Progressive Muslims!
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 4:21 pm
As progressive Muslims, we must show compassion and humility. Compassion so we don’t just become another empty ideology—we have to be willing to transform ourselves and humanity. Humility because we’re really only in the toddler stages of this movement. We’re doing all this both for the people that we share this planet with now, as well as for our children and their children—the changes are not going to happen overnight.
Omid Safi is assistant professor of Islamic Studies at Colgate University and author of Progressive Muslims.
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By: Shadi Hamid
A lot of us claim that we’re “progressive” Muslims. First of all, I’m not exactly sure what the hell the “progressive” tag means. In theory (but certainly not in practice), all Muslims (by the very virtue of the fact they are Muslims) should be “progressive.” Being progressive is about challenging the status quo and improving upon it. This means fighting for freedom, justice, equality, and peace, things that Muslims should be doing anyway. It’s about improving people’s lives and letting the best of Islam shine upon others. It’s about returning to the Prophet’s example of understanding, tolerance, and compassion.
Whatever…the term “progressive” means different things to different people. Well, anyway, what I’m getting at is that if we want to be “progressive,” then we should probably also listen to “progressive” music.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Progressive music for progressive Muslims. Got a nice ring to it.
In other words, that means we should stop listening to stupid, pointless music that only ends up numbing our minds to the reality that surrounds us. I’m sick of hearing mainstream rappers talk about women like they’re New York strip steak. I would have normally thought that people who were raised in the ghetto and treated like crap by the cops would have more to talk about than banging girls 24/7. Or what’s up with women rappers who talk about “working it” and “searching it”? Keep that stuff to yourself please.
Or the more tame rockers who sing endlessly about the pained pangs of love. We live in an extremely politicized world, where war, hatred, violence, and intolerance rule the day. Couldn’t you “pop stars” devote at least 2-3 lines to some social commentary?
But as bad as things seem to get, there always remains a glimmer of hope. There are still quite a few bands out there that are saying something that matters, creating what can actually be termed “art.” Art which makes you think, reflect, question, sometimes even hope and dream.
Radiohead, possibly the most popular/ most experimental/ most relevant band in the world recently came out with their latest tour-de-force aptly titled “Hail to the Thief.” For those of you who aren’t keeping score, the title is a reference to Dubya stealing the 2000 presidential election. Quite a ballsy thing to name your album. But of course, this is a thinking-man’s album and as a result, the lyrics aren’t always easy to decipher. While some of the songs are overtly political in nature, lead singer Thom Yorke clearly prefers to use loopy, eloquent metaphors to express his anger at Bush, Blair, politicians, Hollywood and Wall Street. In “Sail to the Moon,” possibly the most beautiful and haunting song I have heard in years, Yorke croons to his newborn son: “And maybe you’ll be president/ but know right from wrong/ or in the flood you will build an ark and sail us to the moon.” In the rocker “2 + 2 = 5,” Yorke uses stark Orwellian imagery to paint a harrowing picture of the post-9/11 world: “It’s the devil’s way now/ there is no way out/ you can scream and you can shout/ it’s too late now /because you have not been paying attention.” In “Go to Sleep” Yorke sings with desperation: “we don’t want the loonies taking over.” Well, Thom, it seems they already have.
Radiohead’s newest album signifies what seems to be a growing trend in the world of music. Although they still remain a tiny minority, more and more bands are putting themselves on the line and going political. The separation between music and politics is slowly being eroded. It’s a sign of the precarious times in which we live.
