United Arab Emirates has reportedly launched an investigation against a children’s magazine for allegedly promoting homosexuality.
The probe against Majid, a popular comic book anthology and magazine for children in the Arab world, comes days after it withdrew its May issue, according to the New Arab.
The comic depicted a multi-colored character, who said: “Amazing, I have the capability to colour things… Ali will wish to become like me.”
Some social media users claimed that the magazine deliberately played on the Arabic word “mithli”, which is used to refer to both a “homosexual” and “like me”.
The UAE, like other nations in the wider Middle East, is a Muslim-led country that criminalises same-sex relationships, awarding up to 14 years of imprisonment.
This crackdown by Emirati authorities is only the latest on queer communities in the region.
Earlier this month, the country banned Pixar’s Lightyear because the Toy Story spinoff reportedly included a same-sex kiss.
While officials had secured a license to play the film in the UAE, it was revoked following outrage on social media where users accused Disney and Lightyear of insulting Islam.
Earlier this month, authorities in Saudi Arabia seized rainbow-themed children’s items from shops as they claimed that the colours encourage homosexuality. Similarly, authorities in neighbouring Qatar had announced in December that they had confiscated rainbow-coloured toys from shops.
In April, the Disney/Marvel release Doctor Strange in the Muliverse of Madness was also denied a release in Saudi Arabia and other countries over LGBT+ content.
