{"id":1089458,"date":"2021-12-06T10:43:33","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T15:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1089458"},"modified":"2021-12-06T10:43:35","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T15:43:35","slug":"justin-bieber-ignores-human-rights-watch-calls-to-boycott-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justin-bieber-ignores-human-rights-watch-calls-to-boycott-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin Bieber Ignores Human Rights Watch Calls to Boycott Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjustin-bieber-ignores-human-rights-watch-calls-to-boycott-saudi-arabia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1089458&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/SaudiArabiaJustinBieber1-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) \u2014 Pop star Justin Bieber performed to a packed crowd in the Red Sea city of Jiddah in Saudi Arabia, singing some of his most popular hits. The Sunday night concert took place even as human rights campaigners and activists called on Bieber to cancel his performance to protest the kingdom\u2019s arrests and crackdown of critics.<\/p>\n<p>Bieber\u2019s model wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, posted a supportive video on Instagram of him on stage, with the words: \u201cGo Baby.\u201d Other videos on social media showed Bieber on stage solo, wearing a coordinated red outfit. Pop and R&amp;B singer Jason Derulo performed before Bieber with backup female dancers in sweatpants and baggy tops.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Only a few years ago, this would have been an unthinkable scene in Saudi Arabia, where ultraconservative norms prevailed. Concerts were banned and unmarried men and women were segregated in public spaces. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind the sweeping changes as he works to modernize society, attract foreign investment and create jobs for youth.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.463414634146\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Justin Bieber performed at Saudi Arabia&#8217;s first Formula 1 race last night in Jiddah, despite calls for him to boycott the concert over the kingdom\u2019s human rights abuses and arrests of critics.<\/p>\n<p>Jason Derulo and David Guetta also performed before Bieber. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eMQ6iWr9vr\">pic.twitter.com\/eMQ6iWr9vr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Recount (@therecount) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/therecount\/status\/1467851654943080452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 6, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Human Rights Watch and others, however, have called on celebrities to boycott the kingdom, saying such events are aimed at diverting attention and deflecting scrutiny from Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Bieber was the biggest name performer to take the stage as part of <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/sports-middle-east-saudi-arabia-formula-one-lewis-hamilton-49a838c5d741539a9fa52d877574b32c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton win<\/a> ahead of the last race of the Formula One season.<\/p>\n<p>The Canadian pop star has not commented on the public pressure surrounding his performance and calls for him to cancel the show. Weeks before his show in Saudi Arabia, the fianc\u00e9e of slain Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/sports-entertainment-business-music-middle-east-4b99467295d569cd3b7b31cf51ee7d6b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">joined a chorus of voices urging him not to perform<\/a> at the kingdom\u2019s F1 race.<\/p>\n<p>In an open letter published by The Washington Post, Hatice Cengiz had urged the megastar to cancel his performance to \u201csend a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics.\u201d She noted that the decision to host the F1 race and invite a star like Bieber \u201ccomes directly\u201d from the crown prince.<\/p>\n<p>But like other stars, such as <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/af71c26ce68c47118067b50b4409044a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">Mariah Carey in 2019<\/a>, Bieber performed anyway to excited fans. It\u2019s unclear how much celebrities have been paid for their appearances in the kingdom. Saudi youth are the main attendees of these concerts, enjoying the country\u2019s newfound social changes.<\/p>\n<p>Prince Mohammed attended the F1 race and social media showed him taking selfies with young Saudi men who lined up to meet the powerful heir to the throne. The F1 race marked the first time the kingdom hosts the premier sporting event, though it has hosted the <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ap-top-news-international-news-enrique-iglesias-david-guetta-riyadh-0bdbf8acc4654b9ca9f3aa7fffc47e59\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">lesser known Formula-E race and other sporting events in past years <\/a>in an effort to raise the country\u2019s profile as a tourist destination.<\/p>\n<p>At the time of Khashoggi\u2019s killing in late 2018, the crown prince was being lauded for transforming life for many inside the country. Khashoggi, meanwhile, was writing columns for The Washington Post drawing attention to the prince\u2019s brash foreign policy moves and simultaneous crackdown on activists and perceived critics, including women\u2019s rights activists, writers, clerics and economists.<\/p>\n<p>Khashoggi was killed by a team of Saudi agents who worked for the crown prince during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers to marry his Turkish fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>A U.S. intelligence assessment made public under President Joe Biden determined the crown prince approved the operation. Prince Mohammed has maintained he had no prior knowledge of the operation.<\/p>\n<p>Bieber\u2019s concert in Saudi Arabia comes shortly before he opens a world tour next year. The tour is being promoted by Live Nation, the company that owns Ticketmaster. Saudi Arabia\u2019s state-owned sovereign wealth fund \u2014 steered by Prince Mohammed \u2014 is among the largest institutional holders in Live Nation, with a stake worth some $1.4 billion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) \u2014 Pop star Justin Bieber performed to a packed crowd in the Red Sea city of Jiddah in Saudi Arabia, singing some of his most popular &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1089458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1089458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1089458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1089458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1089458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1089458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1089458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}