Jennifer Lopez‘s racy leotards and revealing wardrobe fueled a “too sexy” concert in Morocco which could cause serious political implications. After the singer took the stage at the Mawazine Festival in Rabat on Friday, May 29, Islamic leaders were offended and many have called to have Morocco’s minister of communication, Mustapha Al-Khalfi, removed from his post.
BBC reports that members of the ruling Justice and Development Party stated that the 45-year-old’s performance was “a breach of public decency” and criticized Khalfi for allowing the show to be televised on public television.
Lopez performed to a crowd of over 160,000 while the festival was transmitted, on delay, on the 2M public television network. But the show didn’t sit well with many viewers who called for the minister’s resignation and a request to hold a meeting by the education, culture and communications committee of parliament to see why the concert was broadcasted in the first place.
Known for her flashy shows and over-the-top concerts, JLo did tone down her performance, but still included many provocative ensembles that had local media critiquing her for being “scantily dressed.” On May 30 Khalfi went on Twitter and stated that “The broadcast was unacceptable and goes against the broadcasting laws” and that he plans on contacting the network to discuss the issue at hand.
The Moroccan government has unofficial strict guidelines for journalists and media outlets. Many broadcasting companies must practice self-censorship and follow restrictions which discourages coverage of any politically and socially sensitive subjects, with now JLo being one of them.
