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| Tappan Zee high school friends and musicians,1981 |
Readers of my global musings were introduced to Salman Ahmad, his mother and his high school peers recently. I learned of him via his biography which I have now completed.
I have traveled a mere 226 pages with Salman but feel as though I have traversed the world with him.
Salmans band, Junoon, has sold over 30 million albums. He is a father, a husband, United Nations ambassador, a medical doctor, a teacher of Muslim music and poetry, and runs a nonprofit organization, ssgwi. http://www.ssgwi.org/
Salman is a talented man with a big heart and open mind.Upon completing this book I feel strongly that this book should be required reading in schools around the world.
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| Junoon at the Channel V awards, New Delhi |
It is ones mans quest to heal the world. Were his quest shared imagine all the healing.
Salman moved from NewYork back to the middle east as a teen. A Muslim boy already Americanized yet, deeply aware and in tune with his own culture.
Upon moving back to the middle east he learned first hand about the corruption within his government,the judicial system and the police in his country.
Music was repeatedly banned and considered inappropriate. Salman worked against great opposition to bring music and a message of peace to his country.
Yet in 2001 Pakistani and American relations were improving. Junoon was scheduled to play at the UN General Assembly in NewYork that October.
September 11, 2001 found Salman in Karachi staring at a CNN broadcast on a television in a friends hair salon. He watched both his worlds collide. It was six in the evening local Karachi time, the first plane had already crashed into the World Trade Centers north tower.
We now know 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian.Salmans NewYork memories rushed back to him while the second plane crashed and he realized this was not an accident. "God", I prayed,"Please don't let it be a Muslim who did this."
The hate virus was released. The global media oversimplified and took an us and them approach. President Bush alienated people with fear mongering.
It didn't matter that the vast majority of the worlds 1.5 Muslims were genuinely shocked, bewildered and saddened by the loss of innocent life.The victims in the attacks represented more than ninety nationalities. Including Salmans 28 year old cousin and a 23 year old Pakistani-American from Queens sacrificing his life as a volunteer paramedic trying to save lives from the burning tower.
The Muslim faith prohibits suicide. Terrorists seem to want to be martyrs.
Salman and his wife took to the phones,organizing a benefit concert to be held in a Pakistani girls college on John Lennons birthday.
The concert denounced terrorism and violence.
A million rupees were raised and handed over to Eric Falt, the head of UN communications.
If you are further interested there is a VH1 documentary titled "Islamabad-rock city" available.
Salman and I agree that violence begets violence.
Salman went on to meet with reporters from NPR, Newsweek and CNN. He interviewed with Bill Mathers on "Politically Incorrect" where he was the only Muslim guest alongside Gene Simmoms of Kiss.
Salman greeted Gene warmly explaining Kiss had many fans in Pakistan. To which Gene sneered (though he seems to always sneer) and claimed they probably wanted to cut off his tongue.
Salmans global context went largely ignored throughout the interview, Simmons called him delusional. Gene had the last word.
"The US should do what Israel does, you slap me, and I take your country."Off air Gene goaded Salman more.
"Sal,all those people who speak with names like 'agh-mad' are like cockroaches."Salman finally had had enough of this and responded.
"Dude, I actually had respect for you, you're the one who discovered Eddie VanHalen! I thought you were about music."Salman is a very big fan of Eddie VanHalen and had played Eruption on stage in school.
Gene responded back, of course, to Sals comment.
"Sal, its never been about the message,its about the messenger David Lee Roth was VanHalen,not Eddie!"Really!!!!????? He said that!???? and to think hes my friend on FaceBook. I understand the point he was trying to make, clearly still angry about 9/11 and retorting in kind, but, really???
Regardless, the Yankees tied the Arizona Diamondbacks for the world series and Sal went back to NewYork to make peace and music, the book doesn't mention where Gene went.
If VanHalen can reunite..which they are than we can reunite globally and I think we are making progress.
World peace is every ones responsibility.
If you read not one other book in your lifetime, if you love music, if you love your country and this world,if you believe folks are just folks no matter which side of the globe you are on and even if you don't read this book! Please.
"Rock and Roll Jihad A Muslim Rock Stars Revolution." -Salman Ahmad
e book edition available
