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Sweden and Denmark:
Three films about music and Islam hit Scandinavia
Pakistani rock star and filmmaker Salman Ahmad, and editor of the UK world music magazine Songlines Simon Broughton will make a quick visit to Denmark and Sweden in February to show three documentari films highlighting essential discussions concerning music and Islam.
Salman Ahmad will show 'The Rock Star and the Mullahs' and take part in discussions at two film festivals in Copenhagen and Malmö – the twin cities in two countries connected by a bridge.
 In Malmö
In the Swedish town Malmö, Salman and Simon will take part in the Music Doc Festival on 9 February. It is a new independent film festival focusing on high quality music documentaries from all over the world.
In a unique showcase the festival will present three remarkable music documentaries on music & Islam: 'The Rock Star and the Mullahs' and two documentaries by Simon Broughton: 'Sufi Soul' and 'Breaking the Silence'. The screening of these three unique films is a result of a collaboration between Freemuse and the Music Doc Festival.
One of the themes of the festival is “music and religion”, and Simon Broughton and Salman Ahmad will take part in a discussion following the showing of 'Rock Star...' and 'Sufi Soul'. The discussion will be conducted by Jonas Otterbäck, PhD Islamic Studies.
As Muslim extremists dominate the headlines, Salman Ahmad in 'Rock Star...' and historian William Dalrymple in 'Sufi Soul', explore an altogether different side of Islam – the mystical and musical side of the religion.
Where Salman Ahmad in 'Rock Star...' confronts conservative Mullahs in Pakistan's North West Frontier and their ban on music, Simon Broughton's 'Breaking the Silence' was filmed in 2002 just a few weeks after the fall of the Taliban in Kabul in Afghanistan. The Taliban's prohibition of music was the most severe ever imposed, and this documentary charts the return of music and the way music has been caught in the crossfire of 25 years of fighting in Afghanistan.
• 'Sufi Soul' + 'The Rock Star & The Mullahs' + Seminar
Location: Malmö, Victoria Teatern - 9 February at 19:00
• 'Sufi Soul' + short presentation + questions and discussion with the audience
Location: Lund, Kino - 10 February at 17.00
In Copenhagen
Salman Ahmad will attend and and meet the audience when Copenhagen’s most prestigious movie theatre, The Grand, will make a special showcase of 'Rock Star and the Mullahs' on Saturday 10 February.
The showcase will also mark the beginning of Denmark’s acclaimed film festival Salaam.dk, which focus on quality films from all over the world. The film will be shown again on 1 March in connection with a Freemuse debate event about how Danish-Muslim musicians relate to the music prohibtion issues in Islam.
• 'The Rock Star & The Mullahs' + discussion with Salman Ahmad
Location: Copenhagen, Grand Teatret - 10 February at 22.30. Tickets: DKK 70.00.
Tickets on-line
• 'The Rock Star & The Mullahs' + Seminar
Location: Copenhagen, Gloria Biograf - 1 March at 21.15. Tickets: DKK 70.00.
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See video interview
with Salman Ahmad about music prohibition among Islamists, and about music censorship in Pakistan.
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Sources
Official site of the Malmö film festival Music Doc:
www.musicdoc.se
Official site of the Copenhagen film festival Salaam.dk:
www.salaam.dk
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| Related reading |
| Book by Salman Ahmad: 'Rock & Roll Jihad' |
| Rock star Salman Ahmad desribes his encounters with angry mullahs and oppressive dictators who wanted all music to be banned from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan |
| 10 February 2010 |
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| Salman Ahmad |
| Video interview with ex-Junoon member Salman Ahmad about music prohibition among Islamists, and about music censorship in Pakistan |
| 22 November 2005 |
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| Music & Islam - what's the big fuss? |
| In Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to attack musicians and music shops, but what is the position on music in Islam? |
| 10 February 2010 |
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| Iraq: Violence against singers continues |
| In Iraq, the clerics have conflicting opinions about music prohibition, writes Wisam Tahir from Nasiriya in an article published in The Herald Scotland |
| 09 December 2009 |
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| Pakistan: Lahore feels under siege |
| Pakistan's performing artists face deadly occupational hazards. Lahore's music festival, and theatres across the city are bombed in co-ordinated overnight raids |
| 31 July 2009 |
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