11-year-old Christian contestant on 'The Voice Kids Arabia' shares story about ISIS
An 11-year-old Christian girl who's singing on 'The Voice Kids Arabia' has revealed her story of how she fled Iraq after ISIS threatened to kidnap and kill her.
Mirna Hana, dubbed as 'the Babylon Princess' took the judges by storm in Beirut when she sang beautiful renditions of Iraqi love song 'Yesterday in a Dream' and the movie Frozen's 'Let it Go.'
Mirna revealed on the show that she and her family was forced to leave Iraq eight months ago when her life was threatened. Her father took her to Beirut, Lebanon in an attempt to her keep her from harm.
After they had arrived in Lebanon, it was when her father told her that the Daesh (ISIS) threatened to kidnap and kill their little girl. He left everything behind including his job with the government. She also said that because of that, she could not sleep alone, and she felt scared at night.
The brave singer stated in a video that she decided to join in MBC's 'The Voice Kids' Arabia because she has something to say to the world. She said this is her chance to sing for the world and she wants to show the world that Iraq is not just about war, there are beautiful sounds too.
Before she entered the stage and performed in front of the Arab world's pop elite, her father hugged her and said to her not to be scared. She wore a red chiffon dress in her performance. Mirna's breathtaking performance made her an internet sensation after her YouTube video has been viewed more than 25 million times to date.
She greatly impressed all of the judges. One judge, Kazem El Saher, smiled broadly as he immediately recognized the opening notes of his love song. The 58-year-old Iraqi judge did not take long in turning his chair and showed his enthusiasm by pressing the buzzer a couple of times to see the face behind that beautiful voice.
His fellow judges, Egyptian actor and singer Tamer Hosny and Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram were also visibly moved, their eyes welling with tears. They both hit the button to compete to mentor the young star.
After Mirna Hana's performance, she received a standing ovation. In an attempt to lure Mirna to their respective teams, Nancy offered costumes from Frozen, while Tamer offered her an opportunity to be in his films. But it was the simple offer of being able to sing whatever she desired from the 'Caesar of Arabic Singing' fellow Iraqi Kazem Saher, won her heart, and she chose to join his team.
According to Breitbart, a Facebook page introduced Mirna Hana as the 'Chaldean Princess of Babylon'. Chaldean Christians celebrated and posted photos, videos and messages of support for their young star.