Palestinian Singer Sparks Outrage at Moroccan Music Festival for Flag Incident

Saint Levant’s concert in Essaouira on Friday, June 28, as part of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, lived up to all its promises. The Moroccan audience enthusiastically sang along to his biggest hits. From the first song to the last, the magic was there. But an incident almost ruined everything. As he was delivering a final song, the Palestinian-origin singer made a rather inappropriate gesture. He got rid of the Moroccan flag that had been handed to him on stage by throwing it to the ground. This caused outrage among Moroccans.

Is this a gesture that can be justified by the emotion and extreme fatigue of the singer at the end of his concert? Faced with the outcry, Saint Levant, in an Instagram post on Sunday, apologized to Moroccans. "I apologize to Morocco and its people for the misunderstanding that some have considered an attack on the country. My respect and high regard for you prevent me from committing any deliberately offensive gesture," wrote the performer of "Forgive me." And he concluded in Darija: "Kanbghikoum bezzaf (I love you very much)."