<p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr">Social media has been widely circulated over the past few hours regarding the death of renowned Syrian artist Duraid Lahham, sparking concern and grief among his fans in Syria and the Arab world. Many reacted to the surprising news, despite the initial lack of official confirmation, which further deepened the mystery and confusion. </p><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:600/450;" src="https://albaladnews.net/assets/2024-12-29/images/58_news_1735451579.webp" alt="" ></figure><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">His wife puts an end to the rumors, and an audio recording of the artist confirms the truth.</span></h2><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The news was quickly denied by Hala Bitar, the wife of artist Duraid Lahham, who contacted a Syrian journalist to deny the rumor. During the call, she confirmed that her husband was in good health and sitting next to her, completely denying the rumors circulating online.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> In a move to confirm her statement and end the controversy, Hala handed the phone to artist Duraid Lahham himself, who spoke directly with the journalist to reassure his fans about his health, stressing that he was fine and that the rumours circulating were baseless. </p><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:844/560;" src="https://cdn1-m.zahratalkhaleej.ae//wp-content/uploads/2015/02/doreid-la7am.jpg?v=6" alt="" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">You can follow the news and</span></span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sbsial.com/ar/features/celebrity-ads"><span lang="ar">announcements of celebrities</span></a> <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">and all their</span></span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sbsial.com/ar/features/exclusive-content"><span lang="ar">exclusive content</span></a> <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">that you can only find through the Special application, which is</span></span><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sbsial.com/ar"><span lang="ar">a social networking application</span></a> <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">with special and unique features, as it includes a podcast that provides many unique features, as you can launch</span></span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sbsial.com/ar/features/podcast-and-voice-recording"><span lang="ar">a podcast</span></a> <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">with your friends or listen to others, and it also provides information about</span></span> the <span style="background-color:unset;font-family:inherit;font-size:16px;"><span lang="ar">various</span></span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sbsial.com/ar/features/celebrity-collectibles"><span lang="ar">possessions of celebrities</span></a> .</p><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);">Calls for verification before publishing</span></h3><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The incident sparked widespread reactions and calls from followers and media outlets to act responsibly when publishing sensitive news, especially when it concerns highly regarded and beloved public figures like Duraid Lahham, a symbol of Syrian and Arab art.</p><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="background-color:unset;color:hsl(187, 48%, 51%);font-family:inherit;"><span lang="ar">About the life of Duraid Lahham</span></span></h2><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><br> Lahham was born in Syria in 1934 to a Syrian father and a Lebanese mother from Mashghara. He grew up in poverty and was forced to work various odd jobs to make ends meet. Recalling those difficult days, he later said that he would buy used clothes, intended for the poor in Syria, and barely make enough money to feed himself. </p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:726.388px;"><img style="aspect-ratio:726/484;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/aacb4c2d-00f6-4b9d-a927-347d2dd7909a.jpeg" alt="Duraid Lahham" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> On the other hand, he enrolled at Damascus University and studied chemistry, obtaining a BA in Chemical Sciences from Damascus University in 1958. He also holds a diploma in education. During his university years, he was active in a form of Levantine folk dance called "dabke" and became obsessed with acting. After completing his education, he worked as a teacher in the town of Salkhad in southern Syria until 1959. He also lectured at Damascus University before moving into the world of acting on television. </p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:726.388px;"><img style="aspect-ratio:726/830;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/c500eb0a-b0d1-4276-8654-05528858a996.jpeg" alt="Duraid Lahham" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> From there, Duraid Lahham became a professor in the university's chemistry department. Meanwhile, Lahham gave dance lessons and strengthened his ties with the Syrian artistic community. When television was launched in Syria in 1960, Lahham, along with his friend Nihad Qala'i, was invited by Dr. Sabah Qabbani, the then director of Syrian television, to act in a series of short episodes called "Damascus Evening." He then moved on to theater and then television acting. </p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:726.388px;"><img style="aspect-ratio:726/918;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/02247f40-dd93-41e7-a613-4b761362d6a6.jpeg" alt="Duraid Lahham" ></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> In the 1970s, Duraid Lahham gained widespread fame for his roles in political plays, which criticized the social and political landscape throughout the Arab world.</p>