives, political maneuvers"

In announcing that he wanted to ban the release of "Barbie", the Minister of Culture invoked an informal ministerial meeting held Tuesday in the summer residence of the Maronite patriarch, Bechara Rai.

"Ideas that go against the divine order and the principles shared by all Lebanese must be fought," the Christian prelate and the (Shiite) minister said after the meeting.

In Lebanon, political divisions are rooted in sectarian affiliations. The division of key positions according to the main religious communities has been maintained since 1989, but creates frequent decision-making blockages.

However, "the Lebanese authorities are very willing to agree when it comes to sharing homophobic positions, or more generally to oppose any civil law concerning marriage, inheritance, child custody, divorce," says Ayman Mhanna.

Within society, religious institutions serve as relays for political parties. "These are very often instrumentalized by the ruling parties, which invoke spiritual motives to disguise purely and basely political maneuvers," says Ayman Mhanna.

A society more open than its rulers?

Compared to most countries in the region, Lebanon's multi-confessional society is distinguished by a relative openness in terms of morals. Banned in most of the Arab world, the Marvel film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022), featuring a lesbian couple, was screened in the Land of the Cedar. Festive, cosmopolitan, partly westernized, the Lebanese capital is still often nicknamed the "Paris of the Middle East".

The parties represented in Parliament, however, reflect a certain conservatism of society, nuances Ayman Mhanna.

"However, I don't think the Lebanese – even in the most traditional fringes – have a problem with 'Barbie'. They are not driven today by moral issues, but are worried about the collapse of the Lebanese economy, justice and state."

Weakened by endemic political instability, the country is facing the most serious economic crisis in its history, marked by hyperinflation, a collapse of the currency and banking restrictions. Basic services, such as water and electricity, are in decline, exacerbating social tensions.

The explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020 was coupled with a lack of justice. Evidence of negligence and corruption involving authorities has never led to meaningful prosecutions.

" READ ALSO Explosions at the port of Beirut: three years after the tragedy, the long road to justice

In the light of this crisis, questions of morality allow the authorities to "distract", concludes Ayman Mhanna. "Yesterday, we blamed the refugees. Today, homosexuals are being blamed."

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