Euphoria over Palestinian singing contender

[Gimel]

The Palestinian Authority has declared a week of solidarity with a young singer from the West Bank who is participating in this year's SuperStar television show, the Arabic version of the popular British show Pop Idol.

The move has enraged some Palestinians who say there is no room for entertainment when Israel is continuing its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Huge screens will be placed in the main squares in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Gaza City to encourage the people to support Ammar Hassan, a singer from the West Bank who is representing the Palestinians at the show.

Millions of people across the Arab world have been glued to their television sets for the past 20 weeks as thousands of contestants were winnowed down to a small number of finalists, among them Hassan, 28, from the town of Salfit in the Nablus area. If elected, Hassan would earn the title of the Arab world's best singer for 2004.

More..

A popularity contest for musical artists is a postitive development. Hamas and IJ are both annoyed. They demand loyalty to them and their cause.

[Violet_Crumble]

1. There's party-poopers in every bunch...

If they get that annoyed about someone competing in what's nothing more than a highly publicised Kareoke competition, wait till they find out there's a Palestinian team at the Olympics. They'll really be fuming then! I really don't get the mindset that no-one should have a life while there's a conflict going on. Life goes on even during the darkest times, as Londoners proved during the Blitz. Hamas and Islamic Jihad should team up with someone I encountered in GD who was complaining about the nerve of Iraqi athletes turning up at the Olympics when US troops were over there dying...

Totally offtopic Olympics gloat moment here:

Medal Tally

Country Total
1. China 10 4 1 15
2. Australia 6 2 5 13
3. Japan 5 1 1 7
4. United States 3 5 5 13

btw, anyone know how to do tables in these posts?


Violet....

[IA_Seth]

2. Go Australia

I have been watching as much as I can and I have to hand it to your swimmers..they are good!

And hooray for Greece and their Gold!

[Djinn]

6. they should be

the amount of public money that goes into sport in this country is sick making...I am the sport grinch btw.

[Gimel]

3. Palestinians and the Olympics

Apparently it hasn't raised much of a following among the Palestinians. It's an event of Western origin. If they got some gold, maybe, that would be different.

[Matilda]

4. They have a small team - got quite a rousing cheer when they entered

the stadium.

[JohnLocke]

5. Damn you Australians!

:D