Muslim Hip Hop a 'gateway to extremist politics'?
Today's Times (of London) includes the following tale of terror:
Islamic hip-hop artists are accused of indoctrinating young against the West
Hip Hop and rap artists are teaching young Muslims the ideology of radical Islamism through songs about the war in Iraq, the oppression of Muslims and the creation of an Islamic state governed by Sharia, or religious law. Intelligence agencies have identified music as a “tool for indoctrination”. The phenomenon began with an American group called Soldiers of Allah. The group has since disbanded but its music and lyrics remain popular on the internet. Other groups in Britain, France and the US have been identified as giving cause for concern. Many use the derogatory term “kufur” to describe non-Muslims. Madeleine Gruen, an American intelligence analyst, highlighted the lyrics of a British group called Blakstone as a possible gateway to extremist politics.
Madeleine Gruen is a member of the Hudson Institute, founded by by the futurist Herman Kahn and other colleagues from the RAND Corporation. This is the RAND Corporation which published Civil Democratic Islam: Partners, Resources, and Strategies by Cheryl Benard, widely regarded as the key policy document in the propoganda war against Islam. The Hudson Institute is said to be developing programs on the political and economic transformation of Muslim nations. It's membership includes the arch-Neocon Richard Perle.
Using the same logic, the Hudson Institute is surely a gateway to extremist American Imperialism.
Articles from the Hudson Institute can also be found on the website of the 'apolitical' Sufi Muslim Council, an organisation set up this year with the blessing of the British government.
posted by Julaybib at
11/11/2006 12:22:00 PM
4 comment(s):
By
Anonymous, at
11/11/2006 02:02:00 PM
Hip Hop and rap artists are teaching young Muslims the ideology of radical Islamism through songs about the war in Iraq, the oppression of Muslims and the creation of an Islamic state governed by Sharia, or religious law.
In the states Hip-hop has always been at the center of attention. However, it was mainly concerned with local or domestic politics particularly in the African-American and Hispanic-American communities. This is no different with the exception that the area of politics which is being targeted is a global hot-button.
In my opinion who cares... let them talk. If Denmark and Europe want to wave pull the "Free Speech" card... let these Muslim rappers do the same.
By
Anonymous, at
11/13/2006 10:53:00 AM
I am not into Muslim Hip Hop because it is just not really my thing, but I have heard a fair number of artists that Muslims actually listen to, and have never heard of the groups this strange woman mentions. The groups I have heard are extremely positive and cheery-sounding. There are also partly-Muslim or Muslim-sympathetic groups like Outlandish and they are 100% non-extremist. Someone needs to ask the Muslim teenager on the street what the kids are actually listening to. Good grief.
By
Anna in PDX, at
11/13/2006 02:59:00 PM
this is interesting from the article. the caption, and the actual lyrics:
THE LYRICS SEEN AS A CALL TO ARMS
Yesterday I was dreaming
I dreamt of The State we made,
a place with purpose and meaning.
I saw my people they were smiling not grieving,
I saw our kids they were safe they were breathing . . .
And no more talk of war and of bombs to drop, u
nder Allah’s Shade and Shield and fearing not.
No more bleeding due scheming dogs on thrones,
whom plot with foes to spread woes, the stench of rot.
And that’s how it’s supposed to be.
I look around and all I see today is poverty and misery
from systems ruling over me with blasphemy.
Their tool, kufur rule it’s a catastrophe
From Close 2 Me, by Blakstone
if those ideas are 'extremist,' May Allah make us all extremists...
Inshallah I'll have to check this group out...
By
malangbaba, at
11/14/2006 10:22:00 AM
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