Nicki Minaj cancels Saudi concert over women's rights concerns

Did she know that Saudi Arabia was land where you can be thrown to jail because you say wrong about Mahomet ?

I wonder what is in her songs' lyrics...

Minaj's scheduled appearance in the western city of Jeddah next week as part of a cultural festival had triggered a social media backlash over human rights in the country.

Sounds like this is the real source of her decision.

Obviously, she couldn’t find the correct size burqa!

EVERYONE is oppressed in Saudi Arabia, but of course only women and LGBTQ really matter to Minaj and most Americans and other English speaking westerners who seem to think there could not possibly be a happy woman in the entire country and there could not be a single positive about being a woman there.

You aren’t even welcome there in the firsts place. A country which has its own standards for over 1400 years doesn’t care about your western standards and not needs to( assassination of journalist Jamol Kashogi or others is the fault of MBS not country standards!

Send in Pussy Riot.

Talentless nobody who wouldn't know decent music if it bit her in the fat end!

Why did she even schedule to play there in the first place?

In Saudi, ‘criminals’ are strung up from utility poles and left to die in a very public spectacle and don’t be unlucky enough to drive into a camel-you are automatically at fault!

Japan seems like a paradise now, doesn’t it?

No idea who this person is, but if she wants to work there or doesn't want to work there for any reasons, it is fine with me. She doesn't need other people telling her where she should accept legal work.

Not everyone wants to be forced into being an activist. Some people just love to entertain other humans.

Read that Mariah Carey gave a concert there in January which upset some people. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/31/mariah-carey-defies-activists-to-perform-in-saudi-arabia

It was Saudi Arabia who invited Minaj in the first place

"Saudi Arabia invites Nicki Minaj to perform at the Jeddah World Fest"

In an unusual move by the famously conservative kingdom, Saudi Arabia has invited American rapper Nicki Minaj to perform at their Jeddah World Fest this month

“This is the largest musical festival of its kind in the region that will be broadcast to a global audience in more than 100 countries,” said Raed Abuzinadah, the director-general Jeddah Season. “There is a stereotype of the kingdom all over the world, and today it is disappearing. In its place is a new picture of the kingdom that accepts everyone.”

How on earth did she think it was a good idea in the first place. Maybe the cheque made her forget about the human rights issues.

Well, finally the progressives have noticed that the Islamic world is at odds with their ideology after "supporting" Islam for the past few years so vehemently. You can't be pro-LGBT, pro-woman and pro-Islam, sorry. Who knows, maybe Mayor Khan will find that out too?

You can't be pro-LGBT, pro-woman and pro-Islam, sorry. Who knows, maybe Mayor Khan will find that out too?

Yes, you can.

Wait a minute, by Minaj’s logic shouldnt Pussy Riot pull out of their Alabama performance?

Wait a minute, by Minaj’s logic shouldnt Pussy Riot pull out of their Alabama performance?

Um, the point of Pussy Riot is to protest. Why would they pull out of a place they are intending to protest in?

Once again you show you people aren't the best at 'logic' and 'thinking it through'.

@Strangerland,

once again you miss the point.

Minaj had a golden opportunity to turn her performance into a protest.

She chose not to.

Minaj had a golden opportunity to turn her performance into a protest.

She chose not to.

Ok... sorry, why was she required to? You seem to have skipped over that part of the explanation.

Well, finally the progressives have noticed that the Islamic world is at odds with their ideology after "supporting" Islam for the past few years so vehemently. You can't be pro-LGBT, pro-woman and pro-Islam, sorry. Who knows, maybe Mayor Khan will find that out too?

Yes, you can.

Ask one of your Muslim friends, colleagues or neighbors. You'll be surprised that not all of them fit the stereotype you seek to promote.

Anyway, no artist should be playing in Saudi Arabia. Not as long as they sponsor terror and abuse human rights.

Well, finally the progressives have noticed that the Islamic world is at odds with their ideology after "supporting" Islam for the past few years so vehemently.

I'm a progressive. I can't say I've ever supported Islam - I feel all religion is pretty silly if looked at even remotely objectively. That's not to mention some of the horrible things that have come out of the Muslim world, using the religion as a justification.

But I've been vocally opposed to anti-Muslim bigotry, as most Muslims are the same as most of us - people trying to get by in a difficult world and difficult situations, trying to do their best.

You seem to be thinking anti-bigotry is equal to pro-Muslim, it's not.

You can't be pro-LGBT, pro-woman and pro-Islam, sorry.

Why not? Same as I can hate my government and love my country, so can Muslims hate some of the rules of their religion, and still love their religion. Just the same as the crazies are able to take a religion and use it to justify their nefarious goals, those who are positive are able to work with the positive parts of their religion.

The mistake the bigots make is thinking that they are a uniform group, and therefore all worthy of bigotry.

its better that she's not going i mean donno why they even call her a singer LUL she should be a porn star. also i think the Saudi gov refused to give her a visa for sure so she try to cover it up saying women right LUL what a joke.

The New York-based Human Rights Foundation on Friday wrote Minaj an open letter urging her to withdraw from the festival, calling on her to "refuse the regime's money" and use her global influence to demand the release of jailed Saudi women activists.

hahahaha why don't they just go and take over their country instead and free everyone like they claim, they should call their foundation the mental issues with human rights and how to express any mental feeling you have LUL

 i mean donno why they even call her a singer LUL she should be a porn star.

That kind of misogyny would find an audience in Saudi Arabia.

I was concerned about her safety in SA.

Why not reschedule to Japan instead, a land of freedom!

@Strangerland, Oh, well, of course shes not "required" to do it, but why not put her money where her mouth is?

@Strangerland, Oh, well, of course shes not "required" to do it, but why not put her money where her mouth is?

Oh, has she been speaking out against Saudi Arabia? I hadn’t heard that. Got something to back your assertion up? Because without that, a less trusting man would think you just made that up. Of course I believe you, but others probably won’t without something to support your claim.

@Kestrel

What specifically did Minaj say that she wasn’t putting her mouth behind? You left that part out of your post.

Duh! She just pulled out of the concert, citing concern for women, LGBTQA1+, freedum, etc.

And your problem with this is, what?

Be honest, lad. You'd be complaining if she had played there.

You aren’t even welcome there in the firsts place. A country which has its own standards for over 1400 years

Not strictly true. The revolting Wahhabist interpretation is a quite modern idea but the status of women, LGBT and freedom of speech in the Muslim world isn’t a pretty picture overall.

I think the most charitable perspective you can take on Minaj here is she isn’t the sharpest or best informed.

Why Saudi Arabia and not Alabama?

Because she doesn’t actually care about women’s rights. The Saudi Arabia concert had many fans saying they would boycott her concerts and not purchase her items. That would hit her in the pockets.

No one is threatening celebrities over Alabama. Only politicians.

 by Minaj’s logic shouldnt Pussy Riot pull out of their Alabama performance?

I see you're getting a lot of stick, Kestrel, but it seemed a fair question for discussion. Is it better to attend and perhaps help to change things or stay away and perhaps help to change things? I remember there was controversy when Paul Simon recorded the Graceland album in South Africa. It's hard to say who helped the most - him or those who stayed away. (Probably neither helped much.)

To be honest, the idea of Nicki Minaj performing in Saudi Arabia makes me smile a little. While her lyrics may not be particularly relevant to Saudi Arabia, she's not exactly Kylie Minogue.

Having a hard time figuring out which would be worse for a teenage girl, Saudi religious law and social structure or Niki Minaj's perverted influence. Both are awful, but perhaps Saudi is worse.

Anyway, Nicki is being somewhat hypocritical I think.