The well-known and beloved Lebanese composer and musician Marcel Khalife is being prosecuted by the judicial authorities in Lebanon because of his song “My Father, I am Yusuf (Ana Yusuf Ya Abi).” Many people are very upset about this and ADC encourages you to sign the petition posted on Nagam Cultural Project‘s website http://www.arabworld.com/nagam/ The following is the text of the petition.
Petition on behalf of Marcel Khalife We, the undersigned, express our dismay at the charges brought against the 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 believe that the charges against Marcel Khalife are a flagrant violation of intellectual freedoms which should be guaranteed to artists in all
countries. 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 re-commit itself to freedom of expression for all.