In her first comment on her controversial joke about the Iraqi people during her New Year's Eve concert in Dubai, the Egyptian artist Sherine Abdel Wahab expressed her regret for the misunderstanding. Her media office issued a statement confirming that Sherine did not intend to offend the Iraqis, explaining: "What she said was not meant to insult the people of Iraq; rather, she intended to repeat a phrase that the Egyptian people use towards those returning to Egypt after a long absence, bringing the goodness from the land of Iraq."
The statement further emphasized that Sherine wants to affirm her love for her audience in Iraq and that any interpretations and explanations circulating regarding this matter are misinterpretations of her words and taken out of context. The statement also asserted that "Sherine hopes to meet her audience in Iraq soon to renew her love and appreciation for its noble Arab people, whose audience holds a special place in her heart."
It is worth noting that Sherine Abdel Wahab sparked widespread controversy among social media users after a video clip from her concert in Dubai circulated, where she responded to the audience's welcome, saying, "I feel like I'm coming from Iraq," to which they replied, "Thank God for your safety."
