Lebanese alt-rock band confronts post-Orlando divisions during U.S. tour


  • World
  • Tuesday, 14 Jun 2016

Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila with the band's lead singer Hamed Sinno (2nd R), performs in Washington, DC, U.S. June 13, 2016. REUTERS/Yeganeh Torbati

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Accustomed to generating controversy in their native Middle East with lyrics tackling love, sex and political apathy, members of Lebanese alt-rock band Mashrou' Leila thought a summer U.S. tour would bring them a welcome respite.

Instead, as news spread on Sunday that an American man claiming allegiance to Islamic State had killed 49 people in a packed gay nightclub in Florida, the band found itself at the crossroads of tensions between the gay and Muslim communities, spilling out on social media and in online commentary.

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