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Fadel Chaker

Fadel Abdul Rahman Shamander Chaker (Arabic: فضل عبد الرحمن شمندر شاكر Arabic pronunciation: [fadˤl ʕabdurraħmaːn ʃamandar ʃaːkɪr]; also transliterated as Fadl Shaker, born 1 April 1969) is a Lebanese-Palestinian singer and actor. During his musical career he was signed to Al Khouyoul Records and from 2003 onwards with Rotana Records.

In 2013 and after a career as a singer, Fadel Chaker joined the ranks of imam-turned-terrorist Ahmed al-Assir and participated in the attacks on the Lebanese Army which evolved into the 2013 Sidon clash. As of 2013, he was a wanted fugitive by the Lebanese government and had hidden in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. On 16 December 2020, he was sentenced in absentia to a total of 22 years of imprisonment and hard labour by a Lebanese Military Tribunal.

Background

He was born to a Lebanese father, and a Palestinian mother in Lebanon.[1] He grew up in the Ain al-Hilweh in Lebanon.

Music career

1998–2011

Fadl released his first album Wallah Zaman in 1998, which had eight original songs. The second album was Baya'a El Qolob released in 1999.

His third album was El Hob El Adem, released in 2000. His fourth album Hobak Khayal was released in 2001. In 2002, Fadl recorded and released his first duo. In 2003, Fadl released his ballad Ya Ghayeb to Arabic radio stations in the Middle East.

2012–present

In 2018, eight years after his announced retirement, Chaker returned to the music world with the release of a new single which he intended to be the introduction theme song to a new Ramadan drama series that year. However, the song was rejected in the end by the production company "in respect to the Lebanese people", and instrumental music was used in the introduction to the series instead.

That same year, he was reported to be working on a new album entitled Yalla ma'al salama.

Islamist militant involvement

In the early 2010s, Chaker announced he had joined ranks of Ahmed al-Assir radical Islamic organization. As of 2013, Shaker was a wanted fugitive and terrorist for his cooperation in the 2013 Sidon clash between Ahmad al-Assir's terrorist group and the Lebanese Army in which Fadel admitted on video to having killed 2 Lebanese soldiers.

Trial and sentencing

After a trial in absentia by the Lebanese Military Tribunal, Chaker was sentenced on 16 December 2020 to a total of 22 years in prison with hard labour. He was accused by the Military Prosecutor General of having provided financial and logistical support to a terrorist group led by Sunni Muslim hardline cleric Ahmed al-Assir. 15 years of the sentence is for his "involvement in terrorist acts". The judge also added 7 more years of hard labour for Chaker's financing of Al-Assir's illegal armed group, with the court satisfied that he had personally paid for weapons and ammunition to the group. Chaker was reportedly still hiding as of 2020 in Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon since the unfolding of military confrontation of Al-Assir's group against the Lebanese Army.