AMMAN: “Dammi Falastini,” Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf’s famous hit song, has been removed from Spotify, with the streaming giant countering reports by releasing a statement saying the move "was not determined by Spotify."
Due to backlash on social media, Spotify said in a statement on Monday that the removal of Mohammed Assaf’s content from its platform was not a decision made by the company itself, but rather by the content’s distributor.
“Spotify aims to offer a wide range of music on our platform, but availability may vary over time and by country,” a Spotify spokesperson told Arab News.
“The removal of some of Mohammed Assaf’s content was not determined by Spotify, but rather by the distributor. We anticipate its return in the near future and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
The move by the music-streaming giant sparked a backlash on social media.
Twitter user @imanabid posted: “Spotify removing ‘Dammi Falastini’ is insane. The absolute ridiculousness it takes to silence everything about us. Our words, our food, our music. Reinstate his song now.”
A tweet from @hourlykorra read: “‘Dammi Falastini’ being removed from Spotify and Apple Music. Why are we being silenced?”
User @jennineak said the move was “outrageous” and that other streaming platforms had also removed the song.
Assaf took to Instagram and said: “That’s fine. It’s preserved in the hearts of all of those who are free and noble.”
Assaf, who lived in Gaza from the age of 4, achieved stardom in 2013 when he won “Arab Idol.” His “Dammi Falastini,” which was released eight years ago, has become an important symbol of national identity within the Palestinian community.
