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| India-Pakistan |
| Iraq War Propels Hate-U.S Songs to Top of Pakistani Charts |
| 2003-04-27 |
| In Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), the U.S-led war on Iraq has fuelled the growth of a thriving music industry, based on rabble-rousing, anti-American audio cassettes, which analysts fear will give a fillip to Islamism. As during the 1991 U.S. attack on Iraq, and ten years later in Afghanistan, this time too poets in the local Pashto language, are working overtime to arouse anti-Western sentiments among the province's orthodox Pashtoon tribes. Not that the locals need much incitement. Just to get the measure of the province's already strong anti-American sentiment, two years ago thousands of volunteers went to bordering Afghanistan to fight against U.S troops alongside the Taliban. As most people in far flung areas of this Islamist province lack access to sources of entertainment, audio cassettes churned out by a host of local musicians and poets are effortlessly filling the void. All these songs contain a common thread — they express solidarity with Iraqis and equate America with Satan. As one song goes, "A devil has emerged from his filthy den and has endangered humanity's peace. Alas, there is no one to stop his cruelties." Despite a ban imposed in NWFP by the ruling Islamist alliance, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), on playing music in public transport and places, many drivers listen to cassettes about Iraq in their vehicles. Passengers aren't complaining. "People hate America for its attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, so they like it when we play cassettes containing anti-American sentiments," says Ahmad Gul, a coach driver in Peshawar, the capital of NWFP. Part of their appeal lies in the fact that they stress the immediacy of the threat to Muslims. Take a prime example — "Today Baghdad and Karbala are burning, tomorrow you will be deprived of Mecca. O Muslim, why have you let your sword rust?" Though they have little in common, Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Laden, are regular favorites among songwriters. So some of these poems contain panegyrics in their honor. As one songwriter says, "People are not concerned with the political and religious status of these two, they just regard them as heroes of Islam." Says singer Hidayat Shah, whose new album hit the market recently, "I write poetry to awaken the Muslims from their deep slumber. During the U.S. attack on Iraq in 1991 we released several albums which encouraged us to produce more this time," he says. Shah says his object is not pecuniary. "It is not my business. I consider it a jehad and a religious obligation," he maintains. I have sung and written more than 1,000 revolutionary poems since the American invasion of Iraq last time," he claims. Cassettes filled with hate speeches have also proliferated. Speeches by religious leaders condemning America and its allies are fast gaining popularity. The most popular of these is religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Amir, popularly known as Maulana Bijli Ghar (Cleric Electricity Dept) for his firebrand speeches. Political analysts say these cassettes cannot be taken lightly. They believe they will impact Pashtoons for a long time to come. Renowned political analyst and lawyer Barrister Baacha says the emotional nature of the lyrics will make people — especially Afghans — more pro-Taliban and pro-Osama. "The Afghans consider the attack on Iraq the start of another crusade. They will become prey to pro-Taliban elements, thus blocking the way for reformation of the orthodox Pashtoon society," Baacha comments. He says the American attack on Afghanistan acted as a catalyst to bring together religious parties to form the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). The alliance won the October general elections in the Pashtoon-dominated NWFP and Balochistan provinces. He predicts, "Just as Ayatullah Khomeini's messages on audio cassettes paved the way for an Islamic revolution in Iran, the revolutionary poems and lyrics being disseminated today would inculcate a revolutionary sentiment among the Pashtoons." |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #6 I just read the NYT story about NKor refugees and while I guess it was intended to induce my sympathy, instead it convinced me that we should get out of South Korea now. If you thought the unification of the Germanies caused headaches, the unification of Korea would be the migraine of all time. The NKors are totally brainwashed. Kids, 15, 16, who know nothing about us, hate the US and are hated by the SKors who deign to have contact with them. After reading that story, I cannot think of a single reason why we care about Korea. Let them take care of their own problems. We don't need the problems nor them. |
| Posted by: R. McLeod 2003-04-28 04:45:08 |
| #5 Pretty sick, eh? I had to hear it 24 hours a day for the first two months of the year. Not the classiest expression of political grievence. |
| Posted by: The Marmot 2003-04-27 22:19:45 |
| #4 Marmot: I read those lyrics, I'm appalled. disgraceful If anti-US sentiment gets big in South Korea, I propose the US embark on a MASSIVE international media campaign to outline to the SKors that the US will not go where it isn't wanted, they can deal with NKor all by themselves. Then move the US troops out overnight and watch Seoul crumple into a grey, dustfilled crater overnight. Let the SKors have a lovely holiday eating grass and worshipping their new dear leader. F*cking South Korea ps: My last boyfriend was south korean and let me tell you: the Koreans are all loons, it is genetic. Just leave them to kill each other over their inflated sense of pride and mutant honour. |
| Posted by: anon1 2003-04-27 20:38:30 |
| #3 Actually, Pakistan isn't the only country exhibiting this phenomenon. Strangely, in South Korea, the anti-American song "F*cking USA" is still quite popular, although not quite as popular as it was at the beginning of this year. To read the English lyrics, visit this site. |
| Posted by: The Marmot 2003-04-27 12:10:32 |
| #2 Think the dimwits in NWFP notice that this music is winked at by the mullahs, while the rest is banned? Can you say propaganda? NO? Oh, sorry, educated in a madrassa huh? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-27 08:11:56 |
| #1 The Dixie Chicks, number one with a bullet, on the Northwest Frontier. Hey, let's sit around making music all day long... |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-04-27 08:01:58 |