Violent attack on LGBTI-Friendly bar in Beirut sparks urgent concerns for human rights, says Amnesty International

An aggressive assault perpetrated by Jnoud El Rabb, a far-right Christian group, on an LGBTI-friendly bar in Beirut, has ignited a wave of alarm and condemnation. 

Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East & North Africa, Aya Majzoub, expressed deep concern over the incident, stating, "The attack on Madame Om, a bar considered to be a safe space for the LGBTI community, marked an alarming escalation in the attacks against LGBTI people that have followed troubling remarks by high-level politicians and religious figures."

"The authorities must ensure that the attackers are held accountable and demonstrate that such acts have no place in a country invested in upholding human rights," Majzoub added.

Lebanon's constitution explicitly guarantees fundamental principles of equality, free expression, and free assembly for all citizens. Majzoub emphasized the significance of upholding these rights, asserting that the incident at Madame Om underscores a troubling deterioration in treating LGBTI individuals within the country.

"The Lebanese authorities must immediately stop creating an environment conducive for discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community to be perpetuated," emphasized Majzoub. 

She further stressed that it is the government's responsibility to safeguard everyone, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation, from violence.

Based on videos, Amnesty International's review of the attack has exposed the aggressors vandalizing property outside the bar, assaulting patrons attempting to leave, and warning the owner of further violence should they continue to "promote homosexuality."

The attackers, identifying themselves as Jnoud El Rabb, were captured on video chanting derogatory slurs and expressing that LGBTI individuals have no place in Lebanon, branding them as "satanic," said the organization.

The owner of the targeted establishment disclosed to Amnesty International that "when the Internal Security Forces (ISF) arrived at the scene, they prevented the aggressors from entering the bar and aided some guests in their attempts to leave the bar, but they did not stop the attack or arrest any of the assailants."

As the situation remains dire for LGBTI individuals in Lebanon, international attention continues to grow in response to the concerning climate of discrimination.