There’s actually been several political tracks released within the past year that are worth noting, such as the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love?” which just might be the most catchy anti-war anthem anyone’s heard in years. And in possibly the weirdest development of the summer, Justin Timberlake (of all people) guest stars and sings the hippiesh, politically charged chorus. Another great track is the Beastie Boys’ “In a World Gone Mad” which showcases the group’s trademark wit and humor at its most biting:
Well I'm not pro-Bush and I'm not pro-Saddam
We need these fools to remain calm
George Bush you're looking like Zoolander
Trying to play tough for the camera
What am I on crazy pills? We've got to stop it
Get your hand out my grandma's pocket
(download mp3)
Other standout political tracks include Pearl Jam’s “Bushleaguer,” Public Enemy’s “Son of a Bush,” John Mellencamp’s “To Washington,” Steve Earle’s “John Walker’s Blues,” System of a Down’s “Boom,” Paris’s “What Would You Do?”, Mos Def’s “What Beef Is,” and Coldplay’s vaguely political “Politik.” Oh, and let’s not forget the Dixie Chick’s “Travellin’ Soldier.”
Still, when you look at the big picture, there are still only a handful of bands out there who are willing to imbue their music with such controversial messages. One would have thought that the musical community would have come out stronger against the war. And I’m sure many artists would have liked to do just that. Unfortunately, though, Clear Channel, with its blatant Republican ties and leanings, has been consolidating its iron grip over the airwaves. Therefore there’s often a price to pay when artists go against the grain. The more political you get, the less airtime you’ll probably get on Clear Channel’s radio stations (when was the last time you heard a Rage Against the Machine song on a Clear Channel-owned station?).
When times get tough though, the force of political music is hard to resist. When serious things start to go wrong (the economy, the war of attrition in Iraq, the sacrifice of our civil liberties), more and more artists feel compelled to express their concerns. As the 60s and the Vietnam War intensified, for example, the music progressively got more substantive, political and less bubble-gummy. But when times were relatively good (as they were in the 90s), musicians rarely were willing to rock the boat.
What does all of this mean? Well, if Bush gets reelected and the Republicans further solidify their hold on the US government, then things will get pretty ugly. It will be a scary time for America. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. But if it does, then at the very least we can expect to hear better, more meaningful, insightful, and political songs as this Dubya decade gets progressively worse.
Shadi Hamid is currently studying at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is Chair of the Political Action Task Force for the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada (MSA-National). He is also a freelance writer whose articles have been published in more than 15 different print and online publications and media outlets, including Pacific News Service, Knight-Ridder/Tribune Newswire, University Wire, The Progressive Media Project, AlterNet, Zmag.org and the Harvard Crimson. He can be reached at shadihamid@hotmail.com.
Omid Safi is assistant professor of Islamic Studies at Colgate University and author of Progressive Muslims.
*************************************************
By: Shadi Hamid
A lot of us claim that we’re “progressive” Muslims. First of all, I’m not exactly sure what the hell the “progressive” tag means. In theory (but certainly not in practice), all Muslims (by the very virtue of the fact they are Muslims) should be “progressive.” Being progressive is about challenging the status quo and improving upon it. This means fighting for freedom, justice, equality, and peace, things that Muslims should be doing anyway. It’s about improving people’s lives and letting the best of Islam shine upon others. It’s about returning to the Prophet’s example of understanding, tolerance, and compassion.
Whatever…the term “progressive” means different things to different people. Well, anyway, what I’m getting at is that if we want to be “progressive,” then we should probably also listen to “progressive” music.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Progressive music for progressive Muslims. Got a nice ring to it.
In other words, that means we should stop listening to stupid, pointless music that only ends up numbing our minds to the reality that surrounds us. I’m sick of hearing mainstream rappers talk about women like they’re New York strip steak. I would have normally thought that people who were raised in the ghetto and treated like crap by the cops would have more to talk about than banging girls 24/7. Or what’s up with women rappers who talk about “working it” and “searching it”? Keep that stuff to yourself please.
Or the more tame rockers who sing endlessly about the pained pangs of love. We live in an extremely politicized world, where war, hatred, violence, and intolerance rule the day. Couldn’t you “pop stars” devote at least 2-3 lines to some social commentary?
But as bad as things seem to get, there always remains a glimmer of hope. There are still quite a few bands out there that are saying something that matters, creating what can actually be termed “art.” Art which makes you think, reflect, question, sometimes even hope and dream.
