The Cultural War on Terror: Race, Art and American Public Diplomacy

On October 29, 2014, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) hosted a talk by Hisham Aidi about his recently published, critically acclaimed book, Rebel Music: Race, Empire and the New Muslim Culture, which is a study of American cultural diplomacy towards the Muslim world over the last decade.

In his book, Aidi highlights the ties between global black freedom movement (racial movements) and Islamic youth movements.  He uses music as a powerful lens to review these relations. Aidi explains how music disseminated black culture and how through music, Muslim youth have learned about Marcus Garvey, Malcom X, and black freedom struggles. “Debates about music, its permissibility, and purpose are central to Muslim youth culture today,” argues Aidi.  He also talks of how music is a mechanism of social control that has been incorporated by states to moderate Muslim youth. “Music is at the heart of the cultural war on terror in efforts to win Muslim hearts and minds.” The talk covers topics related to Jazz, Hip Hop, and American music diplomacy.

Aidi exposes a path-breaking approach to understanding the complexity of Muslim youth culture and the key role they can play in pushing back radical movements, a topic that is important for policy makers. The U.S. is increasingly using music as an alternative message against the narrative of jihadist movements. Aidi discusses successes and failures in such music diplomacy initiatives.