In this interview the Jordanian singer Ruba Saqr speaks about the impact of music censorship – and in particular: artists’ self-censorship – in the Middle East. She connects the music censorship issue with development problems in society in general – in Jordan as well as in the rest of the …

Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila announced that Jordanian authorities banned their 27 June 2017 gig in Amman; the 2nd consecutive year they've been banned.

Mahmoud Assad said Jordan’s Media Commission banned his film ‘Blessed Benefit’ because it “contains several scenes that undermine the state’s authority”.

Jordan is permitting the popular Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila to perform, thereby lifting an earlier ban imposed amid claims that the group’s songs – which are promoting religious and sexual freedom – “violate local customs and religious beliefs.” Khalid Abu Zeid, a regional politician who initially announced the ban …

The Jordanian Ministry of Interior has confirmed that it banned Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila from performing their concert set to take place on 29 April 2016 at the Roman Theatre in the country’s capital of Amman, reported CNN Arabic on 27 April 2016. The popular band, whose music has …

Israeli musician Nadav Dagon cancelled his appearance at a three-day music festival scheduled from 7-9 April 2016 in Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert after outcry against the performance surfaced on social media, reaching several parts of Jordan’s society and political groups, reported The Jerusalem Post on 4 April 2016. A group of …

This article on the censorship practices in Jordan on film and television by the state-funded Media Commission was originally published by 7iber on 17 February 2016, who have kindly allowed Freemuse to republish it here: Banned: Film and television censorship in Jordan By Reem Al-Masri, design by Hussam D’ana Translated by Rawad Wehbe and …

As of 1 February 2016, five more countries have followed suit with Qatar and banned screenings of Tom Hooper’s transgender film ‘The Danish Girl’. Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and United Arab Emirates failed to pass local censor requirements over “moral depravity” and that it “promoted homosexuality and gender transformation”. Sources » Gay …

This is song is allegedly one of the reasons that Jowan Safadi was arrested. Jowan Safadi was arrested in Amman on charges of ‘insulting religion’ after his concert on 27 November 2012. A campaign was launched on Twitter under the hashtag #FreeJowanSafadi and also on his Facebook-page – where Jowan …

“Wherever we came out we were branded Satanists,” writes Rami Abdel Rahman in this personal account of his experiences as a young metal head in the 1990s heavy metal scene of Jordan. By Rami Abdel Rahman       One snowy winter afternoon in Sweden about two years ago, I …