President Sharia directs observance of Syrian customs and traditions in public events

President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that the event, which was held during the opening of the Al-Fayhaa Gymnasium in Damascus, "was not planned as part of his work program," expressing his surprise at some paragraphs that were described as inconsistent with customs and traditions.

In video statements with activist Jamil al-Hassan, al-Shara explained that he attended the opening ceremony at a surprise invitation and shortly before the end of the opening ceremony, "half an hour",  because he was busy preparing for his Gulf tour, without prior knowledge of the nature of the paragraphs presented, noting that national events "must be purposeful and reflect the culture and values of Syrian society."

He added that he preferred to go down to the stadium and interact with the crowd, to compensate for what he described as "observations recorded by citizens", stressing that he respected the criticisms that were raised in this regard.

President Al-Sharaa stressed  the directive of the concerned authorities to take into account Syrian customs and traditions in any future public events, and to carry a clear and meaningful message that is commensurate with their national nature.

The Al-Fayhaa Basketball Gymnasium was inaugurated in the capital Damascus last Monday, after it was rehabilitated and equipped to host major sports tournaments and events.

The opening ceremony witnessed the holding of a friendly match between the Syrian and Lebanese teams, which ended with the victory of the Lebanese national team by a score of 110 to 73, in a meeting that carried a celebratory character on the occasion of the reopening of the hall.

A song during the opening ceremony of Al-Fayhaa Hall sparks controversy

The opening ceremony was accompanied by an artistic performance before the start of the match, which included the playing of a foreign song titled "Work It" by American singer "Missy Elliott", which sparked a wide wave of controversy on social media, due to its content, which many considered "inappropriate and contrary to public morals".

Followers circulated clips from the concert, pointing out that the song contains "sexual suggestions" and is not appropriate for an official occasion held in the presence of high-level officials, families and children, which prompted questions about the mechanism of selecting artistic paragraphs and the extent to which they are subject to review.