My history with the BDS and its derivatives is well-known: I hate them. I believe they are delusional hypocrites who think they’re doing something good and would love to cause some fuss while wearing a kaffiyeh. We’ve all had to suffer their childish demonstrations and obstructions of various events, whether it be for their cause or somehow perceived by them as against it. Their action against Armin only elaborated their naivety, inconsistency and self-contradictory and self-destructive tendencies.
I hate bands. I hate rock and roll, it nauseates and upsets me usually. A few bands though I can tolerate, one of which is of course the RHCP. If you remember, I was the first to break the news to all of you that they’re coming at the beginning of the year. In the lot of bands I hate is Mashrou3 Leila, to the point where I lost faith in one of my favorite local DJs for remixing one of their nursery-rhyme-gloomy tracks.
Personally, I think there might be several reasons for their turning down the chance to open for legends RHCP
Their Beliefs?
If they’re so staunchly anti-Israel, why accept in the first place when they knew (as I foretold as well) that the RHCP will be performing in Israel? So, the only logical explanations are: either they are illiterate or completely out of touch with reality, or they suffered immense pressure from the BDS to force them to cancel a few days later. Both are of course equally horrible.
Publicity
Personally, I’m not really sold on the beliefs thing. Anyone with a brain and an ability to use it lucidly will definitely refrain from what they did for the pure sake of not contradicting yourself. How can you use a device whose chips are manufactured in Haifa, on a network founded by a “jew” (he’s an atheist btw, Zucky FTW!) as well as the myriad of other things that occur or pass by in Israel as well to boycott a band for merely performing in Israel?
Aren’t there normal people in Israel? Music fans like you and me? Does playing there mean RHCP are joining the IDF? No, it means they’re getting paid to do their job: entertain. Why should they be pressured into discriminating between fans? Why must we drag them into our conflicts and force them to share the Arab world’s desperate attempt to justify defeat after defeat when it comes to peacefully resolving the conflict with Israel?
So, in my honest opinion (not based on any confirmed facts) is that Mashrou3 Leila got a massive boost with this stunt amongst hardcore, left-leaning, Younis-loitering, long-bearded, armchair activists. Dozens of bands will get to open for RHCP and no one will really remember that but the bands themselves on their future events and musical pedigrees. BUT, a band refusing to open for RHCP is a rarity, and one which would earn them notoriety as douchebags with free-thinking folks and hero-status with our more ideologically-driven friends.
My Two Cents
See you all tonite! My joy of seeing them live grew exponentially when I heard about the Mashrou3 Leila Mashrou3 Habal. I’m glad they’re not performing, they spared my ears a lot of minutes of stoned-nursery-rhyme-hipster-babble I could’ve done very well without! I’m also glad that my going, and the going of so many, including members of the BDS who just couldn’t betray their own intelligence anymore, will be a nice, backhanded slap in the face for most of Cafe Younis’ and Gitanes’ customers! I think it was a disgrace to include such a nouveau-riche band with established acts like RHCP. I’m certain there must be a better band or two here in Lebanon, you know, with less-emo themes and music and happier, more lively acts befitting of the energetic Chili Ps.
Glad someone else is really glad they cancelled
(because had they not i would have had timing issues trying to miss them and catch rhcp)
Well Said Gino!
Just another bunch of rich, spoiled, wannabe singers/band, and most importantly posers! Glad they cancelled, whatever the reason is.
tsk tsk… radical as usual
I <3 Mashrou3 Leila (for the music, not the stunt)
In other words, being against BDS implies that you are with continuing the current state of affairs of gradual normalization with Israel on all levels.
In ancient (and not too ancient) history it was normal for a group of people to attack another group, kill as much as possible, plunder and take over their land and rape their women… It was normal by ancient history’s standards – today we call that barbarism.
I for one don’t want to be part of a wave of normalization with modern day (and who knows, more in the future) barbarism.
BDS is, among many things, about making a point against barbarism (today it is against the state of Israel, but can be generalized to other barbaric states or groups) using a civilized method, that of bringing awareness to as much people as possible in the least violent way possible.
Cheers
p.s. And I am not a left’ist or a right’ist – I just stick to good universal morals.
agreed. but how about boycotting barbarism in lebanon first? how many of these same hipsters worried about BDS for RHCP went to see madonna in abu dhabi knowing well not only that she would perform in israel but also that she visits often and is rather supportive?
I really want to agree with you, but I do not see the connection. At all. The concert was awesome, and I saw some of the BDS’s biggest names down there in the crowd with me… Photo documented too =P
What is BDS?
Boycott Divest and Sanction
Hey Gino (hal ad bit7ib tghannij 7alak?). If you support freedom of speech, as you claim, then you should respect mashrou3 Leila’s decision to cancel their show. Just because you don’t share the same political views or same passion for the Palestinian cause, it doesn’t mean they’re stupid or wrong.
So cut the crap and let be.
Freedom of speech isn’t only what you want to to say =) Just like the BDS and Mashrou3 Leila have every right to say what they want, so do I.