After Syrian contestant Abdel Rahim Al-Halabi won the second season of the “X Factor” talent show, an emotional clip from the show “Sho Al-Qissa” hosted by Lebanese TV presenter Raghda Zayaat on LTV went viral on social media. In the clip, Abdel Rahim spoke for the first time about his father’s illness and their struggles with poverty and deprivation in Syria, which led him to leave his country and seek refuge in Lebanon.
Abdel Rahim tearfully said: “I came to Lebanon to escape the poverty I was living in Syria.” He added: “You may think that someone who is 19 years old hasn’t gone through much in life, but the truth is that in Syria, even a child is born with responsibilities.”
When Raghda Zayaat asked him what he meant by “poverty,” Abdel Rahim explained: “It’s a kind of poverty. My father has asthma and goes through health crises regularly. I don’t like talking about these things because they affect me deeply, but I had to help him.” Overcome with emotion, Abdel Rahim broke down in tears while discussing his father’s illness.
Raghda Zayaat then continued, saying: “You decided to leave Syria to treat your father,” to which Abdel Rahim responded: “I want to work on myself to achieve my dream and make sure my father doesn’t need anything. No matter what I do, I can never repay him for everything he’s done for me.”