Arabic singer Cheb Mami jailed for 5 years

[Rainbowchild]

A French court has jailed the Algerian singer Cheb Mami for five years for abducting a former partner and forcing her to undergo an attempted abortion.

Cheb Mami, whose real name is Mohammed Khalifati, was found guilty at a trial in Bobigny, a Parisian suburb.

He had denied the charges, telling the court that he had been "manipulated" by his entourage.

The singer is credited with bringing Algeria's popular Rai folk music to an international audience.


BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Rai star jailed for abortion bid

[SEANITA]

Its strange. I onlly heard of this guy last night for the first time as Mo was listening to him on Youtube and then today he is jailed. Neither of us knew that there was a case going on against him.

[Soltef]

"Cheb Mami, an Algerian singer, has been sentenced by a French court to five years in prison for abducting his former girlfriend and attempting to force her to have an abortion.The 42-year-old singer, whose real name is Mohamed Khelifati, returned to France this week to face trial for the 2005 assault against his former lover after spending two years on the run in Algeria.

The star, who has had several chart-topping hits in France and sang on Sting's 2001 hit Desert Rose, is credited with bringing his homeland's Rai folk music to an international audience.


Prosecutors said Mami and his accomplices drugged and abducted his former girlfriend, a French photographer whose name was withheld, a few days after she told him she was pregnant." telegraph.co.uk 03/07/09

I thought the case had been dismissed due to lack of evidence. Shame on him-what a waste of a great talent!I like his songs very much.

[sianperkins89]

what was the idea of him wanting her to have an abortion? was it the shame of them not being married or something? the fact of someone trying to drug someone and force them to have an abortion is more shameful than the fact that she was pregnant outside of marriage in the first place!
though this is assuming that the baby in question was his? the article isnt so clear on that.

[Rainbowchild]

He broke down in tears and admitted making a "serious mistake" but said he did not love the woman and felt "trapped" when she told him she was pregnant.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8130873.stm

[Soltef]

Apparently, Cheb Mami did not want the shame of an illegitimate child as he did not love this woman (an unnamed French photographer) and he felt 'trapped'. I think he was /is married to someone else.The woman and unborn child survived her horrific ordeal and the child is now three years old.

[sianperkins89]

oh, i didnt even know who he was until i just searched that sting song! hmm anyway...

[Essem]

Originally Posted by Soltef

Apparently, Cheb Mami did not want the shame of an illegitimate child as he did not love this woman (an unnamed French photographer) and he felt 'trapped'. I think he was /is married to someone else.The woman and unborn child survived her horrific ordeal and the child is now three years old.

Why didn't he use contraception if he didn't want the shame of an illegitimate child?

Why did he make love to a woman he didn't love? Didn't he feel shame then?

Why did he commit adultery (if he was married to someone else) - he felt no shame then?

I know what I'd place in a trap - I'd make sure he couldn't use it again! But that would be a real shame........

[ANN AMAIRA]

ESSEM...... you have such a great way of saying things xx

[ROULLA]

Hi Everyone hope that this message reaches you all in good health! wow i am really shocked, i really cannot believe what he done..No one knows what happens behind closed doors..So he felt a bit horny but could not face the corny side of things..Must admit he made some good records, well he will have plenty of time now to write a few songs, lets hope that they are apologetic ones..And as for the child well she will resent him when she grows up and find out the truth about her dad..Poor lady, she must of been scared stiff....This story is terrible