Rod Stewart is grateful that he can choose whether to perform at Saudi Arabia or not, and he wants the same freedom for marginalized groups in the country. The musician recently released a statement explaining why he rejected the lucrative offer.
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Rod Stewart – Blames Injustices in Saudi Arabia as the Reason He Won’t Be Performing in the Country
Stewart, 78, previously turned down $1 million when he refused to perform in Qatar. At the time, he blamed the country’s human rights record as the reason.
This time round, Stewart has held his ground against performing in Saudi Arabia, instead choosing to “shine a light on the injustices there” affecting women, Queer People, and journalists.
Taking to Instagram, he explained the reason he turned down performing in the Gulf nation, writing, “I’m grateful I have the choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices – women, the LGBTQ+ community, the press. I’d like my choice not to go… to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change.”
A source speaking to The Mirror said that the singer was “determined to do the right thing,” adding that he believes that “some things are more important” than money.
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In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Stewart was asked about Qatar hosting the world cup and whether he might have performed there if he was given the chance.
To this, he blatantly revealed he was actually offered a million dollars to perform there and he turned it down.
“I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1m, to play there 15 months ago. I turned it down,” he said, at the time. “It’s not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms.”
Despite the controversies surrounding the World Cup – including the reports that over 6,000 migrant workers have died in the country since it won the right to host the World Cup in 2010 – several celebrities performed at the FIFA world cup, including David Beckham, Morgan Freeman, and BTS’ Jungkook.
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