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The UK’s Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has reportedly called for US musician DJ Haram to be barred from entering the UK following her recent remarks at the Sydney Biennale.
Last month, the New Jersey artist, whose real name is Zubeyda Muzeyyen, gave an impassioned pro-Palestine speech during an opening event at the annual festival, sharing her support of those suffering humanitarian crises in Palestine, Iran and Lebanon.
During her speech, she allegedly chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – a politically charged phrase that refers to the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Pro-Palestinian activists say the phrase is a call for equality after decades of Israeli military rule over Palestinians; many Jews see it as a call for the destruction of Israel.
“I refuse to comply with artwashing the genocide,” she reportedly said. “It’s our duty to protect the planet, and it’s our duty to oppose the Zio-Australian-Epstein empire. Until Palestine is free, none of us are free.”
These comments resulted in a police investigation in Australia. However, the New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon suggested that her comments were unlikely to constitute a criminal offence.
“It’s important to know that hate crimes, hate speech, has a high bar,” he told ABC Radio Sydney. “There’s a reason for that high bar. Obviously free speech is something we value in this country.”
In sharp contrast, Chris Philp has asked that Muzeyyen be banned from performing at her upcoming UK shows, reportedly telling the publication Jewish News: “The last thing this country needs is a visit from yet another international musician embroiled in allegations of antisemitism and promoting terrorism” – alluding to the Home Office’s recent decision to ban Kanye ‘Ye’ West from entering the UK to perform at the now-cancelled Wireless Festival.
“As the Government continues to struggle to get a grip on the relentless wave of anti-Jewish racism and Islamist extremism in the UK, it is patently not conducive to the public good for Zubeyda Muzeyyen (DJ Haram) to perform here,” he reportedly said. “The Home Secretary needs to get a grip and ban her.”
As of writing, DJ Haram is still set to perform at London’s Phonox on 17 April, before shows in Brimingham and Manchester later this month.
DJ Haram’s debut album, ‘Beside Myself’, was released last year. It made Euronews Culture’s Best Albums of 2025. We wrote: “DJ Haram signs an ambitious debut album that fuses club beats, harsh electronic sounds, live percussion and Middle Eastern samples, all propelled by a restless energy that is both infectious and destabilizing.”
We added: “For those who want to know what a dystopian rave sounds like, this is the eclectic and unapologetically brash album for you.”