By Hallat Rebwar
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Arab Idol contestant Ammar Kovi, a Kurd, failed to receive enough viewer votes to send him into the finals last night as thousands of fans on social media networks accused the show of discrimination against the Kurdish teen idol.
Kovi was eliminated along with Muhammad Rashid from Egypt.
“I think in the end it is not the size of the viewership or even the talent that decides who will win the prize, but it is a central decision made by the mangers of the MBC channel,” Halkawt Zahir, a Kurdish music producer told Rudaw.
The Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), is a Saudi Arabian sponsored TV network based in Beirut, Lebanon.
Kovi, a native of Mosul, was a favorite among the panel of judges who praised his performance last night with prolonged applauses.
“Our hearts stop when you sing,” said Wael Kfouri, the Lebanese artist who could not hide his astonishment at the removal of the teen Kurdish idol.
“I will sing your song in the next season,” said Ihlam, another judge and artist.
Last year, Kurdish contestant Parwaz Hussein managed to reach the semi-finals of the Arab Idol show, before being eliminated.
