The least that could be said regarding the dispute within the Rahbani family is that it is “shameful.” Such a dispute, with its financial reasons and dimensions, does not befit the legacy of the Rahbani family, and leaves wounds in our hearts because of what this angelic voice is being subjected to. We grew up listening to the voice of Fayrouz, a voice that accompanied us in our loneliness abroad, until it became the only thread that still kept us attached us to our villages, the moon in our sky, and our childhood's playgrounds. When we used to spend the night watching “The Moon's Bridge” - or bow before the magnificence of “Gherbeh” when she used to stand with pride in the face of “the authoritarian Fatek” or at the foot of the “Sawan Mountains,” we never thought about how much Assi earned nor about the share that Mansour received from these performances! We also believe that if Assi and Mansour had thought about [money], they would have divided up their earnings during their lifetimes, and they would not have been keen on signing their pieces and plays under the name of “the Rahbani brothers.” This raises questions about the motives behind the campaign against Fayrouz today. There is no question that Ghadi, Osama and Marwan al-Rahbani appreciate the importance of what their father and son left for them, and the value of the Rahbanis' art with respect to Lebanon. They also must appreciate the value of Fayrouz and what she means for Lebanon. For this reason, it is strange that Fayrouz now needs identification in the lawsuits they filed at the courts, as her name has become “Nouhad Haddad, the widow of our uncle Assi!” The day before yesterday, many people gathered in Beirut and Arab capitals calling for the restrictions on Fayrouz's voice to be lifted. It did not matter for them who was right and who was wrong, and whose opinion was legally right. Their silent cry was united: Fayrouz belongs to all of us; she brings us together in our happy moments and alleviates our concerns and sorrows. Place her above your greediness and narrow-mindedness. This is not the way Fayrouz should be treated and it is not right to disclose disputes like this to the public. It is shameful that the inheritors of Mohammad Abdul Wahhab and Filmon Wahbah are not demanding their financial rights for the compositions sung by Fayrouz, while “her own family” is winning lawsuits that prevent her from performing the plays of the Rahbani brothers. Ironically too, these rights are overlooked when it comes to Wadi al-Safi, Melhem Barakat and Ronza and Afaf Radi and others who continue to sing the compositions of the Rahbani brothers, while Fayrouz alone is accused of “stealing rights.” We are afraid to say that what is going on within the Rahbani family is ruining the legacy of the Rahbani brothers and is defaming their image. Hence, those who are able to put a stop to this shameful tragedy have a duty to do so. In this regard I call on Artist Elias Rahbani, Assi and Mansour's friends and their “son” to play a role to put an end for what is taking place against Lebanon first and against its last remaining symbol of creativity, amid the destruction and rottenness affecting other symbols, and also against the Rahbani family which we want for it to be above what the “inheritors” are doing today.
