Six Persian Gulf states have threatened Netflix with legal action if it continues broadcasting content found “offensive” to Islamic sensibilities, apparently targeting programs that show people who are gay and lesbian.
Many Muslims consider gays and lesbians to be sinful. In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ community have been arrested and sentenced to prison. Some countries even maintain the death penalty.
A joint statement issued on behalf of a committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council made the request, saying the unspecified programs “contradict Islamic and societal values and principles.”
AP reports Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates each published the statement via their respective governments as well. They, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, make up the six-nation council.
Specific content was not mentioned, referring only to Netflix shows that “contradict Islamic and societal values,” coming on the back of financial headwinds elsewhere for the streaming giant.
The move comes after countries in the Muslim world in June banned the public showing of Disney’s latest animated film Lightyear over a brief moment showing two lesbian characters kissing, as Breitbart News reported.
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After that, the company’s Disney+ streaming service said its “content available should align with local regulatory requirements” in Gulf Arab countries.
Saudi Arabia, which only opened cinemas in 2017, asked Disney in April to cut “LGBTQ references” in the Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Disney did not comply and the film was not screened in the strict Islamic kingdom to spare the sensitivities of local audiences.