Egyptian superstar Sherine Abdel-Wahab has quit Twitter and Instagram following backlash on a tweet she wrote in support of Lebanon during the wildfires that hit the country.
In the tweet, she wrote: "My heart is broken over our beloved country Lebanon, but during these circumstances, words are not enough. I'm fully ready to put on a concert whose proceeds go to support those affected by the fires and I call on Prime Minister Saad Rafik Hariri that it would be under his patronage."
While fans in Lebanon appreciated the support, many fans in the Arab world took to social media to criticise the singer for not taking a similar stand in support such as the recent deadly protests in Iraq, in support of Syria or for her home country Egypt.
The comments led Abdel-Wahab to post a statement on Instagram in which she said: "Today, I put up a post about Lebanon because I wanted to help Lebanon with what I could and that's my voice... I decided to be positive.
"But when I read the comments, I discovered that no mater what one does, people will not like it... one time I'm pregnant and then miscarried, one time I'm married, one time I have no patriotism to my country, and so for that, I have decided to close everything that has to do with social media."
This isn't the first time that the singer has received backlash over comments. Earlier this year, she was in hot water with Egyptian authorities when a video was widely shared of her telling audience members in Bahrain: "Here I can say whatever I like. In Egypt, anyone who talks is jailed." In 2016, she was given a six-month prison sentence for saying that "drinking from the Nile River leads to illness." It was during a concert where a fan asked her to sing her song Have You Ever Drunk From The Nile. "Drink Evian instead," she joked, but later apologised for the comments.
Whether or not the singer will be back on the platforms, we will find out.
