A positive role model... ATFP's Miriam Awadallah

Miriam Awadallah: "After Assaf clinched the title of Arab Idol, my excitement was wild. His victory has been described as finally giving the Palestinian people a reason to celebrate, but his win is so much more than a good reason to party. The Palestinian people have long craved an Assaf-esque figure to provide them with a less antagonizing face to the world. The attractive man singing his heart out on stage is a far cry from the masked, camouflaged men the American public is used to seeing when presented with images of Palestinians.

His career as a singer is considered to be a sin in the eyes of the Islamists who are gaining momentum in the region. Hamas has not exactly been his biggest fan; they recently attempted to censor him in Gaza, and gave him a lukewarm reception upon his homecoming despite being a Palestinian hero.

The Mufti of Nablus also issued a “Fatwa” against watching the same show he was competing on. Assaf represents the broader modern, secular trends of the Middle East, empowering the factions that are joining hands and protesting in the streets of Egypt and elsewhere.

Palestinian youth now have a positive role model, who is empowering them to show the world the beauty of their culture. With sectarian violence raging on next door in Syria and Lebanon, Assaf , the new “goodwill ambassador” of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), can lead his millions of Arab fans to a path of tolerance, coexistence and peace."

http://www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/assaf-idol-130/

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]