It’s tough to make any art at times like today, but I believe that music is a fantastic language that can transmit ideas beyond borders and keys to understanding.
First of all, It is essential to fully condemn the devastating attacks on Israel by Hamas and remember in sorrow all the victims of such a horrible massacre that was aimed to annihilate the Jews of Israel purposefully. As an Israeli citizen with family members of both my father’s and my mother’s side who died as a result of the Holocaust, World War II, and its consequences, it’s important to emphasize my condemnation of any deliberate human action aimed at the murder of other humans.
However, it is essential to see what is being done to Palestine and its civilian population, not just in the recent weeks of response to the consequences of the terroristic attacks on Israel, but also to remember the long-lasting struggle that the brave and robust Palestinian nation has been experiencing in the last 80 years under Israeli occupation. With the lack of reasonable response by the Israeli Army (and all their military allies) to the terroristic attacks of Hamas that ended up killing thousands of innocent Palestinians, I wholeheartedly stand with Palestine, which has been victimized and is being purposefully exterminated by Israel. There is NO WAY of justifying violence with violence. At the same time, there is also NO WAY of comparing the victims of Hamas’s intentional murder of Israeli civilians with the Israeli Army’s deliberate murder of Palestinian civilians. Any outburst of violence that causes death is unjustifiable without ifs and buts.
With that in mind, I have decided to dedicate this month’s AKWARD show to raising awareness of the music of Muslimgauze, whom I can consider one of the major artistic influences not just on my view of music but also on my understanding of the art’s political and societal value and role. Bryn Jones, who is known under his artistic allies as Muslimgauze, had shown his dedication to the production of strongly political music. His body of art transcends his active years of the last two decades of the previous century (interrupted by his unexpected death), with his works being released to this day. All of his music is dedicated to raising awareness about the conflicts in the Middle East while also exploring the cultural and societal elements of the Arab world. One of his central intentions is to show his support for the Palestinian Liberation Movement. In this month’s AKWARD mix on HKCR, I intended to explore this specific theme in his music and share it with the listeners.
With hopes for peace and collaborative action across the globe, I am obliged to promote the importance of recognition of Palestine as a state that has the same rights for existence in the Middle East as Israel does. The two-state solution is an inevitable necessity that we cannot omit as a final goal, even in a situation like today. All the murderers have to stand face-to-face with the law and meet the consequences, and innocent people should be given the right to the peaceful sky above them.
Liberate Palestine!
Tracklist:
Muslimgauze – Every Grain of Palestinian Land
Muslimgauze – Vanilla Jellaba
Muslimgauze – Uzi Mahmood 13
Muslimgauze – Freedom Fighter
Muslimgauze – Anti Arab Media Censor Part 1
Muslimgauze – Refugee
Muslimgauze – State Of Palestine
Muslimgauze – Curfew, Gaza
Muslimgauze – Abu Kaff, Your Guide Around A West Bank Bedouin Shack
Muslimgauze – All the Stolen Land Of Palestine
Muslimgauze – Mossad Evil
Muslimgauze – This Is My Palestine
Muslimgauze – Yasser Arafat In Tunis
