Hassan Shakoush needs to apologize to Tunisians… What’s the story?

Shakoush’s comments upset Tunisians, who said “the treatment at Tunis airport is one of the worst in the world. He said, ‘They treat you like a dangerous check-in officer,’ with no welcome, not even a smile. He also added that he would not sing in Tunisia anymore.”

Social networking sites were flooded with the words of Hassan Shakoush, and Tunisians stood up to defend their country, believing that the Mahraganat singer’s words contained insults to them and their country.

The Tunisian Musicians’ Syndicate also joined in, with the president of the union, Maher Hammami, formally raising the issue with the Egyptian Music Profession Syndicate through a statement regarding the remarks of Hassan Shakoush and his insults against Tunisia following his recent visit to Tunisia to give a private concert.

The head of the Musicians’ Syndicate believes that Shakuche’s remarks affect Tunisia’s sovereignty and Tunisia’s ancient administrative institutions, namely Tunis Carthage International Airport.

The Tunisian union statement said: “We would like to inform you that Hassan Shakouchi came to Tunisia to work in a private group and that the contractor acting as mediator for the group did not complete all the administrative issues that would have entitled him to a work permit from the Republic of Tunisia,” adding that “the artist and the contractor were allowed to enter Tunisia without a legal work permit, despite serious violations of the law.”

The statement of the Tunisian trade union stressed that this incident has not and will not affect the people, politics, and especially the artistic relations between the two brotherly countries. Hassan Shakush does not represent the Egyptian people, but only himself.

The statement demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from Hassan Shakoush, who was an active member of the Egyptian Music Professional Union. It also stressed that Tunisia has and will continue to open its arms to all Arab and Egyptian artists.