Doha, Qatar: Music streaming giant Spotify has bought back Palestinian artist Mohammed Assaf’s (pictured) popular hit “Dammi Falastini”, following uproar over its brief disappearance.
In an interview with Al Araby Al Jadeed, Assaf said he received an official email from Spotify referencing allegations of antisemitism as the reason for the song’s removal.
“I checked my official page on the Spotify and Apple Music platforms and was surprised that the song ‘Dammi Falastini’ was deleted,” he said.
Assaf’s song, which translates to “My Blood is Palestinian”, has become a notable ballad of Palestinian existence and resistance and a symbol of national identity.
The deletion caused an uproar on social media as upset users made the hashtags “#boycottspotify” and “#boycottapplemusic” trend. Many were also cancelling their subscriptions and leaving one-star reviews for the music platforms on the App Store.
In response, Spotify issued statements denying it had removed Assaf’s songs from the platform. Their statements claimed that it was not Spotify’s decision to remove the songs, but the distributor’s.
"Spotify aims to offer a wide range of music on our platform, but availability may vary over time and by country. The removal of some of Mohammed Assaf’s content was not determined by Spotify, but rather by the distributor," Spotify's Spokesperson told Al Jazeera.
The social media campaigns came to an end when the music giant officially restored “Dammi Falastini” to the platform. Fans rejoiced over its return, yet wondered why it was removed in the first place.
Since its release in 2015, the song has cemented itself as part of the Palestinian liberation playlist. It celebrates the honour and freedom of the Palestinian people.
Assaf’s patriotic stance and rejection of intimidation have been admired for years by Palestinians and supporters of the cause.
