PARIS – The French Muslim woman, Mennel Ibtissem, has quit The Voice, a TVsinging competition in France, amid criticism of comments she posted onFacebook after Islamic extremist attacks in 2016.
Ibtissem drew nationwide attention for a moving performance Saturday on TheVoice of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
A French-born woman of Syrian origin who wears a turban, Ibtissem notablysang one passage in Arabic.
In the ensuing days she drew criticism for Facebook messages posted afterdeadly attacks in Nice and Normandy in 2016. In one, she wrote “the realterrorist is our government.”
She apologized, saying she was shaken by the attacks and by Frenchauthorities’ failure to prevent them. But criticism continued, and sheannounced Friday that she quit the TV competition.
Supporters say Ibtissem is being unfairly targeted because she is Muslim.