Martin apologises for Jerusalem message
Ricky Martin has issued an apology after he donned a traditional Arab kaffiyeh headscarf with the slogan "Jerusalem Is Ours" written in Arabic on it.
The Livin' La Vida Loca singer was in Jordan yesterday, where he attended the silver jubilee of the Arab Children's Congress, which was set up 25 years ago by the country's Queen Noor to promote creativity, peace, cross-cultural understanding and tolerance.
At one point while posing for photographs with fans, he draped the kaffiyeh over his shoulders, without being able to understand the statement it carried.
Martin says in a statement: "I had no idea that the kaffiyeh scarf presented to me contained language referring to Jerusalem, and I apologise to anyone who might think I was endorsing its message.
"My role is entirely humanitarian, and I will continue to promote the elimination of stereotyping anyone - be they from Latin America, the Middle East, or anywhere across the globe."
Late yesterday, Martin travelled to Thailand where his organisation, the Ricky Martin Foundation, has built 225 homes to protect children orphaned by December's Indian Ocean tsunami.
