AFP
The detox cure of famous singer Sherine Abdel Wahab, decided by her family, reminds Egyptians of American Britney Spears’ struggle against her guardianship and, above all, the sometimes precarious fate of women in this conservative Arab country.
The 42-year-old Arab pop star is frequently on the cover of tabloids: with her marriage and later divorce from Egyptian singer Hossam Habib; her sentence to six months in prison for joking on stage about the quality of the Nile’s water and her acquittal.
This time, her brother Mohammed Abdel Wahab announced in October that he forced her to start a detox program, without revealing more details, since, like Britney Spears’ father, he kept her in custody due to health problems.
In January, Sherine appeared in the UAE with a shaved head, as did Spears in 2007. “Take me like this,” she pleaded with an astonished audience.
“TALK SHOWS” COURT
“Because of her decisions and her hair (…) Sherine Abdel Wahab was kidnapped by her family,” accused blogger Mahmoud Salem on Facebook.
But the singer herself seems to deny her alleged kidnapping: her lawyer withdrew the complaint she filed against the family in mid-October. “Medical reports say hospitalization was necessary,” lawyer Yasser Qantouch told a television network.
The issue of women’s rights is a sensitive one in Egypt, where, according to authorities, in 2015 nearly eight million women suffered violence from a husband, a family member or a stranger in a public place.
From Morocco to Yemen, passing through Bahrain and Sudan, artists and netizens launched hashtags and other messages in support of Sherine, whom they have followed for more than 20 years.
“With her unusual talent, she has raised the torch for the great voices of the Arab world,” such as Oum Kalsoum, Warda and Fairouz, Tareq Mortada, spokesman for the Egyptian musicians’ union, told AFP.
His first album, in 2002, “Free Mix 3”, in collaboration with singer Tamer Hosni, sold over 20 million copies. After seven albums, a movie, a television series and being a judge on the Arabic version of the TV show The Voice, the singer continues to fascinate.
The jokes and memes on social media are proof of that. In one image, Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen talking on the phone. “Forget Ukraine, I want the latest news on Sherine Abdel Wahab,” he tells his interlocutor, in a meme.
“VICTIM OF YOUR SUCCESS”
Everyone in Egypt wonders why she entered rehab and no one publicly says what her addiction is.
His relatives, however, are devastated. On the one hand, the Abdel Wahab family claims that her ex-husband is violent and wants to take advantage of her money and fame. He denies these accusations. Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Hossam Habib took turns at the microphone on one of Egypt’s most-watched talk shows.
“My sister is completely lost (…) My mother told me: ‘I beg you, save her from addiction,'” said the singer’s brother. “I have never been violent with a woman,” defended Habib. “I didn’t take a penny from Sherine,” he stated.
Regardless of the reason for her hospitalization, Mortada, from the musicians’ union, guarantees that Sherine’s name “is engraved in all hearts”. “Sherine Abdel Wahab is a victim of her success, many people envy her,” she said.
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