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MANILA, Philippines – Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande are among the artists whose lyrics have landed on a list of “illustrations of offensive lyrics” in a ministerial handout recently issued in the Singapore Parliament.
A copy of the handout was shared by Singapore Workers’ Party MP Chen Show Mao on his official Facebook page with the caption “Lesson of the day.” The handout appears to be part of a ministerial statement on hate speech delivered by Singapore’s Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam last Monday, April 1.
The handout, titled “Restricting Hate Speech to Maintain Racial and Religious Harmony in Singapore,” lists lyrics from songs by Lady Gaga and Ariana, who have both performed in Singapore, as well as Hozier and Nine Inch Nails.
The list singled out lines from Ariana’s song “God is a woman,” as well as Lady Gaga’s “Judas,” and other lyrics that seem to speak irreverently about the Christian faith.
However, in a Facebook post, Shanmugam clarified that the songs were not banned, but only used as examples for what people may find offensive.
“People who did not listen to the speech may misunderstand that the list contains songs which have been banned or are going to be banned. All of that is untrue,” he said.
“I made the point that people may find many things offensive. And gave the list as an illustration,” he added. “Doesn’t mean that it can all get banned, just because some people find it offensive.”
The handout came weeks after Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs canceled a concert of Swedish Satanist metal group Watain, following outcry from Christian groups. – Rappler.com
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