Ragheb Alama Banned from Performing in Egypt After Fan Kiss, Here’s His Response

The Egyptian Musicians Syndicate just banned Ragheb Alama from performing in the country and summoned him for questioning. The decision came after a video of a fan kissing him on the lips went viral on social media.

The Syndicate’s head, Mostafa Kamel, issued a statement slamming the incident as “shameful” and “against Egyptian values and traditions.” He said, “We’ve never seen scenes like these in our country, and we won’t let them happen again.”

The statement also referenced icons like Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim, calling Egypt the home of “great Arab art.”

What Happened?

His latest concert in the North Coast sparked major backlash after several fans are seen going up on stage to greet or dance with the Lebanese star. One particular clip sparked the most controversy, as it showed a fan kissing him on the mouth after taking a photo.

This scene caused a wave of widespread criticism. Many people described the fan’s behavior as “shameless,” others said “the world has gone crazy,” and many even noticed that Ragheb was surprised by the fan’s behavior.

So How Did Ragheb Respond?

Speaking to Egypt’s Extra News, Ragheb said he was shocked by the decision and defended himself immediately. He said, “My love for Egypt and its people isn’t defined by a spontaneous kiss from a fan at a concert.” He also claimed the image circulating online was misleading and taken from the wrong angle.

According to him, the fan wasn’t Egyptian. She was an Arab tourist expressing her excitement during the show. He added, “The viral image makes it look like she kissed me on the mouth, but that’s not what happened.”

Ragheb made it clear he doesn’t look down on his fans and would never push them away.

He explained that stage security isn’t his responsibility, it’s the organizers’ job to manage that. He also spoke directly with Mostafa Kamel to explain his side of the story and clear the air.

Ragheb said the kiss didn’t even happen on stage. It was behind the scenes as he was heading to his car. “I don’t like acting superior,” he said, “I love my fans, and they love me back. I don’t see the problem.”

Should artists be held responsible for spontaneous, and sometimes shocking, fan behavior? Would the reaction be the same if the roles were reversed?

The incident raises questions about double standards. What if a male fan had kissed a female artist without warning, onstage, in front of everyone?

Would the conversation still center around whether the artist overreacted? Or would we be talking about consent, boundaries, and protecting performers from inappropriate behavior?

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