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NEWS 30 October 2006 Freemuse.org: Videocamera focus on artists from the Middle East Watch the new video interviews on www.freemuse.org During the 'Images of the Middle East' festival in Denmark in August-September 2006, Freemuse recorded video interviews with...   • Turkish-Kurdish folk singer  Sivan Perwer • Palestinian-Israeli singer Kamilya Jubran • Lebanese Death Metal band Oath to Vanquish • Lebanese-French rapper and composer Clotaire K • Also, the American author and historian Mark LeVine who attended a conference about freedom of speech during the festival had interesting comments to make about Heavy Metal and Islam and Globalisation in the Middle East • In Lebanon, we interviewed the censored 24-year-old producer of Dark Ambient, Xardas • The question of music prohibition in Islam receives renewed attention in Somalia and Pakistan. Watch this interview with the Pakistani musician who discussed the issue with clerics in Pakistan already in 2004, Salman Ahmad Note The interviews are recorded in a new film format – and we would very much like to hear your comments, also technically: how did you experience the video clips on your computer screen? Send us your comments Related reading on 'Islam' Middle East: Dossier on music, bans and censorship The internet portal Qantara.de has produced a dossier entitled 'Middle Eastern Musical Worlds'. It includes issues of music bans and censorship in the Islamic world 16 May 2007 Sudan: Censored singer tries to reform Janjaweed 'hate singers' While struggling with censorship in Khartoum, the Sudanese singer-songwriter Abazar Hamid hopes to bring peace to Sudan with his music, reported Stephanie McCrummen 24 June 2008 USA/UK: Deeyah speaks out about the unspeakable Freemuse hands the microphone to Deeyah - a pop singer and an activist with a serious message. She has placed herself in the crossfire of today’s most controversial, religious issues 09 August 2006 Denmark: Teenager arrested for 'death rap' A 17-year-old teenager was arrested for sending death threats in the form of a rap song to the Danish politician Naser Khader, reports the news agency Reuters 08 May 2006 Mahsa Vahdat Two video interviews with Iranian singer Mahsat Vahdat. About women, religion, and music censorship in modern Iran 02 September 2010 Saudi Arabia: King limits clerics who can issue fatwas A decree sent by King Abdullahs office states that only senior Islamic clerics appointed by him can issue fatwas and religious rulings 19 August 2010 Iran: No teaching of music in private schools Teaching music in state schools is already prohibited in Iran. Now, the music ban also applies to Iran’s 16,000 private schools with 1.1 million students 07 June 2010 Iran: Authorities warn about punishments for playing banned music in taxis If taxi drivers play banned music in their taxis, it could lead to cancellation of their taxi permit and confiscation of their cars, warned a government official 31 May 2010 Iran: 80 young people arrested at illegal concert Iranian police detained 80 young men and women for "lustful pleasure-seeking" activities at an illegal concert, Tehran's chief prosecutor was quoted as saying 10 May 2010 Iran: Music from 'below the radar' distributed on free CD A compilation of underground Iranian music, compiled by the music centre Bar-Ax, was published as a free bonus-CD with April-May 2010 issue of the music magazine Songlines 05 May 2010 Somalia: Government minister backs up radical Islamists’ music ban Somalia's Minister of Information has backed up a music ban in Mogadishu and in this way countermanded a government order to radio stations to play music or face closure 03 May 2010 Somalia: The government insists: radios must play music Four private radio stations in Mogadishu have been accused of collusion with radical Islamists over music ban 23 April 2010 Somalia: 14 radio stations in Somalia's capital turned off music All radio stations in Mogadishu stopped playing music on 13 April 2010, following an ultimatum by hardline Islamist militia, reported AFP. 14 April 2010 Nigeria: Music festival cancelled by censorship board A three-night music festival at a cultural centre in Kano in northern Nigeria, KANFEST, was cancelled by the Kano State Censorship Board, reported AFP 12 April 2010 Somalia: Music ban on radio stations was expected On 3 April 2010, the commander for Hisbul Islam in Mogadishu issued a 10-day ultimatum to radio stations to stop broadcasting music or face Sharia-based penalties 07 April 2010