BEIRUT, Lebanon — The beloved Lebanese singer Fairouz went to Damascus yesterday to perform for the first time in almost three decades, angering some of her country’s top anti-Syrian politicians who accused her of entertaining tyrants. The 73-year-old singer’s patriotic songs are enormously popular across the Arab world and she is a Lebanese icon. Almost three decades after her last performance in Syria, Fairouz traveled to Damascus yesterday despite appeals by Lebanese political leaders to stay away.

Lebanon is deeply and bitterly divided along pro- and anti-Syrian lines, a prolonged crisis that has left the country without a president since November 23 because the two camps cannot agree on a candidate. Eight prominent anti-Syrian figures have been assassinated in Lebanon since 2005.

Fairouz is to take the Syrian stage Monday for a six-night run of the musical “Sah el-Nom” — one of her classics.

In Lebanon, anti-Syrian politicians who dominate the government and Parliament blame Syria for the country’s current crisis — its deepest since the 1975–90 civil war. And some politicians took offense at Fairouz’s trip.

Walid Jumblatt, a leading member of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, made a veiled remark about Fairouz going to Damascus to perform for tyrants.

“Some capable singing voices are volunteering [to sing] for Syria’s intelligence agencies which understand only the culture of killing, tyranny and oppression and do not appreciate art,” he said.

A lawmaker from Jumblatt’s bloc pleaded directly with Fairouz not to go.

“Those who love Lebanon do not sing for its jailers,” Akram Chehayeb said. “Our ambassador to the stars, you painted for us the dream nation. So don’t scatter that dream like the dictators of Damascus scattered our dreams of a democratic free country.”