Page 31 - aruba-today-20190202

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 2 February 2019
Mariah Carey shakes off boycott calls for her Saudi concert

By AYA BATRAWY tered with permission from
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- security.
ates (AP) — Mariah Carey, The concert, which in-
one of the world's most cludes DJ Tiesto, has also
celebrated artists, is per- drawn the ire of some ul-
forming in Saudi Arabia on traconservatives on Twit-
Thursday for the first time, ter, angered that it is taking
but there's a growing cho- place in the greater region
rus of Saudi women calling of Mecca.
on her to cancel the con- The General Entertainment
cert to show support for Authority's online flyer for
detained women's rights Carey's concert shows her
activists. only from the waist up, with
Carey is the highest-profile a red scarf draped over her
star to perform in the king- arms. Women in Saudi Ara-
dom since it began loosen- bia are required to wear
ing decades of restrictions loose, long black robes
on entertainment, music known as abayas in pub-
and fun as part of a push lic. Most Saudi women also
by Crown Prince Moham- cover their hair and face.
med bin Salman to over- Still, a concert like this would
haul the economy and have been unthinkable un-
transform society. til recently. Religious police
But activists say her con- used to enforce strict gen-
cert is an attempt by the der segregation, scolded
government to polish its women for not covering
image after the Oct. 2 kill- their hair and barged into
ing of Saudi critic Jamal restaurants to demand mu-
Khashoggi inside the Saudi sic be turned off.
Consulate in Istanbul. The changes have a pow-
It's a dilemma that other ce- erful backer in the crown
lebrities could face as they In this Jan. 7, 2018, file photo, Mariah Carey arrives at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards at prince, who is seeking to
ink multimillion dollar deals the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. boost domestic spending
to perform in Saudi Arabia. Associated Press and draw attention to his
The kingdom's General En- reforms.
tertainment Authority has Guetta. May who had long cam- defying the kingdom's ban Efforts to brand him a re-
promised a roster of major Omaima Al-Najjar, a Saudi paigned for social changes on women driving before it former took a hit after Saudi
performances and sports woman who fled the king- and women's empower- was lifted last year. agents close to the crown
exhibitions by the world's dom to seek political ref- ment. The women, who in- "Remember, thanks to my prince killed and dismem-
biggest names. uge abroad, said the con- clude activists in their 20s sister @LoujainHathloul, you bered Khashoggi, a Wash-
Carey's publicists told The certs are a diversion from as well as mothers, grand- r able to perform in Saudi ington Post columnist who
Associated Press in a state- the Saudi-led war in Yemen mothers and retired profes- Arabia. I wish she can at- was critical of the prince's
ment that when "presented against the neighboring sors, have been accused tend your concert. But crackdown on dissent. The
with the offer to perform for country's Houthi rebels, hu- of vague national security she's locked behind bars U.S. Senate and U.S. intel-
an international and mixed man rights abuses commit- violations in connection to because she tried to im- ligence have blamed the
gender audience in Saudi ted under the crown prince their human rights work. prove women's condition. crown prince for the killing,
Arabia, Mariah accepted and repressive male guard- Al-Najjar said artists like Don' forget to thank her on but Saudi Arabia insists he
the opportunity as a posi- ianship laws that restrict Carey should make their stage," she wrote to Carey had no involvement.
tive step towards the disso- women's freedoms. performances in Saudi Ara- on Twitter. Thursday night's concert is
lution of gender segrega- "The Saudi government bia conditional on the re- Saudi female artist Ms Saf- taking place at the Saudi
tion." is using entertainment to lease of the women's rights faa wrote on Twitter: "Will @ International golf tourna-
"As the first female interna- distract the people from activists. A boycott would MariahCarey be singing 'It's ment. The European Tour
tional artist to perform in human rights abuses be- not impact ordinary Sau- a long road when u face has drawn several of golf's
Saudi Arabia, Mariah rec- cause it can sense the an- dis because many cannot the world alone. No one biggest stars, including four
ognizes the cultural signifi- ger among the public," she afford the concert's ticket reaches out a hand 4 u 2 of the top five players in the
cance of this event and will said. prices anyway, she said. hold' to imprisoned female world.
continue to support global Al-Najjar is a co-founder of Tickets for Carey's concert #Saudi activists @Loujain- The purse is $3.5 million,
efforts towards equality Women for Rights in Saudi start at around $80, and VIP Hathloul, @Saudiwoman, & though the primary income
for all," the statement said, Arabia, or WARSA, which seats — already sold out @azizayousef?" for these players is appear-
adding that Carey looks launched a petition calling — cost $530. The average Both women, as well as Al- ance money, likely to be in
forward to bringing inspira- on Carey to boycott the monthly wage for Saudis is Najjar, made their pleas the $1 million range for the
tion and encouragement country. The petition aimed around $2,600, according from abroad, where they biggest names.
to all audiences. to publicly pressure Carey to the General Authority for do not face the prospect The golfing champions
In December, the king- because "she has power to Statistics. of arrest for speaking out. signed up to play for the
dom hosted a Formula-E stand for women ... as an Alia al-Hathloul called on Carey is to perform at King European Tour event last
car race in Riyadh, where artist and as a female," Al- Mariah Carey to remem- Abdullah Economic City, a April, well before Saudi
thousands of young Saudis Najjar said. ber her sister, Loujain al- two-hour drive north of Is- agents killed Khashoggi.
and hundreds of interna- Activists are tweeting at Hathloul, who she says has lam's holiest site of Mecca. Even so, at least one big-
tional visitors partied into Carey directly, urging her been abused and threat- The Economic City, built name player pulled back.
the night at concerts by to take notice of the promi- ened with death while in as a sort-of enclave for UNICEF ambassador Paul
Enrique Iglesias, The Black nent Saudi women's rights detention because of her foreigners and Saudis, is Casey has also said he'd "sit
Eyed Peas and DJ David activists imprisoned since activism, which included gated and can only be en- this one out."q