Radiohead, possibly the most popular/ most experimental/ most relevant band in the world recently came out with their latest tour-de-force aptly titled “Hail to the Thief.” For those of you who aren’t keeping score, the title is a reference to Dubya stealing the 2000 presidential election. Quite a ballsy thing to name your album. But of course, this is a thinking-man’s album and as a result, the lyrics aren’t always easy to decipher. While some of the songs are overtly political in nature, lead singer Thom Yorke clearly prefers to use loopy, eloquent metaphors to express his anger at Bush, Blair, politicians, Hollywood and Wall Street. In “Sail to the Moon,” possibly the most beautiful and haunting song I have heard in years, Yorke croons to his newborn son: “And maybe you’ll be president/ but know right from wrong/ or in the flood you will build an ark and sail us to the moon.” In the rocker “2 + 2 = 5,” Yorke uses stark Orwellian imagery to paint a harrowing picture of the post-9/11 world: “It’s the devil’s way now/ there is no way out/ you can scream and you can shout/ it’s too late now /because you have not been paying attention.” In “Go to Sleep” Yorke sings with desperation: “we don’t want the loonies taking over.” Well, Thom, it seems they already have.
Radiohead’s newest album signifies what seems to be a growing trend in the world of music. Although they still remain a tiny minority, more and more bands are putting themselves on the line and going political. The separation between music and politics is slowly being eroded. It’s a sign of the precarious times in which we live.
There’s actually been several political tracks released within the past year that are worth noting, such as the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love?” which just might be the most catchy anti-war anthem anyone’s heard in years. And in possibly the weirdest development of the summer, Justin Timberlake (of all people) guest stars and sings the hippiesh, politically charged chorus. Another great track is the Beastie Boys’ “In a World Gone Mad” which showcases the group’s trademark wit and humor at its most biting:
Well I'm not pro-Bush and I'm not pro-Saddam
We need these fools to remain calm
George Bush you're looking like Zoolander
Trying to play tough for the camera
What am I on crazy pills? We've got to stop it
Get your hand out my grandma's pocket
(download mp3)
Other standout political tracks include Pearl Jam’s “Bushleaguer,” Public Enemy’s “Son of a Bush,” John Mellencamp’s “To Washington,” Steve Earle’s “John Walker’s Blues,” System of a Down’s “Boom,” Paris’s “What Would You Do?”, Mos Def’s “What Beef Is,” and Coldplay’s vaguely political “Politik.” Oh, and let’s not forget the Dixie Chick’s “Travellin’ Soldier.”
Still, when you look at the big picture, there are still only a handful of bands out there who are willing to imbue their music with such controversial messages. One would have thought that the musical community would have come out stronger against the war. And I’m sure many artists would have liked to do just that. Unfortunately, though, Clear Channel, with its blatant Republican ties and leanings, has been consolidating its iron grip over the airwaves. Therefore there’s often a price to pay when artists go against the grain. The more political you get, the less airtime you’ll probably get on Clear Channel’s radio stations (when was the last time you heard a Rage Against the Machine song on a Clear Channel-owned station?).
When times get tough though, the force of political music is hard to resist. When serious things start to go wrong (the economy, the war of attrition in Iraq, the sacrifice of our civil liberties), more and more artists feel compelled to express their concerns. As the 60s and the Vietnam War intensified, for example, the music progressively got more substantive, political and less bubble-gummy. But when times were relatively good (as they were in the 90s), musicians rarely were willing to rock the boat.
What does all of this mean? Well, if Bush gets reelected and the Republicans further solidify their hold on the US government, then things will get pretty ugly. It will be a scary time for America. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. But if it does, then at the very least we can expect to hear better, more meaningful, insightful, and political songs as this Dubya decade gets progressively worse.
Shadi Hamid is currently studying at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is Chair of the Political Action Task Force for the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada (MSA-National). He is also a freelance writer whose articles have been published in more than 15 different print and online publications and media outlets, including Pacific News Service, Knight-Ridder/Tribune Newswire, University Wire, The Progressive Media Project, AlterNet, Zmag.org and the Harvard Crimson. He can be reached at shadihamid@hotmail.com.