In a rare instance of its kind Egyptian pop star Amr Diab had ordered the forbiddance of certain journalists from his press conference held in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Dubai immediately after his performance at the Dubai Nights festival. The singer had specifically demanded that a journalist from Al Ettihad Newspaper be banned from the conference after she had written some negative criticism about him in one of her articles.
According to the London based Elaph, the journalist was informed by the organizers of the festival that Amr does not wish her to be present at the press conference and so she was banned from entering.
The singer’s actions made the journalist go into a rage stating that he violated her freedom of press and insulted her and other journalists.
On a different note, Amr and Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi are scheduled to hold a joint concert in Egypt at the end of February at the Marriott hotel in Cairo. It has been revealed that the proceeds of the event will go directly to the fight against illiteracy project under the patronage of Egypt’s First Lady Suzan Mubarak and the Rotary Club.
