Lebanese singer Nawal El Zoghbi has declined her nomination for one of the Murex d’Or award, saying she took the decision because of the country’s current economic crisis.
El Zoghbi, one of the most famous artistes in the Arab world, announced her decision on Twitter.
She wrote in a post: “I announce my apologies for not accepting it this year because of the difficult situation the country is going through.”
She added: “I hope that the resurrection of Lebanon is near … Lebanon is not well.”
Read her tweet here:
لا شكّ بأنّ جائزة #الموريكس_دور تعدّ من واجهات #لبنان الحضارية، ولا شكّ بأن الإصرار على تنظيمها في #بيروت رغم كل المآسي هو خطوة جبّارة. لكنني أعلن اعتذاري عن عدم قبولها هذا العام بسبب الوضع الصعب الذي تمرّ به البلاد، على أمل أن تكون قيامة #لبنان قد أصبحت قريبة #لبنان_ليس_بخير
— Nawal El Zoghbi – نوال الزغبي (@NawalElZoghbi) August 14, 2021
El Zoghbi was among eight artists nominated in the Best Lebanese Artist category.
The others are Elissa, Najwa Karam, Nancy Ajram, Maya Diab, Yara, Abeer Nehme, and Carole Samaha.
The Murex d’Or award ceremony was about to take place on Wednesday at Beirut’s Casino du Liban.
Its organizers have now announced on the awards’ official website as well as on social media that the ceremony has been postponed because of the fuel tanker blast that killed several people.
Read their tweet here:
صدر عن مؤسسي جائزة موركس دور الطبيبين زاهي وفادي الحلو البيان الآتي:
“بعد الفاجعة الجديدة التي ألمت بوطننا لبنان والتي تمثلت بالانفجار في بلدة التليل العكارية والذي أودى بحياة العشرات من القتلى والجرحى، قررت لجنة الموركس دور إرجاء الحفل الذي كان مقرراً أن يقام مساء الاربعاء… pic.twitter.com/EuVGiymL3R— Murex D’or (@murexdor) August 15, 2021
While initial reports said 20 people had been killed, the death toll has since risen to 28, said local reports.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time El Zoghbi has made her stance on Lebanon’s economic crisis known.
In May this year, she parted ways with the Syndicate of Professional Artists in Lebanon because the organization had apparently asked members not to criticize the country’s politicians.
World leaders already blame these leaders for the lack of governance that led to Lebanon’s economic crisis, which the World Bank has said is among the top 10 in the world since the mid-1800s.
