Najwa Sultan to Arabstoday: Women shouldn't be commodified

Singer Najwa Sultan says she has turned down many job offers that would transform her image to that of a sex symbol. She said to Arabstoday that she is not against women being seductive, but opposed being converted into a commodity. "Everything should be within limits," she added. Sultan said some artists "misunderstood freedom as a chance to strip". About the video for her song “Oyoun al-Maha” (Oryx Eyes), which was referred to the Lebanese judiciary for a case regarding a disagreement between her and director Randly Qudeih, she said that the director did not fulfill some of the agreements. She added that she was well within her rights and obtained permission for the video to be broadcast on television. "This did not detract from the song and it was a success," said Sultan. She said that many people were against her song “Helwa al-Hayah Bela Mokhadarat” (Life is Beautiful Without Drugs), whose production she had personally financed. Sultan said: “I learned that there are some who do not want to raise awareness against drugs, so I stopped filming the song as no one would display it on TV.” Sultan has returned from the UAE and currently working on a new song to launch before the summer.