We, the undersigned, express our dismay at the charges brought against
Lebanese musician and composer Marcel Khalife by the Lebanese judicial
authorities, with regard to his song "Oh My Father, I am Yusif," released in 1995.
We find the charges against the Lebanese musician a flagrant violation of
intellectual freedoms which should be guaranteed to all artists world wide.
We also categorically reject all claims that Khalife's song debases Islam,
as the artist sang a published poem by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish
and did not sing a Koranic verse. In fact, the song is dedicated to the
people of Lebanon and Palestine, referring symbolically to their suffering,
using the narrative of the Prophet Joseph's famous story.
We are shocked to see Lebanon - the country that has long prided itself as a
haven for artists and intellectuals - embark on prosecuting one of its best
artists, even as the country celebrates its capital Beirut as the cultural
capital of the Arab world.
We demand that the Lebanese government drop all charges against the Lebanese
composer and commit itself to the freedom of expression for all the artists
and intellectuals.
