When words turn into mines… How do Lebanese stars deal with the war? | art

Beirut Every time a conflict erupts in the region, attention turns to the positions of stars and celebrities as they are part of influential public opinion and makers of the popular mood. In a number of Arab countries, the picture seems clearer, as artists openly line up behind their countries, and their accounts on social networking sites turn into platforms for support and moral mobilization, in an expression that the public reads in the context of direct national affiliation.

In Lebanon, the scene appears more ambiguous, as it is governed by internal complexities that make public expression more sensitive. Politics is intertwined with sect, and belonging with alignment, which puts the artist before a delicate equation: How can he express his solidarity with his homeland without being affiliated with a specific political party?

This problem clearly emerged during the 2024 war, when a large number of stars chose to remain silent or limit themselves to general statements to avoid any political interpretation. Declaring sympathy for the victims may be read as support for a political party, while silence can be interpreted as abandonment or even betrayal.

Prayer as a safe haven

In light of this climate, the language of supplication has emerged as the most common form of expression among Lebanese stars. It is a safe space that does not hold its owner with a clear political position, and at the same time allows him to show sympathy.

Artist Ragheb Alama wrote via the

A formula that combines pain and prayer, without entering into any political descriptions. Likewise did the artist Cyrine Abdel Nour, who summarized her position with the sentence: “Oh Lord, protect Lebanon, we have no one but you.”

In this form, supplication turns into an almost common position, and into a way to avoid the trap of harsh classification.

Symbolic messages without direct permission

Some stars chose a different path, based on passing messages indirectly. The artist Nancy Ajram provided a clear example of this style, when she published a video from the streets of Beirut, which were filled with tents for the displaced, accompanying her song “To Beirut the Female with Apologies,” and commented: “A universe without Lebanon will remain non-existent or impossible.”

The message is emotional and clear in its content, but it is devoid of any direct political statement. It does not adopt a position, nor name a party, but at the same time it does not remain silent, in an attempt to balance human presence and avoid alignment.

Elissa… breaking caution and making a direct statement

In contrast to this general caution, the artist Elissa stands out as a different case, as she is among the few who do not hesitate to declare their political positions explicitly. Since the beginning of the war, she expressed her position clearly, and wrote: “Oh Lord, protect us and hold accountable every person who has brought Lebanon and its people to harm,” in a message that includes an assumption of responsibility. She also continued her public criticism of Hezbollah, considering that its policies were “dragging Lebanon to destruction.”

She also sparked controversy with her position on the issue of the displaced, when she wrote: “Sympathy is a duty, but imposing a dangerous reality on the Lebanese people in their homes is not humanitarian, but rather a violation of their most basic rights,” considering that the establishment of random camps inside residential neighborhoods threatens stability. This clarity of position makes her constantly vulnerable to criticism, but it also places her outside the circle of confusion that surrounds the positions of many of her colleagues.

Carole Samaha…re-posing the question of patriotism

Artist Carole Samaha chose a different approach that tends to deconstruct the prevailing discourse instead of engaging in direct alignment. She wrote: “If someone says that he will not give up southern Lebanon, he will be accused of being Iranian, and if he says that Hezbollah should not enter the war, he will be accused of being Zionist. Frankly, the concept of patriotism in our country has been lost.”

With this proposal, His Eminence puts her finger on the essence of the crisis: there is no longer a single definition of patriotism, but rather every position is interpreted according to the political background of the recipient. In her publications, she tried to maintain a clear balance, emphasizing the unity of the Lebanese territories without engaging in inflammatory or divisive rhetoric.

Julia Boutros…the silence that raises questions

The artist Julia Boutros, known for her rich history of patriotic songs, chose silence during this war, a silence that did not go unnoticed. Every time she remains silent, the audience asks the same questions again, using her song “Where are the Millions!”

In the previous war, after a period of absence, Boutros posted a video of her performing the song “Ghabet Shams al-Haqq,” accompanied by the phrase, “Oh my beloved, my South, my beloved, my Lebanon.” In this war, it followed the same method, as it re-published the video and attached it with a comment: “The South is ours,” in a move that some read as belated solidarity or a “raising of the censure,” which reflects the extent of the embarrassment faced by artists who have historically been associated with a clear political discourse.

Najwa Karam and Wael Kfoury…generalities that preserve distance

On the other hand, some stars prefer to stay away from politics almost completely, preferring to use public language based on hope and wishful thinking. Actress Najwa Karam took advantage of the occasion of Eid al-Fitr to write a text closer to poetry, in which she talked about the Lebanese people’s longing for safety, and the belief in the return of light and stability.

In turn, artist Wael Kfoury contented himself with a greeting that included wishes for peace, without entering into any context beyond generalities. This type of discourse maintains a safe distance, but it also raises questions about the limits of the role expected of the artist in moments of crisis.

A war without patriotic songs

In addition to individual positions, there is an almost complete absence of artistic works related to the war, as there are no new patriotic songs, nor artistic productions that reflect the stage, at a time when this type of expression was strongly present in previous stations.

On the other hand, some individual initiatives have emerged in the field of humanitarian support. Concert promoter Imad Qanso revealed the launch of a donation campaign, noting that some artists participated in it, including Melhem Zein, Marwan Khoury, Fares Karam, Assi El-Hillani, Nancy Ajram, and Najwa Karam, while others refused to participate, stressing that the artist Elissa did not respond, at a time when information was circulated about her providing aid unannounced in an attempt to separate humanitarian work and media investment.

Between prayers, silence, symbolism, and direct statements, the positions of stars in Lebanon are distributed within a narrow margin governed by precise calculations. This discrepancy does not necessarily reflect the absence of a position, as much as it reflects the nature of a country in which the expression itself becomes part of the division.