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A Muslim meld of punk and piety

OMAR EL AKKAD

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 12:03 AM EST 31/12/07

Five years ago a night-shift janitor disgruntled with dogma wrote a novel about a culture he wished existed – and a genre was born ...Read the full article

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  1. J.C. Davies from Canada writes:
    "Kourosh started a band and named it after one of the bands in the book: Vote Hezbollah. Soon came more groups, such as the Boston-based Kominas, whose achievements include penning the catchiest song ever to work the phrase “Suicide-bomb the Gap” into the chorus."

    Would the G&M publish an article of racist skinhead bands? Unlikely and certainly not one as positive as this article.
  2. Robert Boyd from Windsor, Canada writes: mohammedan rock - mohammedan crock.
  3. Dawn from Minnesota from Minnesota, United States writes: I think we need to hear the voices of North American believers in Islam. We will not always like what we hear, but we don't always like what we hear from people with other religious beliefs. It is important for us to understand the frustrations of millions of good citizens who are constantly under suspicion because of their belief in Islam. The lyrics of the song are typical of most rap lyrics: They are intended to shock. This is one voice of North American believers in Islam. There are many more.
    The Muslims I know are decent, hardworking individuals who do not support any form of violence.
  4. John James from Canada writes: J.C. Davies it doesn't appear that you know what you are talking about. The muslim bands are more like christian rock bands than racist skin-heads. In fact, mulsims believe in the equality of all mankind, whereas racist skinheads don't. You are confusing muslim hatred of the west's pro-islaeli policies with racial hatred.
  5. Dawn from Minnesota from United States writes: To Pat Gesner: I grew up near Dearborn, Michigan, the largest Muslim community in the United States. I am friends with many believers in Islam. I do not think Muslims are like the Rottweiler who killed the child. I really don't understand your motivation for making that comment. People of all faiths have done very evil things while claiming to follow their religious text to the letter. Strict interpretation of the Bible has resulted in some very ugly behavior. The folks in the literal camp (all religions) are usually also the ones who are also doing God's bidding (in their opinions) with violence and intolerance. Their logic is that they have the correct beliefs and therefore whatever they do is right because they are acting on behalf of a supreme being. I think it is wise to separate out the radical people and not condemn everybody because of the behavior of a few. I have never had a problem with people of any religion who are truly spiritual.
  6. Albin Forone from Toronto, Canada writes: It seems to me I've spent the seven-odd years since 9/11 learning more about versions of Islam and what the true Faith is or might be than I ever wanted to, and in doing so I spent a heck of a lot more time than any Islamist hard guy ever spent trying to figure out what I think. These Believer know-it-alls certainly should blow themselves up for their own good according to Gawd's will ... just not in public.
  7. J.C. Davies from Canada writes:
    "The muslim bands are more like christian rock bands than racist skin-heads. In fact, mulsims believe in the equality of all mankind, whereas racist skinheads don't."

    Does that include equality for womankind?
  8. Steve Durocher from Windsor, Ontario, Canada writes: I would love to see a Muslim rendition of Anarchy in the U.K.
    "I am an anti-Christ, I am an anarchist"
    Then again ...... Been there, done that many a time.
    How about local versions like Anarchy in the Sudan, Indonesia, Thailand, Spain, Holland, France.
    Caliphate Productions proudly presents the Muslim Anarchy Tour '07.
  9. Jeff Pritchard from Canada writes: I fail to see any reason why Muslim/Punk music shouldn't be thought of as just as lame as Christian/Punk music.
  10. Gerald Harrison from Saskatoon, Canada writes: When the Christian Inquisition was busy trying to stamp out freedom of anything during the Middle Ages or the Dark Ages as they are sometimes called, Muslim Arab countries acted as a repository and transmitter of the considerable body of knowledge of mathematics, science, astronomy, and literature which they had acquired primarily from India. Mr. Needle has a lot to learn indeed.
  11. Brendan Caron from Vancouver, Canada writes: I hung out with hardcore punk bands for twenty years and was inspired by the fact that the kids that were supposed to be street people found their voices and their way out of the gutter and into the mainstream of constructive lifestyles. They did so because they were taught to believe in themselves and what they believed translated into a grasp of reality. Good luck to the genre. It is a tough row to hoe but the rewards are immeasurable.
  12. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Jeff P: . . . YES; what you said. Moreover, this type of music is just a marketing trick, an attempt to get people to fork over their dough. Religion = Religion.
  13. J.C. Davies from Canada writes:
    "When the Christian Inquisition was busy trying to stamp out freedom of anything during the Middle Ages or the Dark Ages as they are sometimes called..."

