Several Arab states have cancelled planned New Year celebrations in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Several Arab states have cancelled planned New Year celebrations in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Several Arab states have cancelled planned New Year celebrations in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt, Jordan, Dubai and Syria have all cancelled festivities including concerts by renowned Arab singers.
As the Arab League met in the Egyptian capital to decide a political response to one of Israel's deadliest-ever offensives on Gaza that has so far killed at least 390 Palestinians, the cultural message was clear.
Egypt's state-owned Al-Ahram daily reported that official events planned for New Year's Eve had been shelved.
'In solidarity with the painful events in the Palestinian territories and the massacres which Gazans are faced with... the ministries of culture and information have decided to cancel New Year's festivities,' it said.
Cancelled events include a special concert by famed Egyptian singer Mohammed Munir set for Cairo's Opera House, and a variety performance due to be broadcast on state television.
The planned New Year's Day launch by state television of a new channel called Nile Comedy has also been postponed.
In the Gulf tourism hub of Dubai, the emirate's ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum decreed that several planned concerts should not go ahead.
He gave the order 'as a sign of solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and because of the death and destruction perpetrated on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli war machine,' his office said.
International Arab stars including Mohammed Abdu of Saudi Arabia, Iraq's Kazem al-Saher, Nancy Ajram from Lebanon and Tunisian chanteuse Latifa had all been due to perform in Dubai over the New Year.
A concert by Colombian star Shakira in the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi is still scheduled to go ahead. Go to News home
