Beirut - George Chahine
British comedian Russell Brand
British comedian Russell Brand has called off his comedy tour to the Middle East due to concerns for his safety.
The Londoner kicked off his Messiah Complex tour earlier
this month in Chicago, and was planning to perform in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon in August.
However, promoters have since told Brand to postpone the scheduled shows because his safety in both countries cannot be assured.
Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live on Thursday, Brand said: \"Those gigs have been banned, pulled because of threats from extremists that if I went there, there would be problems.
\"The venue contacted us and said we can no longer guarantee your safety.\"