Poll: Islamophobic?

[Madshaw]

My question/s? to you my dear escapists are these...

LINK: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/rock+the+casbah_20031941.html (LYRICS)

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_G9HhkBO8Q (YOUTUBE VIDEO LYRICS LINK)

The lyrics to the song i left are to Rock the Casbah by the Clash, to settle an argument between myself and my dad, can you tell me if these lyrics (about the 6 day war of 1967) are anti islamic or islamophobic in any way (yes when it says that Sharia don't like it, the singer is refering to the islamic sharia laws). In short if this song did not presently exist would a band releasing this title be considered racist or anti islamic today?

 

[NeutralDrow]

It sounds more anti-clerical and anti-establishment, to me. I might be reading too much into it, but I think it's criticizing secular and religious leaders using Islamic law to suppress something they consider degenerate.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I hate this song so much. I just can't stand it.


But alas, London Calling is still a good one.

 

[BonsaiK]

The Clash were an extremely anti-establishment and political band, who questioned a lot of social and cultural values, much more so than even most other punk bands of the era. You need to interpret those lyircs in that context and also in the context in the Clash's entire body of work, to get a true picture of what this song means.

Having said that, this was not one of their better songs.

 

[lostclause]

It does seem to be more of a criticism of theocracy rather than Islam specifically and even if it was Islam specifically it wouldn't necessarily be Islamophobic since this sort of censorship does happen under Islam. Hence I don't see it as Islamophobic, merely criticism of Islam at worst.

 

[Sevre]

This song is a response to the Clash being barred from playing in the Middle East. That's all there is to it.

 

[Sneaklemming]

Meh, its a bad question- as the song and the issue of modern Islamophobia are out of sync


It's all about context

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Simply because one objects to tyranny in the name of Allah does not mean one objects to Allah.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well, the Sharia does suck, right?

 

[KaiRai]

There's no such thing as Islamophobia, the PC brigade made it up because they suck.

And even if it did exist, the clash were all about anti establishment and crap, so they don't want out with the religion, they want out with leaders.

 

[DannyBoy451]

This song is a response to the Clash being barred from playing in the Middle East. That's all there is to it.

This, and even out of context its just a critique of middle-east theocracy.

 

[cainx10a]

There's no such thing as Islamophobia, the PC brigade made it up because they suck.

And even if it did exist, the clash were all about anti establishment and crap, so they don't want out with the religion, they want out with leaders.

Islamophobia doesn't exist [http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090703-20359.html].
No the song ain't islamophobic for sure, but Europe sure is the breeding ground for Islamophobia.