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For GRAZIA’s sixth episode of Preserving Palestine, I invited Fadie Musallet to join me as we discuss what really makes Palestine so beautiful, the difficulty he faces every time he leaves and why it’s never too late to make amends for the past.
It’s not a common sight to see an Arab man in tears, and yet Fadie depicted no shame with his emotions. As soon as the topic of Palestine was mentioned, his eyes were filled with a sadness I’m quite familiar with myself. Perhaps the main reason behind Fadie’s overwhelmed emotions, is because he makes a point to visit his mother in Palestine at least four times a year. “A lot of people do this interview and they’ve never really been there. My mum lives there. And she won’t come visit me because I know in her mind, she’s afraid to die outside of Falasteen. You know what I mean?” Fadie continues, “I tell my mum every day, this is heaven. My best sleep I ever get is there…There’s nothing in this world that makes me happier more than Falasteen.”
“There’s nothing in this world that makes me happier more than Falasteen.”
It’s not difficult to believe Fadie’s deep love for his country. The entrepreneur, who was raised in Florida, has worked in more industries than I can count. From the medical field to the entertainment industry, there’s nothing he hasn’t done. Fadie has also played an instrumental role in connecting celebrities and talents from around the world to bring them to Dubai, from LeBron James to Floyd Mayweather, his name has been associated with some of the biggest names in the world, and Fadie owes a lot of it to his cousin, DJ Khaled.
Controvery relating to DJ Khaled has blown up in recent years, as fans criticised him for never speaking up about the injustices happening in Palestine, and yet something tells me that Fadie will have an influence on him in the future. “We have to push him to speak out more,” he admits. “The good thing is that there’s no deadline for this, you know what I mean? If you’re willing to change and learn, that’s all that matters.”
“If you’re willing to change and learn, that’s all that matters.”
It’s clear that Fadie is undoubtedly a mama’s boy, and he’s not afraid to show it. “It’s time to make my mum proud,” he heartwarmingly shares. “I was raised by a single parent, I was made a man by a woman, because my father died at a young age. So a woman made me a man.”
“It’s time to make my mum proud.”
Fadie’s most recent venture includes a part in Netflix’s recent hit TV series, Dubai Bling, where he’s joined by some of Dubai’s wealthiest stars. When asked about why he made the decision to be included, he responded, “I did it to put Falasteen on the map. You know, I did it because they have a they have a Kuwait on there. They have a Saudi on there. They have a Lebanese on there. You know what I mean? Palestine needs to be on there.”
Whilst the show has garnered a mix of different reactions, Fadie’s inclusion was celebrated by many, even within Palestine. “When I went to Falasteen, this past trip, it feel good having people in Ramallah coming up to me like, ‘oh, my gosh, you were on Dubai Bling!’ So it feels good doing it for for us.”
Aside from a Netflix TV show and his job in entertainment, Fadie has also started his own charity initiative called The Giving Family, which has helped give meals to those in need. One thing that is undisputed about him, is his ethical values and morals that are essential in everything he does. “If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see I really truly like to inspire the younger generation. And you know, coming from this ‘cool’ lifestyle, knowing all the celebrities, being out in the scene, doing what people dream of doing. But at the end of the day, I still pray five times a day,” he admits. “But I try to inspire the younger generations by showing them you can you can live this cool lifestyle and still thank God for what you have. Thank God that you’re living every day. People take that for granted. And it’s like, we’re not promised tomorrow. Last thing you want is to leave this place on a bad note,” he continues.
“Thank God that you’re living every day. People take that for granted.”
There’s no doubt that there’s still a lot more success coming Fadie’s way, whether that includes hosting more celebrities in Dubai, a second season of Dubai Bling, or more charitable donations, we’re yet to find out.
