Hearts break as Mohammad Assaf announces engagement

Blog: The celebrity Palestinian singer is to marry a TV presenter - and the news was met with mixed reactions.
2 min read
30 Sep, 2015
Mohammad Assaf catapulted to fame during his appearances on Arab Idol [Facebook]
Palestinian singer Mohammad Assaf has announced his engagement to the Palestinian TV presenter Lina Qishawi on his Facebook page.

"My beloved people, as your son and brother, I'm happy to announce the news of my engagement to a fellow Palestinian I'm proud of," Assaf said. 

Although the news brought many congratulations to the couple, others were slightly more disappointed.

"The dreams of girls are lost!" commented one heartbroken fan.

"No no no Assaf! I only have a small heart and I can't bear this pain," said another.

Such comments were echoed elsewhere. "It's over for the girls who built their dreams around him," said one commentator.

Palestinian comedian Amer Zahr shared the news, declaring that the engagement now makes him the most eligible Palestinian bachelor.

Lina is from the West Bank, where she studied nursing at Beirzeit University and also has Russian ancestry through her mother. Assaf, known as a Palestinian hero, has previously said that he hoped to marry someone from his homeland.

Mohammad Assaf was a wedding singer from Khan Younis in Gaza when he auditioned for the Arab Idol competition.

His journey was fraught with difficulties; he was delayed for two days at Rafah crossing before managing to climb over a wall into the Cairo audition's venue.

During the 2013 competition, broadcast throughout the Arab world and beyond, he quickly gained audience popularity as he performed a wide variety of numbers, from Palestinian nationalist anthems to the hits of the Backstreet Boys.

Although the announcement dashed the hopes of many, some were more optimistic.

"My condolences, Arab girls. But there's still hope. He can marry four, according to Sharia - and he can afford to marry a million," said one Facebook user.