Posted on 11/26/2004 10:33:38 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough
In a rap style that is totally American and acceptable to all age groups, these three young men from around the Washington, D.C. area inspire other young Muslims to practice their faith.
The sound is the familiar street rap so popular with American teenagers. But the message is decidedly more upbeat than the dark themes of drugs and violence that permeate most rap. Consider the words from a song called "Intentions:"
"My intentions cannot bring the reward, when they're out of line. So I pray to Allah to help me, to do everything for him only."
Known as Muslim rap, this new musical phenomenon strikes a chord especially with African-Americans who make up about a third of all Muslims in the United States. The group behind the sound is Native Deen, three black men in the Washington, D.C., area who grew up as devout Muslims and want to use their talents to inspire other young people to keep the faith amid the pressures and temptations of modern life.
All three -- Joshua Salaam, 28, Naeem Muhammad, and Abdul-Malik Ahmad, both 26 -- are married and fathers of young children. When not making music, Salaam manages the civil rights division of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muhammad works for an information technology company, and Ahmad designs web sites and teaches martial arts.
As Native Deen, they perform at Islamic conferences, fundraisers, weddings, and holiday gatherings - any place, they say, "where wholesome Islamic entertainment is needed." They shun clubs, bars, and discos, or any venue where Islamic prohibitions against alcohol, dancing, and many forms of music are violated. Most of their songs deal with growing up Muslim in America, remembering to make morning prayers and practice the faith without getting too caught up in material possessions and "the TV shows and the music videos." A few numbers simply exhort listeners to avoid drugs, or sex, or cheating in school with no specific mention of religion.
The group is careful to craft lyrics acceptable even to the most sensitive parental ear. "We make sure we don't put stuff in our songs that we don't want a four-year-old to repeat," says group leader Salaam. "Our music is something that parents and children can enjoy together. In fact, the parents encourage the kids to listen."
Because many Muslims believe that the teachings of the prophet Muhammad forbid the playing of most musical instruments, Native Deen uses only traditional drums in its live performances. Their tapes and CDs include a wider variety of percussion instruments, but a message at the beginning assures listeners that they will hear no wind or string instruments, which are considered especially taboo.
The three musicians formed Native Deen in 2000 after years of performing together and separately at Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) camps and other Islamic events. They and other artists recorded a series of tapes, called MYNA-RAPS, sales of which help support Muslim youth activities. "When we started traveling and performing together regularly, we decided, Let's call ourselves something," Salaam says. "Deen means religion or way of life in Arabic, so we picked the name Native Deen to signify the religion that's naturally in you."
Combining rap with Muslim themes wasn't a conscious decision, Salaam says. "Growing up Muslim and black in America, those were our experiences. That's naturally what came off our lips."
Word of mouth has been sufficient to land the young musicians gigs at Islamic events in California, Texas, and Illinois -- even an invitation to the United Kingdom, which they had to turn down because of a previous commitment. They attracted a following in Malaysia after a Malaysian television crew visiting the United States did a feature on them.
In the past few months, they've achieved a new measure of fame thanks to a radio show, "On The Scene with Native Deen," that airs every Friday evening on a local Islamic radio station and is broadcast worldwide via the Islamic Broadcasting Network (IBN) Web site. The program, a combination of music, patter, and live discussion, has been "very successful in attracting the younger crowd," mainly high school and college students, says IBN's acting program director Sohaib Elsayed. The performers "convey personality, they're engaging," he says. "They take the day-to-day issues of growing up Muslim in America and put them in a more humorous light."
The feedback the group gets from young fans is especially gratifying," Salaam says. "People come up and tell us how a song helped them get through ninth grade or inspired them to do different things by reminding them of their faith and that God is there -- and in a hip way."
With Native Deen, Muslims in the United States also "feel like they have something of their own," he adds. "They say now we can have entertainment at our events, and it doesn't have to be in Arabic. Our music is American, it's hip, and it's something everybody can be comfortable with."
the state dept is still full of traitorous vipers ready to strike at America.
Just as the devil tempted Jesus in the desert with all types of "glorious things", these muslim extremists are also tempting the children of America with their ultimately traitorous lies.
I'm not buying. I don't trust CAIR, which has lukewarm at best on islamofascism, and I don't trust these would-be mujahadeen. I keep thinking someone from the African American muslim community is going come out and comdemn some random act of islamic terrorism, without saying "but," or "however", or moaning about how it affects their community, and it hasn't happened. Just because they share one or two of your values doesn't mean you can trust them. This is just one more attempt to bring about an islamic theocracy here in America.
Has Washington gone TOTALLY OFF THE DEEP END???
Washington continues to trash our borders, American culture and now our demographics...
So the heavy-metal crowd summon demons with their music while these guys invoke the moon-god allah. Stay away from alcohol, though, it might interfere with your pedophilia and mysogyny. I'm sure Minister Louis and JJ are pleased.
