^ Activist? have i just read activist? i hope that you weren't serious about this dude. Cuz personally i'm very allergic to this word.
This is a musical forum and it's not allowed to talk politics here. I don't see anything about Bat taking a side. So now if one says "i love life" or "love lebanon" it means that he/she belongs to a political party? An individual is not allowed anymore to say how much he/she loves life and how much he/she loves his/her country? I got news for you, i love life and i belong to myself. Now, perceive it however you like, i don't care, but i love life, trance, football, girls and everything that brings light to my life (which has become very dark lately) and i support myself.
About the first 2 lines of Bat, it was irony and i respect him for saying out loud what most of the ppl in the country are just thinking but are afraid to say it. Wouldn't you get scared if you were a foreign musician planning a concert and seeing all this? You have to understand Armin's position. I know that no one would attack a Dutch and European citizen involved only in the world of music, but the reasons behind this decision is his own and ppl's security (there might be chances of fights inside Biel, not everyone is musically educated and understands the message that music spreads out).
As for "I guess this is exactly what others don't want us to feel or to say." (Bat), he didn't name anyone, it's just a fact that there is a bunch of ppl out there who reached their goal. Again, it all comes down to perception.
I'm wondering where the liberty of expression has gone nowadays...
I'll say it again: no one is taking sides. Period.
TRANCE FOREVER !!!