Artists face humiliation in transitional govt- held areas

In the city of al-Bab in Aleppo’s countryside, activists shared videos on social media showing popular Syrian artist Omar Khairi being humiliated and attacked by a group of young men. They shaved his head, wrote slogans on his face, and forced him to chant political slogans praising the transitional authority.

Activists reported that Khairi was attacked while performing at a wedding, with the attackers claiming that singing conflicted with their beliefs. No “official” body has issued a statement about the incident so far.

Meanwhile, brothers Walat and Mustafa Haji Nasser, popular artists from Afrin, were assaulted at a security checkpoint known as "al-Suwatir" on the Homs–Lebanon road while returning from a wedding in Beirut. According to their account, they were threatened and insulted, their musical instruments were destroyed and confiscated under the pretext that “singing and dancing are acts of blasphemy.” When they followed up at the General Security Office in Aleppo, they were threatened with arrest and told they had no right to reclaim their work tools.

a.k

ANHA