Pop star facing jail for joke about River Nile being DIRTY, infuriating Egypt

Sherine Abdel Wahab was filmed warning a concert-goer against drinking water from the famous river, claiming he risked catching schistosomiasis – an acute and chronic disease caused by a parasitic worm that lives in fresh water.

She joked he should “drink Evian” mineral water instead.

The fan had asked her to sing one her hit songs, “Mashrebtesh Men Nilha,” which loosely translates as, “Have You Drunk From The Nile?”. 

The Egyptian Musicians Union said Mrs Abdel Wahab, 37, had been banned from performing in Egypt, saying the comment was an “unjustified ridicule and mockery of our dear Egypt”. 

The remark also sparked a torrent of online outrage, with some users saying it was an “insult” to Egyptian national pride. 

Ahmed Ramadan and Reda Ragab, two of the union’s board members, said Mrs Abdel Wahab would not be granted the necessary permits to perform until she appeared before the union to “answer questions” on the incident. 

State-run television channels and radios have been told to boycott her songs until further notice, according to Egyptian media. 

Mrs Abdel Wahab also faces a string of charges, including incitement and harming the public interest. The trial, which will be held before a Cairo misdemeanour court, has been set for December 23, court officials said. 

The pop singer faces a three-year prison sentence or a hefty fine if she is found guilty, although she will be able to appeal the sentence. 

Mrs Abdel Wahab went underground following the fallout, with her current whereabouts unknown.

But she apologised for her remark in a Facebook post. 

She wrote: “My beloved Egypt and its children: I apologise from all the bottom of my heart for any pain I may have caused you. It was a foolish joke.”

Mrs Abdel Wahab said in her statement she believed the incident had taken place at a concert in the United Arab Emirates “more than a year ago”, while the Musicians Union says the concert was in Lebanon.