I had asked before whether Music was banned in Islam or not - specially in Saudi Arabia? I am afraid it is still not very clear to me despite desultorily searching. Then I read this and started checking again.
Did you know that Yusuf Islam, previously Cat Stevens, stopped producing and singing music believing that it was banned and gave this belief as a reason to do so? and then he started again?
Then again, Somalia banned music last year while the Muslim Educational Centre in Oxford said no way it is banned!. Music has also been banned by Iran although there might be debate whether this is purely Islamic in nature (as Ayatollah Khomeini mentioned) or is it the normal anti-Western foaming.
The Pakistani Taliban also banned music in Pakistan this year, banning the sale of CDs and music in public, forbidding music/video shops to operate. The Afghan Taliban already did that way back in 1998.
A Kuwaiti MP wants music education to be banned in Kuwaiti Schools. How about this article which talks about similar moves afoot in Bahrain?
And Badshah Auranzeb of Mogul India banned it as well. (Note: read this Auranzeb paper if you can and have the time - a very good overview of what happened to music back then in his reign). A chap in Sweden thinks its banned in Islam. 
There was even a conference on this topic! Many have said that it is not banned, but I am yet to find out why so many people think that it is banned in Islam.
Pakistani Pop Star Junoon is stating clearly that it is not banned.
Don't think this is targeting Islam. We have had the BBC banning songs, Nazi's banning songs, Americans banning songs, India banning songs, but there were generally for a "morals" clause, then you had Teddy Afro banned in Ethiopia because of anti-government lyrics.
1 comment:
BD:
Even though they may differ on answers, the ulema in USA are unanimous that they get M&M questions the most with M&M meaning Music and Meat. Both are hotly debated issues especially among Muslim communities in Europe and N. America.
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