A heated confrontation between two Syrian stars.. accusations of lying and scandals coming to light.
Amid the heated controversy surrounding her recent statements, Syrian star Slaov Fawakherji has finally broken her silence, albeit indirectly, using the Instagram "story" feature to respond to the torrent of criticism directed at her.
After her remarks about her relationship with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad caused a stir, Fawakherji posted five supportive posts, with some describing her as "free" and "authentic." One person wrote: "In the era of free fall, may you remain the mistress of yourself and your opinions." Another said: "The authentic do not deny their loved ones, and the loyal do not deny their sincerity."
Writer Ali Douki also defended her, affirming that she is "a clear, balanced, sincere, and transparent personality who is not afraid to express her opinion, despite some disagreeing with her."
Fawakherji faced widespread criticism after appearing in a TV interview where she made fiery statements, calling Bashar al-Assad a "noble man" and asserting that he "did not personally commit massacres in his country." She revealed that she had met him four times and his wife twice, in addition to meeting Maher al-Assad, whom she described as "respectful."
Her comments on the Syrian revolution further fueled the controversy, as she deemed it peaceful only in its beginnings but quickly turned violent, necessitating a state response, in her words. She also justified the presence of Russian and Iranian forces in Syria, emphasizing that they are "allies of the Syrian state," and praised the role of the Lebanese Hezbollah, noting that they "liberated Saydnaya and the nuns in Maaloula."
In a harsh response to Fawakherji's statements, Syrian actress and director Leila Awad launched a strong attack on her, labeling her as a "liar" and pointing out that the previous regime did not embrace artists as she claimed but rather "arrested many of them."
Awad tweeted: "Your state did not embrace opposition artists; it arrested many of them!" She went on to list the names of artists who paid the price for their stances, stating that she personally was arrested and imprisoned for 16 months. She mentioned that Samar Kokash was imprisoned for over 3 years, while Zaki Kurdillo and his son Mahyar are still missing to this day.
She also recalled the brutal assault on the renowned artist Ali Ferzat, as well as the death of the editor Hisham Mousalli under torture, according to her.
Despite the wave of anger and harsh criticism, Slaov Fawakherji did not retract her stance but continued to defend it, disregarding the storm her statements had stirred. Will she respond directly to Leila Awad and clarify her position, or will she choose to ignore the storm and move forward?
