Performer Arrested for Dabbing at a Music Festival in Saudi Arabia

BY Josiah HughesPublished Aug 10, 2017

While it feels like dabbing first started about 100 years ago (and stopped being interesting about 99 and a half years ago), people still continue to feel the need to dab. And while we once wished we could outlaw the dance move preferred by Minions and former presidential candidates, we've got a cautionary tale from Saudi Arabia.

According to BBC News, celebrity Abdallah Al Shahani performed a dab while playing at a music festival in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Dabbing is in fact a crime in Saudi Arabia, as officials believe it promotes illegal drug use.

As such, Al Shahani was arrested for dabbing shortly after the performance. It's unclear if he was charged with anything, though he later apologized for the dance move on Twitter:

"I apologise to our respected government and to my audience for unintentionally and spontaneously making the dance move at Taif festival. Please accept my apology."

Dabbing is not just controversial overseas. A quick Google search reveals that some fundamentalist Christians refer to the move as the "Demonstrating Antichrist's Bow," suggesting that it's a sinful gesture where one hides their face from God. 

You can watch Al Shahani's illicit dab below.

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