![US rapper Travis Scott [WikiMedia]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Travis_Scott_-_Openair_Frauenfeld_2019_06-e1689776144324.jpeg?resize=702%2C468&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Egyptian lawyer Amr Abdelsalam has joined calls to cancel US rapper Travis Scott's concert at the pyramids on 28 July, accusing him of opposing Egypt's heritage, performing satanic rituals during his shows and of being a Freemason.
"We have taken all legal measures to prevent this show," he told Al-Araby TV.
Travis Scott's concert at Egypt's Pyramids of Giza has been canceled by The Egyptian Syndicate of Musical Professions, a local group responsible for approving permits.
They claim he is a Freemason who opposes Egypt's heritage and performs satanic rites during his shows. via… pic.twitter.com/fgATKjJsXf
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) July 18, 2023
Scott's show has been the subject of debate for weeks. Under the Arabic hashtag, "boycott Travis' concert," social media users have posted racist comments and criticised the rapper for practicing strange rituals on stage, in a bid to cancel the show.
You are not welcome in #Egypt#الغاء_حفل_ترافيس#cancel_Tervis_concert pic.twitter.com/YvmbhXnnIA
— ?? ?? Ben Shoukry ?? ?? (@benshoukry3) July 11, 2023
Yet tickets to Scott's concert sold out within 15 minutes of them being posted for sale.
READ: Egypt sentences rights researcher Patrick Zaki to 3 years in jail – rights group
Conflicting news reports have circulated online as to whether Scott's concert has been cancelled, or whether it will go ahead despite the controversy.
Whilst the musician's syndicate has said it revoked the permit for the concert because it "contradicts the identity of Egyptian culture," Scott's promoter, Live Nation, has said that reports that the show has been cancelled are false.
Businessman Naguib Sawiris announced that it was a mistake to approve the concert and then cancel it, as this would destroy Egypt's credibility.
إلغاء حفل المغنى الأمريكي ليس الخطأ .. انما الخطأ هو الموافقة عليه ثم إلغاؤه لأنها تفقد مصر مصداقياتها و لا تحترم التعاقدات و تكبد المنظم خسائر رهيبة و اعلان الحفل صاحبه دعاية عالمية ضخمة لمصر فقدناها بهذا الإلغاء مع العلم انه غنى في السعودية و الامارات ! للعلم لا مصلحة لي في هذا…
— Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) July 18, 2023
The news comes amid a heated debate in Egypt in which top personalities have accused a series of artists of making 'Afrocentric' views which has led to their shows being cancelled.
In 1974 the Senegalese historian Cheikh Anta Diop, often referred to as an Afrocentric scholar, argued in 'The African Origin of Civilisation: Myth or Reality' that ancient Egypt was predominantly black African.
Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart's show in Cairo was called off for "logistical reasons" earlier this year, following a similar wave of criticism on social media and allegations that Hart promotes Afrocentrism. A hashtag calling for Hart's show to be boycotted was one of the top trending topics on social media in December.
Then two months later Amr Abdelsalam, the same lawyer who is calling for Travis Scott's concert to be cancelled, filed a case with the Public Prosecutor to have Netflix shut down after it promoted a series about Queen Cleopatra, who was played by a black actress.
The lawyer argued that the series is a distortion of Egyptian history, that it promotes Afrocentrism, and skews the identity of Egyptians. He asked that Netflix pay financial compensation for material and moral damages.
READ: Egypt: Mother kills her 3 children after dispute with her ex-husband
Former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Dr Zahi Hawass has said that Cleopatra was "blonde, not black," adding, "Netflix is trying to stir up confusion and spread false information that the origin of Egyptian civilisation is black."
In June, Egypt revoked the excavation licences of a team of Dutch archaeologists after a museum in Leiden held an exhibition portraying black singers, performers and musicians as the rulers of ancient Egypt.
In a music video, Beyonce and Rhianna play Nefertiti, rapper Nas is Tutankhamun and Eddie Murphy is Ramses.
Egyptian authorities accused the museum of falsifying history and banned Dutch archaeologists from digging at the Saqqara necropolis.
Last year, Egypt's music syndicate announced it was temporarily banning mahraganat music, and suspended permits issued to singers of the genre.
Head of the syndicate Hany Shaker led multiple campaigns against this "unacceptable genre" and has banned it from clubs, cafes, hotels and concert venues.
The syndicate also banned Lebanese band Mashrou Leila from performing in Egypt after a member of the crowd raised the rainbow flag during a concert in the capital in 2017.
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