Date: Oct 3, 2018 Source: The Daily Star Activists: Officials tried to shut gender conference BEIRUT: A gender activist group says Lebanese authorities tried to shut down a conference they were holding in Beirut after accusing the group of “promoting perversion and drug abuse.” NEDWA, an annual gender rights regional conference, is organized by the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality in Lebanon. The group said in a statement Tuesday that Lebanese security officials and the Muslim Scholars Association attempted to shut down the conference held at a Beirut hotel. It said AFE’s chief refused to sign a pledge to cancel the event and organizers moved the conference to another hotel. The group has called a news conference for Thursday, saying more details on the attempted cancellation are to follow.