Islamic former guitarist now preaches against music

National Post ^ | February 15, 2011 | Stewart Bell

[James C. Bennett]

Bilal Philips was once a guitar god. Now he is trying to convince Muslims that God doesn’t want them listening to guitars.

A Saudi-trained Canadian, Mr. Philips is among a small group of lecturers who preach against most forms of music — a controversial prohibition that surfaced in Manitoba recently, where a dozen Muslim families want to pull their children from music class.

“A heart filled with music won't have room for God’s words,” he writes in his book Contemporary Issues, which also defends child marriages, wife beating, polygamy and killing apostates while calling homosexuality “evil and dangerous.”

“Wind and stringed instruments have been banned because of their captivating power,” he continues. “Their notes and chords evoke strong emotional attachments. For many, music becomes a source of solace and hope instead of God. When they are down, music brings them up temporarily, like a drug. The Koran, the words of God filled with guidance, should play that role.”

In his book, he also says adult women are forbidden from singing “in order to keep the sensual atmosphere of the society at a minimum. Men are much more easily aroused than females as has been thoroughly documented by the clinical studies of Masters and Johnson.”

“The point is that if music were beneficial, then the musicians would demonstrate that benefit in their lives,” he says in a YouTube video.

“What you see instead is that some of the most corrupt elements of society are found among the musicians. The drugs, the deviations and homosexuality, these type of things and all the corruption that’s there, people committing suicide,” he says. “The reality is that it in fact does carry an evil, dark side which produces that type of corruption amongst themselves and, in the end, ends up corrupting elements of the society.”

[kbennkc]

What Martin do you have?

1970 D-18, Such a beautiful sound, even with my sorry playing.

[JimC214]

Great Ten Years After Tune.

[SparkyBass]

your guitars have too many strings.
too thin, too.

neither am I that good, but this sure sounds good!

[AnalogReigns]

I took a German course in Germany at the Goethe Institute and there was a class of Saudi students there. Part of this course was familiarization with German/European CLASSICAL music (Bach/Beethoven/Mozart etc).

The Saudi class was forbidden to participate—as such music was deemed evil and corrupting...

[lonevoice]

That sounds like a nice version, thanks! My favorite version will always be Jeff Buckley's. The story goes that when Buckley was recording his debut album ("Grace", 1994) he wanted to include his favorite song, Cohen's "Hallelujah". He wrote to Cohen asking for permission, and also to ask for a copy of the lyrics, as he had heard Cohen perform the song with two different versions of the lyrics. Cohen faxed Buckley something like 15 verses of the song, including two that had never been heard before anywhere. Cohen included the explanation that the song "would never be done" and that he was always adding verses to it.

Anyway, in case you haven't seen/heard a live Buckley version of "Hallelujah", here's a nice one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnxmkOAj88

And, just to keep it on topic: Bilal Philips, Yusuf Islam, and the rest of the rabid music-hating Islamic assclowns can pound sand! Music is one of the most direct of God's gifts to man.

[americanophile]

I’m sure he rationalizes it as making money from the infidels...

[lonevoice]

(Sometimes I really miss Frank)

Holy smokes...me too. :-(

[kbennkc]

I got the Harmony out of dumpster , added some spare humbuckers and new tuning machines and I can leave it in Open G , and not have to go back and forth with the Tele.

I usually take the low E off so I can grow up to be like Keef, only without the drugs, but when I have more money invested in a set of strings than in the whole guitar I feel like using them all at first.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I love that guitar!

[jmacusa]

Who do you mean ‘’we’’?

[Osage Orange]

Good post..

[jmacusa]

As a former(and proud) rock ‘n’ roll drummer I’d say Martin guitars are some of the finest on Earth. I’m also very partial to Fenders(Startocasters) and Gibsons(ES335).

[TexasRepublic]

“Turning Muslim In Texas.”

May piss be upon them.

[Persevero]

“I am concerned that as we turn in revulsion against the evil practice of Islam, we end up embracing perversion etc. as something enlightened and wonderful.”

“Who do you mean “we?””

Americans.

[jmacusa]

Not me Bub, I’m an American and I don’t embrace ‘’perversion’’. And that’s a pretty broad indictment you make, care to elaborate on that?

[beandog]

Islam is perversion so I don’t see “us” embracing it.

[Persevero]

I’ll elaborate.

We are getting more and more news about the evils of Islam. They cut off the genitals of little girls, stone women for being raped, arrest people for kissing on the beach, ban music, hit women with sticks or spit on them if their ankle shows, marry women to filthy old men, practice serial one hour divorces to excuse their adultery, refuse medical attention to women, refuse education to women, beat kids as they instruct them that all non-Muslims are to be murdered, strap explosives onto handicapped children for suicide bombs, etc.

They also oppose homosexuality.

I fear that as we reject all the evils of Islam, we, as Americans, may think we must therefore embrace stuff like homosexuality, porn, fornication, drunkenness and etc., because Islam supposedly opposes it. We want to be on the opposite side, right?

(Even though there is heavy porn use, plenty of rape, and drunkenness in Moslem countries).

In other words, I don’t want to see the West, the U.S., us, promoting perversion because the Muslims condemn it. As though that is the answer, or as though that is freedom.

I sense it as a trap, that in our zeal to oppose Islam (which I certainly do) we might inadvertently behave as though some of the immoral behaviors I’ve listed are ok. They are not ok.

[jmacusa]

Wow, that’s as convoluted a rational as I’ve ever heard, all due respect, please don’t think I’m jumping down your throat but cause does not always equal effect. Why would you think this would be the case if Americans learn more about the evils of Islam? I don’t see any evidence of that. Plenty of Americans are capable of denouncing Islam without jumping into a moral sewer.

[Persevero]

Of course we are capable.

But to many, even on FR, it seem lately that “freedom” or “western values” involves sexual perversion.

It seems mostly to come from the Libertarian contingent.

There is like, an assumption, that if you oppose the extremes of Islam you are just fine with homo marriage, legalized drugs, pornography, etc.

I’m not crazy! I see it.

[PGalt]

The continuous commercial interrupting the video “Turning Muslim in Texas” has one very appropriate line...”living dead”.

Thanks ZULU for #26.

Travis, you nail it in #30.

Thanks for the ping, LucyT.

Thanks...

ReneeLynn #5

UCFRoadWarrior #7

Mr. Mojo #10

kalee #11

lonevoice #19

reagan_fanatic #21

This I Wonder32460 #29

anglian #31

facedown #32

AnalogReigns #44

lonevoice #45

TexasRepublic #53

FISLAM