Controversy swirls around the movie ‘Barbie’ as Lebanon and Kuwait join the list of countries banning the film, citing its alleged promotion of homosexuality. The comedy fantasy movie, which enjoyed significant box office success worldwide, is now facing a setback in these Middle Eastern countries.

Lebanon’s Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, announced the ban in a statement on Wednesday. He expressed concerns that the movie “promotes homosexuality and contradicts religious values.” Mortada elaborated on the reasons behind the decision, asserting that the film challenges traditional family roles, including those of fathers and mothers, and questions the significance of marriage and family.

The ban has consequences for the scheduled screenings of ‘Barbie’ in Lebanese cinemas, which were set to commence on August 31. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Information’s committee on cinematic censorship similarly took action, prohibiting the film’s screening within its borders. Lafy Al-Subei, head of Kuwait’s cinema censorship committee, highlighted that the movie’s content goes against public ethics and social traditions, necessitating the decision to bar its exhibition.

Al-Subei clarified that the committee typically censors scenes that clash with public ethics in foreign films. However, when a movie contains foreign concepts or behaviors deemed unacceptable, the committee may decide to ban the film entirely.

Interestingly, ‘Barbie’ has encountered bans in other regions as well. Vietnam banned the movie in early July due to a controversial map depicting China’s claim to the South China Sea.

Despite these bans, ‘Barbie’ achieved remarkable success at the US box office. The film secured the top position, amassing over $155 million in its opening weekend. Surpassing box office expectations, ‘Barbie’ has now crossed the impressive milestone of $1 billion in revenue merely three weeks after its initial release.