A video of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (previously, Abu Mohammad al-Julani)watching a dance performance to Missy Elliott'sWork Ithas gone viral,sparking a mix of amusement and confusionon social media.
The performance took place on Monday at the recently reopened al-Feyhaa Sports Hall in Damascus, which Sharaa had inaugurated earlier that day before a Syria-Lebanon basketball match later that evening.
The game marks the first time Syria and Lebanon have played against each other since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Ahead of the game, a group of dancers took to the stage, performing a dance routine toWork It,a song containing sexually explicit lyrics, by US rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott.Other performancesreportedlyincluded Rihanna'sRudeboyand Gwen Stefani'sHollaback Girl.
The Syrian leader is seensitting in the audience with a deadpan expression on his face.
In light of Sharaa's background as a former militant andmember of al-Qaeda, his attendance at a performance of a western song, featuring sexually explicit lyrics, stunned many social media users.
"The ISIS president of Syria Al-Sharaa vibing to @MissyElliott is not something I was ready to see this year", one person commented on X.
After Sharaa’s Islamist group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, seized Damascus on December 8, 2024, ousting longtime ruler Assad, Sharaa became Syria's interim president and rapidly transformed from a militant into a statesman.
The concept of a former terrorist Leader publicly jamming to "Work It" by Missy Elliottpic.twitter.com/i7Y7nXvVl3
"Never thought I'd mention al-Sharaa and Missy Elliot in the same sentence, but then here we are. Not touching the lyrics (I doubt Sharaa knows what Missy E is singing about)... but damn, what a “flip it and reverse it” moment!", another person posted on X, in response to the video.
Source: ZeroHedge News