    That was quite some time ago, since then Western society has progressed, whereas the Muslim world has regressed when it comes to tolerance.
  14. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: JC Davies: You're right. Through perseverance, the West has managed to hand Christian nutbars an important and humiliating defeat; needless to say, this has been a bitter pill for the nutbars to swallow. The forces of freedom BEAT the forces of religion. GOOD.
  15. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: JC Davis: In any case, according to Christian theology, the time difference between instances of religious oppression doesn't matter. Whenever Christian nutbars think it helps their argument to claim that "timeframe doesn't matter," they cite to the Bible, in the second book of Peter, in the third chapter (G&M bars more specificity in Bible verses, sorry) : . . . "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." . . . YUP, since Christian nutbars get to cite that verse, then so does everybody else. FAIR IS FAIR.
  16. l ss from Spain writes: G&M, would you mind explaining what criteria you use when filtering comments? I have posted a comment 3 times which has yet to be visible. I was not saying anything offensive, nor was I using inappropriate language. What's up with the censorship?
  17. Jean Malice from Calgary, Canada writes: "People of all faith have done terrible things"... what a lame excuse to support that now it should be their turn! The globe never fails to support anything muslim anyway... Kahdr!
  18. Dawn from Minnesota from United States writes: This article is about the events that took place in Chicago at a meeting of the Islamic Society of North America. The Islamic people in attendance were Canadian and American believers in Islam. These people are your neighbors. They are people from all walks of life: teachers, construction workers, doctors, lawyers, etc. Many graduated from the finest universities in North America. They are not terrorists! They are not responsible for 9/11! As most of the participants in the meeting were born in Canada or the United States, their "culture" is the same as yours.
  19. T. Bradley from Mississauga, Canada writes: Punk rock is dead. Long live Punk Rock.
  20. Some Guy from Ottawa, Canada writes:
    T. Bradley from Mississauga, Canada writes: Punk rock is dead. Long live Punk Rock.

    Smash the State and have a nice day.
  21. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Bible . . . Book of Leviticus, chapter 20: Adultery is punishable by being stoned to death. LOOK IT UP.
  22. Philip N from Kincardine, Canada writes: Ah yes Mr justice, but most 'normal people' don't stone people to death do they. Leviticus was a book written approx 2200 year ago. Most 'normal people' accept that. Please LOOK UP youtube stonings and tell me if these people look normal. When was the last time you heard of a baptist stoning?? :-) I am aethiest so please don't send me in search of biblical quotes, all I see in the here and now are Arab Islamic Extermists and their local offspring giving the peculiarly silent muslim majority a bad name.
  23. Bill Needle from Canada writes: The west has absolutely nothing to learn from Islamic culture other than to avoid it like the plague.
  24. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: PN: . . . Christians accept the authority of the Bible -- every word of it -- including Leviticus, chapter 20. I do NOT.
  25. Dawn from Minnesota from United States writes: Many unpleasant things have been done in the name of Christianity. A gay teenager was beaten up and hung on a barbed wire fence to die. This act took place in a fundamentalist community. Abortion doctors have been murdered. Even the invasion of Iraq has Christian underpinnings (God told Bush to invade Iraq). Many perpetrators of hate crimes act on behalf of their race and religion (Christianity). Mr. Kincardine: This sort of thing does not come to mind when you think of Christianity because this is not your idea of how Christians behave. Members of the Islamic community in North America are not involved with suicide bombing or terrible acts like the terrorist attacks on 9/11. They are offended when they are collectively held responsible for those acts of violence in the same way that you would be if somebody linked you to the violence against gays and the murder of doctors who perform abortions. We should not condemn everybody in a religion for the actions of a few. Further, many believers in Islam in North America are from Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia.....not from the Middle East. I know several African-Americans who converted to Islam. How far do we go with generalizations? If an African-American boy living in Detroit converts to Islam, is he one of them.....(a terrorist)?
  26. Bill Needle from Canada writes: l ss from Spain writes:What's up with the censorship?

    G&M editor doesn't like Spaniards. Neither do I.

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