Lady Gaga Cancels Show After Indonesians Call Her “Messenger of the Devil”

Lady Gaga Cancels Show After Indonesians Call Her “Messenger of the Devil”

Lady Gaga’s camp canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia after Islamist hard-liners threatened violence, claiming her sexy dance moves and provocative clothes corrupt the youth.

The latest controversy was a blow to the predominantly Muslim country's reputation for combining freedom of speech and democracy with a moderate brand of the faith.

Fans were frustrated, despite the promoter's offer of full refunds. Some accused the police, who refused to issue a permit over concerns about security, of succumbing to the will of a small group of thugs.

The "Born This Way Ball" concert has been on-again-off-again from the start.  But on Sunday, Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for Big Daddy, the promoter of the June 3 show, said it was final.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "But with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga's side is calling it off.  This is not only about Lady Gaga's security, but extends to those who will be watching her."

Indonesia, a secular nation of 240 million, is often held up by the U.S. and others an example of how democracy and Islam can coexist.   But a small extremist group has become more vocal and violent in recent years, attacking Christians and members of other religious minorities, transvestites, atheists and anyone else who they deemed immoral.

The most notorious group, Islamic Defenders Front, called Lady Gaga a "messenger of the devil" and threatened to turn out at the airport by the thousands if she tried to step off the plane. Others said they bought tickets so they could wreak havoc from inside the 52,000-seat stadium in the capital, Jakarta.

Police responded by denying the necessary permits. Then, after public outcry, they said they'd reconsider, but only if Lady Gaga agreed to “tone down” her act.

Instead, the controversial singer and performer pulled the plug on what was supposed to be the biggest stop on her Asian tour.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Monday May 28 2012, 2:10 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0