May Hariri puts motherhood before singing

By Nohad Topalian in Beirut
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-04-07

[File] Actress May Hariri will be the new marketing face for Formula One in Portugal this April.

After regaining custody of her child Sarah, and having the warrant for her arrest dropped, May Hariri is back in Lebanon. She will be the new marketing face of Formula One, and will head to Portugal for a Formula One event in April.

Speaking to Al-Shorfa for the first time, May shared her latest news and described her difficult experience with her ex-husband.

Al-Shorfa: May Hariri, you are the new marketing face of Formula One. Tell us about that.

May Hariri: A while ago, I was selected to be the face of Formula One in the Arab world. After Bahrain and Qatar, I am getting ready for an event held in Portugal next April. To that end, I recorded a very special song titled "Sayebni Lemin," with lyrics by Ahmad Madi and music composed and arranged by Oseen. The video is scheduled to be shot in Portugal on the racing grounds during the event.

Al-Shorfa: After being away from Lebanon for eight months, you held a press conference that was mostly about personal rather than artistic news. What was the purpose of that conference?

Hariri: First of all, I had to leave Lebanon for eight months. I held that press conference to extend my gratitude to the Sharia court which gave me temporary custody of my three and a half-year-old Sarah, and to the civil judiciary for dropping the court order that sentenced me to two months in jail. I also had news about my latest endeavours.

Al-Shorfa: Where were you when you heard news of your jail sentence?

Hariri: Hours before the court order was issued, I left Lebanon for Dubai. As soon as I landed in the United Arab Emirates, I received a text message on my cell phone that read, "Arresting May Hariri." I was shocked by the news, and made a few phone calls to a few people, including my attorney. He told me that an arrest warrant was issued. That is why I stayed in Dubai for eight months, until the problem was solved.

Al-Shorfa: Was it a problem related to custody of your daughter, Sarah, which you are contesting with your ex-husband, Osama Shaaban?

Hariri: Yes, and I was only hoping for a peaceful solution. Just as we agreed to get married and later divorced, there was no major reason why I should not have custody of my daughter. Allah's laws, as spelled out in the Quran or the Bible, and provisions of civil law, all stipulate a mother's right to custody of her child. But, in my case, it was a story of confrontation. As a mother, I had to think of my child's best interest.

Al-Shorfa: Has it been settled once and for all?

Hariri: No, though I was hoping for a peaceful solution right from the start.

Al-Shorfa: It was said that to preserve custody of your child, you are willing to go so far as to sacrifice you music career.

Hariri: If I had to, yes I would, though my career in music is no reason to deny me custody. However, children are life, and a mother has to be wise in what she says and does. At the end of the day, I have to think of what is best for my child, not me.

Al-Shorfa: How much has this case affected your music career?

Hariri: It had an impact, though I did not stop giving concerts. I gave concerts in Qatar and Bahrain. I also took part in several film festivals in Cairo and Qatar. But, I was away from Lebanon, which I see as the home for every artist. I was also away from the media and the press. That is why the first thing I did as soon as I made it back to Lebanon was hold a press conference to speak about everything. What happened to me is unprecedented in the whole Arab world, a women sentenced to jail for demanding custody of her child!

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