The Artists' Syndicate reinstates Samih Shaqeer's membership after ten years of expulsion.

In a surprising move with artistic and national dimensions, the Artists Syndicate in Syria decided during its extraordinary session held yesterday to reinstate the artist Samih Shqeir in the records of the Damascus branch of the syndicate as a "singer," after nearly ten years of his dismissal. Shqeir was dismissed in 2015, along with several other artists, on the grounds of not paying his financial dues, although many pointed out at the time that the real reason for the dismissal was political, as Shqeir was known for his support of the Syrian revolution since its inception in 2011, and he became famous for his revolutionary song "Ya Hayif," which he released in response to the shooting of peaceful protesters in Daraa. Samih Shqeir, born in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, is a committed poet, composer, and singer, whose voice and songs have been one of the prominent symbols of cultural resistance against oppression and tyranny, advocating for freedom, dignity, and the demands of his homeland's people. He began performing his songs in Syrian theaters since 1982, and studied music in Ukraine, where he pursued his studies at the Higher Institute of Music in Kyiv between 1990 and 1994. Throughout his career, he presented a large number of politically and nationally themed songs, most notably "Hi Ya Banat" and "Qurbana Ya Hurriya," which have turned into anthems echoed by voices in squares since the early days of the revolution. He also composed and sang for several prominent poets, including the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, and participated in composing music for various TV series, films, and plays. He has performed in concerts in Syria, the Arab world, Europe, Australia, and the United States. Shqeir's return to the Artists Syndicate represents a remarkable step in the Syrian cultural and political context, restoring the reputation of an artist who was a voice for freedom in times of silence, and sending a new message from within the official institution towards a new phase that may reconnect what was severed between art and freedom.