Did You Hear the One About Elton John?

The media were quick to report on Noam Chomsky being (temporarily) barred from Israel. Very few Western outlets though have reported the news that pop star Elton John was recently banned from Egypt.

You know all about Noam Chomsky being (temporarily) barred from Israel? You may or may not have heard that Israeli authorities immediately rebuked the border official who made the decision, apologized to Chomsky, and invited him to return. But I bet you have not heard this, courtesy of Tom Gross' Middle East news roundup:

ELTON JOHN BANNED FROM EGYPT FOR BEING GAY

In contrast to the breaking news surrounding Chomsky, very few Western news outlets reported on the banning two weeks ago of British pop star Elton John from performing at a private concert in Egypt for being gay. The news was widely reported in the Middle East and by international agencies like the DPA. Elton John has been forced to call off his concert there by the government-controlled Egyptian Musician Union, but will still perform in Israel, where gays are welcome.

There has barely been a peep of protest about the Egyptian decision from his fellow pop stars, including fellow British pop star, Elvis Costello, who did however this week call off his concerts in Israel on June 30 and July 1 following pressure from anti-Israeli activists in Britain.