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Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam
Three Rivers Press
July 2008
On Sale: July 8, 2008
304 pages ISBN: 0307353397 EAN: 9780307353399 Paperback
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Non-Fiction
“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.
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