Lady Gaga denied permit for Indonesia concert after religious protests

Samstag, 19. Mai 2012

Lady Gaga denied permit for Indonesia concert after religious protests

Police refuse to license Jakarta gig, saying they are unable to guarantee singer's safety following protests

Permit denied … Police can't guarantee Lady Gaga's safety for Indonesia concert.

Lady Gaga's show in Jakarta next month looks certain to be cancelled. The Indonesian authorities have refused to grant a permit for the concert on 3 June, citing security concerns following protests by conservative Muslim groups. "She's a vulgar singer," said Salim Alatas, from the Islam Defenders Front. "[She] wears only panties and a bra when she sings and she stated she is the envoy of the devil's child and that she will spread Satanic teaching."

Local and national police were unable to guarantee Lady Gaga's safety, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The degree of concern is unprecedented: although Indonesian religious groups have protested against western artists in the past, this is the first time police have denied an event permit. "We haven't done a similar thing before," a spokesman told the Jakarta Post.

While Indonesia is technically a secular state, it is also home to the world's largest Muslim population; since 2008, hardliners have successfully campaigned against concerts by Mötley Crüe, N*E*R*D, Rihanna, Akon, 50 Cent and Avenged Sevenfold. At the time of writing, Lady Gaga had yet to issue a statement on the Indonesian government's decision.

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