Syria cancels concerts by pro‑Assad singers after public protests in Homs
Posters for three artists known for praising Bashar al‑Assad were ripped down in Homs, prompting the interim authorities to cancel their shows under a new cultural policy.
On 20 July, residents of Homs tore down promotional posters for Lebanese performer Mohamad Iskandar and Syrian singer Hossam Jneed, sparking the immediate cancellation of their upcoming concerts. Iskandar had been due to perform on 14 August at the Lion Palace hotel in the predominantly Christian town of al‑Hawash, 30 km west of Homs. The same day, posters advertising Jneed’s shows in Homs and nearby Sadad were also destroyed. The Lion Palace announced the cancellation that evening, saying it was respecting public sentiment and community unity.
The episode follows a similar intervention in late June, when the Syrian Ministry of Culture scrapped a planned appearance by Shadi Jamil at the Damascus Opera House after comparable pressure. All three artists have a documented history of supporting former president Bashar al‑Assad. In 2016 Iskandar released the song “Mnemout Kbar”, declaring “We won't accept anyone but Bashar to govern Syria.” Jneed’s 2013 track “Ya Bashar Metlak Min” praised the president as unrivalled, and Jamil was filmed in 2014 in Venezuela praising “Abu Hafez”, an honourific for Assad.
Artists respond
After his concert was axed, Iskandar posted a video addressed to interim president Ahmed al‑Sharaa. He denied any involvement in the war, stating, "I didn't kill anyone in Damascus, and I didn't carry weapons in Damascus," and added, "I'm calling on President Ahmed al‑Sharaa for justice and to examine what happened." Jneed issued an apology to the Syrian people, especially the mothers of those killed in the conflict, saying, "I am your son, and I apologise to all the mothers of martyrs." Jamil also apologised after his June cancellation, claiming that the past era was over and expressing optimism for the future.
Homs’ particular sensitivity
Journalist Ahmed al‑Shamali, who covers the Homs governorate, explains that the city’s wartime trauma makes it a flashpoint for cultural events. Homs, Syria’s third‑largest city, suffered extensive damage during the civil war. The Sunni majority, which bore the brunt of the fighting, coexists with an Alawite minority linked to the Assad clan; many Sunni neighbourhoods remain in ruins while Alawite areas escaped heavy bombing. "People feel a strong sense of injustice when they see concerts organised in these zones," al‑Shamali said. By contrast, regular concerts in the nearby Wadi al‑Nasara region pass without incident.
New cultural vetting policy
The cancellations are part of a November 2025 directive from the culture minister, sent to all cultural centres under the ministry. Moussa al‑Sweidan, head of popular culture institutes, confirmed that the policy bars events featuring celebrities who "glorified the deposed regime or presented work that either covered up or denied his crimes against the Syrian people." He cited Rwanda’s post‑genocide reconciliation as a model and noted that earlier vetting had allowed some requests to slip through, but "now, things are much stricter."
These developments illustrate how cultural programming has become a contested arena in post‑Assad Syria, where public memory of the war continues to shape everyday life and the new authorities must balance calls for unity with demands for accountability.
