An 11-year-old Christian girl who is now an Internet sensation after
her spellbinding performance on "The Voice Kids" has told her
extraordinary story on how she ended up on the show because of the
Islamic State (ISIS).
Mirna Hana, a Chaldean Christian and a talented schoolgirl, sang an
Iraqi classic followed by Disney's "Let It Go'' during her audition that
wowed the judges in Beirut and the millions of viewers worldwide.
A
YouTube video of Hanna has been seen by nearly 11.8 million viewers,
according to the Daily Mail.
Her splendid audition earned her the title "the Babylon Princess.''
But before her performance on the show, Hana told the judges that her
life was in danger in Iraq because the ISIS had its eyes on her and her
family.
"After we got to Lebanon, my dad told me that Daesh [ISIS] wanted to
kidnap and kill me. From then I felt very scared at night, and I
couldn't sleep alone, or be by myself,'' the young singer said.
"The Voice is a chance to sing for the world and to show that Iraq
isn't just about war and things like that—there are beautiful sounds,
too,'' she said.
Hana's father said: "They threatened us with the kidnapping of our
little girl, so we came here. We left everything behind us—even my job
with the government.
"Everybody knows the difficulties of Iraq, from ISIS and how they
slaughter the people and how they take their houses,'' he said.
Hana walked on stage in a chiffon red dress to perform in front of
the Arab world's pop elite on audition day. She initially got a hug for
her dad who told her not to be afraid.
Upon hearing the opening notes, 58-year-old Iraqi judge Kazem El
Saher reportedly broke into a broad smile—immediately recognising the
rendition of his own love song. He then turned his chair to see who was
singing. The judge is from Mosul, now an ISIS city in northern Iraq.
The other judges, Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram and Egyptian actor
and singer Tamer Hosny, also turned their chairs after Hana completed
her rendition of the song, said the reports.
"How do you sing like that?" judge Nancy asked her in disbelief. She
then offered her costumes from "Frozen" in an attempt to lure her to
join the team. Tamer, on the other hand, offered the girl a chance to be
in his film.
The young girl, however, picked her fellow Iraqi Kazem, known as the "Caesar of Arabic Singing" to mentor her.
Meanwhile, fans of the young singer opened a Facebook page to provide
a venue to post messages, pictures or videos of Hana. Many Chaldean
Christians have also posted messages of support for the young star.
The page also contained photos and videos of Hana, including family
pictures taken during picnics, in the park, concerts, at church among
others, the report said.
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