Singer Shatha Hassoun under fire after “rejecting” Morocco

Singer Shatha Hassoun has come under fire after a publication in which she expressed her love for Iraq, her father’s country of origin. She had to reassure her Moroccan fans by declaring that she loves Morocco, where her mother is from, as much as Iraq.

“An indescribable feeling and immense joy when I smelled the scent of my country. How I missed you, O Baghdad, as if I had not been there for years. You are still beautiful and the most beautiful in the world,” wrote Shatha Hassoun in a post on her social media. This led to an avalanche of reactions from her Moroccan audience, who accused her of denying her Moroccan origins.

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In response to a fan’s comment calling her an “ungrateful”, Shatha Hassoun responded: “I am as proud of my Moroccan as I am of my Iraqi heritage because they are my precious parents. Is there anything more precious than parents? We love them in the same way and with the same love. May God protect our fathers, mothers and our countries.”

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Shatha Hassoun, of Iraqi father and Moroccan mother, was born and raised in Morocco. The singer, who is little known in Iraq, revealed her love for her father’s country after participating in the “Star Academy” program.