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Lady Gaga cancels Jakarta gig for security

Singer Lady Gaga arrives at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on May 8, 2012. UPI/Keizo Mori
Singer Lady Gaga arrives at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on May 8, 2012. UPI/Keizo Mori | License Photo

JAKARTA, May 27 (UPI) -- Lady Gaga has canceled her concert in Jakarta amid conservative Islamist threats to intercept the U.S. singer once she lands in Indonesia, a promoter said.

The singer's management team called off the June 3 show at Bung Karno Stadium to eliminate risks to Lady Gaga, the crew and audience members, The Jakarta Post reported Sunday.

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"Gaga's camp did not want this show to cause any harm to anybody," said Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for the company promoting the concert, Big Daddy Entertainment.

Hard-line groups in Indonesia accused Lady Gaga of promoting satanic values, and some Friday prayers asked God to intervene and cause the show to be canceled, the newspaper said.

"With this prayer, let's ask God to strengthen the heart of the police so they will not be tempted with money, so they will not allow the concert," preached Fudloli Mohammad Ruham, a teacher at a Muslim school in the city.

Big Daddy executive Michael Rusli promised all 52,000 ticket-holders would be given refunds, beginning June 10.

"We will announce detailed procedures on Wednesday because we have to ask the police to issue a permit for us to refund the tickets, since it will involve crowds," Rusli said.

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