Fadl Shaker sings for Assad's destruction

Lebanese singer Fadl Shaker, always one to court controversy, has prayed for God to destroy Syrian President Bashar al Assad at a music festival in Morocco. The musician, who became famous for asking Mahmoud Abbas for a Palestinian passport, requested that his audience chant “Amen” after his prayer for Assad’s destruction. After the news broke today of the massacre of over 30 children in Al Houl, the Syrian government has been almost universally condemned. However, Shaker got in his condemnation two days previously at the Moroccan international music festival in Rabat. Alongside the prayer, the singer dedicated his version of the Libyan revolutionary anthem to the people of Syria. Following the performance, he declared his intentions to retire from singing. Previously Shaker had appeared on Rahma TV () to talk about his imminent retirement, saying that the world of music is a “dirty” one. But since then he has gone on to play gigs at music festivals in Abu Dhabi and Rabat, Morocco. During his most recent appearance, he introduced his son Mohammed to the audience, to duet on the song “soul” in front of the 200 or so spectators.