{"id":18368,"date":"2012-09-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/18368\/no-free-hugs-allowed-in-saida"},"modified":"2023-08-30T08:10:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:10:31","slug":"no-free-hugs-allowed-in-saida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/18368\/no-free-hugs-allowed-in-saida\/","title":{"rendered":"No Free Hugs Allowed in Saida?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After hearing about the free hugs flash mob<\/a> in Gemmayzeh last Friday, a group of enthusiastic teens decided to hold their own flash mob in Saida <\/a> on the same day.<\/p>\n

When Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya heard about the event, the conservative Sunni political party took to the Internet and responded with some harsh criticism on its Facebook page<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cPeace and love cannot be spread by such a disgusting act (of free hugging). It is perverted, and love can only be achieved through religion and its teachings.\u201d The practice of giving out free hugs to strangers \u201cendangers the moral security of Saida.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Saida Gate<\/i> newspaper, Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya is also planning to issue a Fatwa declaring public hugging an immoral act. Beirut.com spoke with a member of the Free Huggers group who called the potential move \u201csilly,\u201d adding, \u201cwe are trying to simply spread the culture of love instead of repression and hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Free Huggers had planned to hold another flash mob event in Beirut on September 29, but the event is postponed until further notice. Location and time will remain a secret as always, although strict rules will be applied from now on, according to our source in the group. Find out more on their Facebook page<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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