Fairuz given Jerusalem Award

Fairuz, Lebanon's "ambassador to the stars," was granted the 1997 Jerusalem Award.

This award is given yearly to "a distinguished Palestinian or Arabic artist who defended Jerusalem and kept it alive in our hearts", as the famous Palestinian poet Mahmood Darwish said when he disclosed the results.

Fairuz had sung about Jerusalem in "The Flower of the Cities" and "Old Jerusalem", by the Rahbani brothers. With her angelic voice, she had fought for our rights and raised our name to the skies. "She had gone beyond diplomacy and wars to tell the world, in the most genuine and powerful way, that we are entitled to keep our lands and we have the right to live. God bless her," said a fan.