BEIRUT — A video circulating on social media has sparked controversy after a voice, featuring a voice allegedly belonging to Lebanese singer Ragheb Alameh in a phone call with Emirati artist Abdullah Bilkhair. In the recording, the voice reportedly insults the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and states: "There is no more Nasrallah, we are rid of him ... You can now come to Beirut."

The clip quickly went viral, leading to strong reactions online. Many social media users called for a boycott of Ragheb Alameh's school, Saint George, amid the allegations.

The backlash escalated as calls for a boycott of Alameh’s school, located in Beirtu's southern suburbs, spread across social media. Videos emerge showing individuals vandalizing the institution, further intensifying the public outburst.

Contacted by L'Orient Today, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said they had no further information about this incident.

Some local media outlets also claimed that a complaint was filed against Alameh over the alleged comments about Nasrallah, however L'Orient Today was unable to independently verify this claim.

In response, Alameh denied the authenticity of the clip. He issued a statement on the social media platform X, claiming that the call was fake and that the voice was likely generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Alameh stated: “I deny this call in its entirety. The voice in the clip is not mine, and I will take legal action against the person responsible for spreading these malicious rumors.”

Bilkhair also addressed the controversy, posting a video in which he refuted the authenticity of the phone call. He explained that the conversation had been fabricated using AI technology, and he had unknowingly interacted with someone mimicking Alameh’s voice. Bilkhair cautioned his followers against falling for such tricks, emphasizing that he had no intention of causing any problems.

بالفيديو/ عبد الله بالخير: بلغوا راغب يسامحني! pic.twitter.com/OAWWP3Gv2J

— صعب المراس (@SAABALMIRASS) December 23, 2024

'Alameh threatens to sue perpetrators’

Following these denials, Alameh’s office issued an official statement, reiterating that the video was fake, and the voice was not Alameh’s. The statement condemned the malicious use of AI to impersonate the artist and misrepresent his views. It further clarified that the statements in the video were inconsistent with Alameh’s values and public persona. The office also called on those responsible for spreading the video to stop these harmful practices and vowed to pursue legal action against the perpetrators.

However, L’Orient Today verified the video and found no indications that it had been AI-generated, suggesting that it appeared to be authentic.

Skepticism also persisted after Omar Kaskas, a senior editor at This is Lebanon news website, posted a video demonstrating his use of an AI verification tool that suggested the clip was not AI-generated, contradicting Alameh’s claim that the video was fabricated with AI.

بالدليل القاطع.. فيديو #راغب_علامة عن "السيد" حقيقي أم بالذكاء الاصطناعي؟@raghebalama pic.twitter.com/uWWP2rdOLT

— Omar Kaskas (@kaskasomar) December 23, 2024

In 2018, Alameh’s song Tar al-Balad (The Country is Lost) caused a stir when former MP Hikmat Dib from the Free Patriotic Movement criticized it on live TV, accusing Alameh of ''promoting despair among citizens.''

Alameh called Dib’s remarks irresponsible, and the controversy sparked widespread support for the singer on social media. The song itself expressed frustration with Lebanon’s political and economic crisis.

After the fire, Caretaker Education Minister Abbas Halabi called in a statement published on Tuesday to keep schools "neutral" from conflicts and score-setting, "especially since the Israeli enemy has destroyed dozens of schools and caused damage to many others."

“Schools and educational institutions should not be subjected to damage, reactions, or vindictiveness under any pretext, regardless of how much differences in opinion may exist,” Halabi added.

"The restoration or rebuilding of these damaged institutions requires significant funding and time, which deprives students of the opportunity to learn."