No to the warriors of jihad!
Yes to the warriors of love!
A constant theme in our planning is how to
promote a popular culture of liberty and tolerance in the Muslim
world, so as to influence the general public, and not just
an intellectual elite.
LibForAll's CEO (C. Holland Taylor, left) at an
award ceremony with
Abdul Munir Mulkhan of the Muhammadiyah (the world's second-largest
Muslim organization), Abdurrahman Wahid of the Nahdlatul Ulama
(the world's largest Muslim organization) and Ahmad Dhani (celebrity
singer, songwriter and leader of a band called Dewa—Indonesia’s
best-selling rock group for more than a decade). Munir,
Abdurrahman Wahid
and Dhani are all
Sufi Muslims, as is Dhani's spiritual mentor,
Faiz.
Contemporary mystics, Dhani and
Faiz deftly employ their knowledge of human psychology to discredit
religious extremism in the eyes of the public, in a form of
ideological jiu-jitsu. (Ahmad Dhani on the cover of the Indonesian
magazine, Syir'ah. The story is entitled: "The Sufi
Understanding Behind Dhani.")
Some of the music awards won by
Dewa over the past 12 years.
The words “Laskar Jihad” mean “The Warriors
of Jihad.” It’s also the name of a radical group responsible
for slaughtering thousands of Christians in the Indonesian
provinces of Maluku and Sulawesi in recent years, and for
having driven nearly half a million others from their homes.
Ahmad Dhani in his studio (left) in August of 2004, discussing the
lyrics of Dewa’s latest album (then being recorded) with
LibForAll CEO Holland
Taylor. The album was called Laskar Cinta, which means,
“Warriors of Love.”
Asked on national TV about the difference between Laskar
Jihad and Laskar Cinta, Dhani replied, "The first group spreads
hatred for one's fellow man, while the second spreads love for
all humanity. Any Indonesian who thinks healthily will agree
that what I'm saying is true."
Asked by a reporter why he had called his new album Laskar
Cinta,
Dhani replied, “To fill the emptiness of Laskar Jihad, and
spread the virus of [spiritual] love among the young generation.”
Since the album’s launch in November of 2004, the slogan has
spread throughout Indonesia: “No to the Warriors of Jihad, Yes
to the Warriors of Love!”
Laskar Cinta quickly rose to the top of the charts, as millions
of young Indonesians eagerly embraced its message of love,
peace and tolerance.
Not surprisingly, religious extremists—horrified to see their
indoctrination of young Muslims into the culture of jihad undermined
so effectively—have condemned Ahmad Dhani and publicly accused
him of heresy.
Inspired by Faiz—who conceived the original idea of Laskar
Cinta—the members of
Dewa have
deftly employed popular culture to disseminate a spiritual
and progressive interpretation of
Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Their songs continue the venerable Sufi tradition of worshipping
God through profound love poetry, set to contemporary music.
Like the
Diwan
of Hafez, their lyrics are open to multiple
interpretations—either as praise of the earthly beloved, or a
call of longing to the Divine.
The unique effectiveness of LibForAll’s "Musical Jihad"
program has been validated by renowned security experts and
international organizations, including the United Nations and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and has been featured in
numerous blue-chip international media outlets including
CNN,
the WallStreet Journal,
Rolling Stone,
Time, the
Washington Post,
the
Sydney Morning Herald and Serviammagazine.
The Prince of Love
Song: Ahmad Dhani
Lyrics: Ahmad Dhani, Faiz M.
Second after second, each following
the next… as the minutes fly past.
The days keep slipping by… month after month as well.
The constant cycle of age after age… This life, too, is bound
to end in death.
Time will annihilate everything on earth… but not my love
for You,
Because I'm the Divine Prince of Love.
Night after night yields to dawn… as morning turns to midday.
Passing years dissolve into the flow of centuries… all that
is young must grow old.
The seasons are constantly changing… This life, too, is bound
to end in death.
Nothing in this world is eternal… nothing everlasting…
Time will annihilate everything on earth… but not my love
for You,
Because I'm the Divine Prince of Love.
