27 Jun 2013

Hero's welcome in Gaza for 'Arab Idol' winner

11:31 am on 27 June 2013

Singer Mohammed Assaf received a hero's welcome on his return to the Gaza Strip after winning the Arab Idol talent show.

Huge crowds gathered on the route between the Rafah crossing with Egypt and his home in the Khan Younis refugee camp on Tuesday.

Correspondents said the trip normally takes only 15 minutes, but his convoy took two hours, such were the numbers of the crowds that turned out.

The contest was held in Beirut and was watched by millions across the region on the MBC TV channel since March.

A virtual unknown, Assaf, 23, was a wedding singer until a few weeks ago, but the BBC reports he is now a hero to Palestinians.

His victory was announced on Saturday evening, a day after he competed in a final against two other singers - Ahmed Jamal from Egypt and Farah Youssef from Syria.

Fireworks were set off in Gaza City and East Jerusalem as revellers thronged the streets.

Correspondents said Gaza had not seen such an outpouring of emotion since the end of last year's conflict with Israel.

The BBC reports his last solo song, performed on Friday, had a political edge, asking for the Palestinian traditional scarf to be raised and calling for reconciliation.