Was this on the State Dept. website as a warning or a recommendation.. That is the important question.
If it is a warning, that is great, but I don't get that impression.
There have been articles with threads about the very subject of how the islamofascists will take over America if we let them. This is so very transparent, don't you think?
I too have to ask--What is the State Department thinking?
Reminds me of some years back when the Black Muslims were getting some good publicity with their neighborhood takeovers (getting druggies, pimps, and prostitutes off the streets).
But then who will take back the streets from the Muslims?
I could never stomach Cassius Clay after he went Islam's way. What a zip wad. My favorite fights were when Norton broke his jaw, Frazier floored him, and Jimmy Young outboxed him (but lost the all time bad decision).
And Heaven forbid you should listen to a flute or a violin, I could see how that is harmful--/sarcasm meant
I have kind of been ashamed of myself for awhile when I get suspicious and skeptical when I see all of the black athletes with names of Rasheed, Muhammed, etc., I always castigated myself as a racist or something for even questioning them. Not now, after all that I have read here and on Frontpage Magazine., I should be uncomfortable and worried.
Egyptian worshippers demonstrate inside al Azhar mosque, the highest Islamic Sunni institution, following Friday prayers in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 26, 2004. Some two hundred demonstrators protested against the results of the Sharm el-Sheik conference on Iraq and shouted anti-American slogans supporting the Iraqi resistance against the U.S. army. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
A Pakistani boy brandishes a toy gun before a portrait of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, center, at a rally to condemn attacks by the U. S. forces in Iraq on Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 in Karachi, Pakistan. Partcipants of the rally chanted anti-American slogans and demand withdrawl of foreign forces from Iraq. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
Indonesian Muslims display posters during an anti-U.S. rally at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 26, 2004. More than a thousand of Muslims stage the rally against massive U.S.-led military operations in Iraqi city of Fallujah. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Egyptian worshippers demonstrate inside al Azhar mosque, the highest Islamic Sunni institution, following Friday prayers in Cairo, Egypt, Friday Nov. 26, 2004. Some two hundred demonstrators protested against the results of the Sharm el-Sheik conference on Iraq and shouted anti-American slogans supporting Iraqi resistance against the U.S. army. Card reads ' God is great, heroes of resistance.. you stopped the American occupation to the Muslim land.. greetings and respect to heroes of Fallujah .. ' (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Protesters burn an effigy of President George W. Bush at a rally to condemn attacks by the U. S. forces in Iraq on Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants of the rally chanted anti-American slogans and demand withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
Demonstrators set on fire Israeli, left, and U.S. flags after the Friday prayers outside of Beyazit mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 26, 2004. Hundreds of Turkish demonstrators gathered outside of an Istanbul mosque to protest U.S.-led military operations in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. (AP Photo/Osman Orsal)
An Indonesian Muslim holds up a poster during an anti-U.S. rally at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 26, 2004. More than a thousand Muslims staged the rally against the massive U.S.-led military operations in Iraqi city of Fallujah. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Don't worry about hearing any flute, violin or any other classical instrument from these clowns, that requires both talent and practice.
Word. And that's the islamic plan, all-encompassing subliminal penetration and take-over, and an installation of Shari'ah nationwide. Liberal family members say I have been conned and am paranoid, but when my sister has to don the burqa and stop teaching at Vassar she may finally see the light. But she'll probably still say it's all Bush/America's fault. And ping re: Muhammud Ali!
I notice that a good number of the signs were printed in ENGLISH! Just for whose benefit were these demonstrations?
i wonder, how can one learn to play "Ride of the Valkyries" on the drums?
The signs printed in english looks like blown up copies of book covers which are by the same author.
There are some breathtakingly anti-american people at the Department of State.
I should be uncomfortable and worried.
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Ah ha... Txsleuth is waking up !!! ;-))
Interesting you should mention that piece! I was just thinking that it's a shame we can't let Lt. Col. Bill (I love the smell of napalm in the morning) Kilgore deal with these Islamofascists. There's got to be some good surf somewhere around the Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean!
***"There are some breathtakingly anti-american people at the Department of State."***
Agreed. I'll bet Condi does something about it, too. (Get ready for some major howling form the MSM.)
I'm glad I am not the only one that fears the burqa. I was talking to my son, the father of my 5 year old granddaughter, about the election. He said he was going to vote for Kerry. Long story short, I couldn't convince him
to vote for GWB, but he didn't vote for Kerry.
I showed him articles about the subliminal messages in American schools, and told him about how the Muslims intend to assimilate enough into our society to "steal" if from us legally. I empasized that I couln't stomach the idea of Kailey someday having to wear a burqa. My son laughed. He thinks I am being paranoid. But, he saw Farenheit 9/11 and believed it!! ARGHGHHHHHHHHHHH
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