Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Khashoggi's fiancee calls on Justin Bieber to cancel F1 show

by Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Nov 21, 2021 - 1:27 pm GMT+3
Justin Bieber attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" exhibition,  New York City, U.S., Sept. 13, 2021. (AP File Photo)
Justin Bieber attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" exhibition, New York City, U.S., Sept. 13, 2021. (AP File Photo)
by Associated Press Nov 21, 2021 1:27 pm
RECOMMENDED
People gather around a coffin with the body of Orkhan Askerov, the security chief at Azerbaijan's embassy in Iran shot dead by a gunman in a recent attack, Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 30, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Azerbaijan issues Iran travel warning after embassy terror attack

Azerbaijan

Slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's fiance Hatice Cengiz on Sunday joined the growing number of those calling on pop star Justin Bieber to cancel his concert in Saudi Arabia next month at the kingdom's Formula One race.

In an open letter published by The Washington Post, Hatice Cengiz urged the Canadian megastar to cancel his Dec. 5 performance in the Red Sea city of Jiddah to "send a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics.”

Bieber's concert is the most headline-grabbing performance scheduled for the race in Jiddah, though other F1 concert performers include rapper A$AP Rocky, DJs David Guetta and Tiesto and singer Jason Derulo.

It is not the first time a pop star has faced pressure to pull out of a concert in Saudi Arabia. Mariah Carey was the biggest-name performer to hit the stage in Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi's killing by Saudi agents in Turkey in October 2018. She brushed off calls to boycott the show.

Public pressure, however, prompted Nicki Minaj in 2019 to cancel her appearance on stage at a concert in Jiddah, telling The Associated Press (AP) at the time she wanted to show support for women’s rights, gay rights and freedom of expression.

Khashoggi's stunning killing in 2018 was carried out by members of a team of 15 Saudi government agents who'd been sent to Istanbul, where the writer and former government spokesperson had an appointment at the Saudi consulate for documents needed to marry Cengiz. She waited from him outside the consulate, but he never walked out. His body was never found.

The killing by agents who worked for the crown prince drew international gasps and cast a shadow over Prince Mohammed (MBS), whose reputation never fully recovered. MBS has maintained he had no prior knowledge of the operation that killed Khashoggi. A U.S. intelligence assessment made public under President Joe Biden, however, determined the crown prince approved the operation.

"Please know that your invitation to participate in a concert in Jiddah comes directly from MBS, as the crown prince is known," Cengiz wrote in her open letter to Bieber. "Nothing of significance happens in Saudi Arabia without his consent, and certainly not an event as important and flashy as this."

Bieber's concert in Saudi Arabia comes shortly before he opens a world tour in February that was rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic.

In the time since, Saudi Arabia's state-owned sovereign wealth fund – steered by MBS – scooped up shares in Live Nation, the company that owns Ticketmaster and promotes concerts for Bieber and other major stars. As Live Nation's shares plummeted last year during COVID-19 lockdowns and the cancellation of thousands of shows, the Public Investment Fund bought $500 million worth of shares in the battered company.

Public filings show the Saudi wealth fund is now the second largest institutional holder in Live Nation, with a stake worth some $1.4 billion.

Human Rights Watch has also called on Bieber and the other performers to pull out of the F1 concerts in Saudi Arabia, saying these events are aimed at "sportwashing” by diverting attention and deflecting scrutiny from Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

Saudi youth are the main attendees of these concerts, enjoying the country's newfound social changes that allow for music and gender mixing. The kingdom's General Sports Authority argues that sports is a tool for social change within the kingdom.

Next month's F1 race will be the first time Saudi Arabia hosts the premier sporting event, though the kingdom has hosted the lesser known Formula-E race in past years in an effort to raise the country's profile as a tourist destination.

At the time of Khashoggi's killing, the crown prince was being lauded for ushering in social reforms transforming life for many inside the country. Khashoggi had been writing columns for The Washington Post criticizing the crown prince’s brash foreign policy moves and simultaneous crackdown on activists and perceived critics, including women’s rights activists, writers, clerics and economists.

Saudi Arabia held a trial for some of those involved in his killing, sentencing five to death before sparing them of execution.

Khashoggi’s fiancee has told AP she will keep speaking out in the hopes of giving voice to those who remain imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for expressing their opinion.

RECOMMENDED
People gather around a coffin with the body of Orkhan Askerov, the security chief at Azerbaijan's embassy in Iran shot dead by a gunman in a recent attack, Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 30, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Azerbaijan issues Iran travel warning after embassy terror attack

Azerbaijan
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    jamal khashoggi hatice cengiz justin bieber saudi arabia formula one
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A U.S. Air Force airman marshals an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, at the 86th Air Base near Fetesti, Romania, Feb. 17, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye warns of 'price' if US fails to deliver long-sought fighter jets

    F-16-FIGHTER-JETS
    Tourists visit the courtyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque on a sunny day in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 2023. (EPA Photo)

    Türkiye raises bets as foreign arrivals near record, tourism revenues boom

    tourism-in-Türkiye

    Türkiye inks $200M deal with S.Korean firm for parts of MBT Altay

    altay-tank

    Hungary slams Sweden's 'stupidity' on NATO row with Türkiye

    türkiye-hungary-relations
    No Image
    South Africa gripped by worst violence in years after Zuma court hearing
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021