<![CDATA[Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam]]>

false <![CDATA[Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam]]> 2989735 1 “We play heavy metal because our lives are heavy metal.” —Reda Zine, one of the founders of the Moroccan heavy-metal scene “Music is the weapon of the future.” —Fela Kuti An eighteen-year-old Moroccan who loves Black Sabbath. A twenty-two-year-old rapper from the Gaza Strip. A young Lebanese singer who quotes Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” They are as representative of the world of Islam today as the conservatives and extremists we see every night on the news. Heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, and reggae are each the music of protest, and in many cases considered immoral in the Muslim world. This music may also turn out to be the soundtrack of a revolution unfolding across that world. Why, despite governmental attempts to control and censor them, do these musicians and fans keep playing and listening? Partly, of course, for the joy of self-expression, but also because, in this region, everything is political. In Heavy Metal Islam, Mark LeVine explores the influence of Western music on the Middle East through interviews with musicians and fans, introducing us young Muslims struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a desire for change. The result is a revealing tour of contemporary Islamic culture through the evolving music scene in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Heavy Metal Islam is a surprising, wildly entertaining foray into a historically authoritarian region where music just might be the true democratizing force. 3020194 8 7 2008 Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam total:61|5:4|4:21|3:26|2:9|1:1| 61 201 144 21 2 1 false false Sat Aug 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 17:56:55 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 20:20:13 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Aug 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 15 08:39:28 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 12:02:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jan 17 16:26:11 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 30 10:22:46 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Aug 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 20:27:04 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 25 20:52:26 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Oct 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 03 17:01:11 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 24 01:31:10 -0700 2008
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Not surprisingly, since I am in Egypt, the fifty or so pages in the chapter about Egypt specifically are the most interesting (so far).
...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Dec 26 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jul 01 17:19:07 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 17:23:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Nov 21 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 09:19:10 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 05 09:31:31 -0800 2008 I am not quite sure what the author's point was. Was it just a recounting of the state of heavy metal in muslim countries? Trying to prove that a link exists between ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Sep 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 16 09:14:51 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 16 09:18:58 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Aug 02 08:05:13 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 02 08:07:20 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 19 15:47:26 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 19 15:57:01 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Dec 09 18:31:32 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 18:36:34 -0800 2008 2 0 false false Tue Jun 02 10:44:13 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 10:56:49 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jan 27 16:50:04 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 16:51:01 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Nov 18 03:31:37 -0800 2008 Mon Oct 06 00:31:35 -0700 2008 Tue Nov 18 03:31:37 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Sep 23 09:29:57 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 01 15:17:21 -0700 2008
Anyway, so far it's pretty good. I can easily set it down for a while, but pick i...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 28 20:20:47 -0800 2009 Fri Oct 09 20:00:29 -0700 2009 1/2 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Oct 14 18:25:08 -0700 2008 Wed Nov 19 08:31:36 -0800 2008
"Heavy Metal Islam... underscores the complexity of Muslim culture—a culture that the Western media paints in black-and-white."

Full post here:

http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/20...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Aug 19 07:45:40 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 07:47:40 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 10 04:57:47 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 14 18:43:54 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Feb 08 18:25:14 -0800 2009 Fri Aug 07 16:28:03 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2989735