Ahmad al-Sharaa in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, on Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
In a dark-toned studio, wearing a black T-shirt, his hair slicked back, Syrian singer Majid al-Khaldi proudly proclaims his identity to a martial beat. “I am an Arab Muslim, not Iran’s subordinate.”Behind him, hanging on the wall, is a painting glorifying the Banu Umayya, the Umayyad dynasty that ruled the Muslim world from 661 to 750 and later al-Andalus from 756 to 1031. Behind a mixing console, hanging above a speaker, is the flag of the Syrian revolution, marked by three red stars. The title of the song leaves little doubt: “The Umayyads, Their Essence is Gold.”The artist takes aim at Shiites in general and Iran in particular. “The history of men, O ignorant one — how could you know it, when all your ancestors’ books are falsified?” the song goes. “The path of Khamenei, O heedless one, is written in crime. He spreads his doctrine...
In a dark-toned studio, wearing a black T-shirt, his hair slicked back, Syrian singer Majid al-Khaldi proudly proclaims his identity to a martial beat. “I am an Arab Muslim, not Iran’s subordinate.”Behind him, hanging on the wall, is a painting glorifying the Banu Umayya, the Umayyad dynasty that ruled the Muslim world from 661 to 750 and later al-Andalus from 756 to 1031. Behind a mixing console, hanging above a speaker, is the flag of the Syrian revolution, marked by three red stars. The title of the song leaves little doubt: “The Umayyads, Their Essence is Gold.”The artist takes aim at Shiites in general and Iran in particular. “The history of men, O ignorant one — how could you know it, when all your ancestors’ books are falsified?” the song goes. “The path of Khamenei, O heedless one, is written in crime. He...
