Super texte d'un de mes héros, Alex Skolnick
Citation:
Woke up in paradise (Recife Brazil), but can't stop thinking of Paris.
Still baffled. It feels like a bad dream and one can only imagine how true that must be for those who were there.
There is never any logic to attacks on innocent civilians, whether by organized militants, "lone wolf" suspects or governments. But the targeting of a hard rock concert is a world-changer. Eagles of Death Metal are a band who has never insulted Islam or its prophet (which would be no excuse for violence either way ) and whose fans are not symbolic of the West - if anything they are much closer to a counter-culture.
Had ISIS targeted a concert by a pop superstar, Justin Beiber for example - it would be no less tragic - but a motive, however horrendous, would be clear: a symbol of Western capitalism (tabloid celebrity, face of mega-selling products, fragrances as well as his hit singles etc...). Similarly, the Charlie Hebdo magazine's controversial cartoons provided a window into the twisted logic behind those shootings, which were no less justified (not that it's any consolation).
But this is makes no sense whatsoever.
The audience at a concert by EODM (or Testament for that matter) is united by something creative and uplifting - music - inclusive of all backgrounds (Islamic as well as any other) and representative of an independent mindedness separate from the mainstream, whether commercial, religious or political.
Targeting Paris as a city is even more illogical - a hotbed of multiculturalism, long considered to be the world music capital of the world. Two artists I've worked with at different times in my career are Israeli (Ishtar/Alabina) and Palestinian (Adnan Joubran of Trio Joubran) - both left their homelands for Paris as a common home base and were able to thrive there. Paris has long been a place of tolerance (that's why so many of our great 20th century African-American jazz artists moved there).
Adding to the pain of events like this is watching many show their worst sides on social media: xenophobia, racism. Many attempt to use this tragedy - still unfolding and barely twenty-four hours old - as an excuse to tout an agenda, usually extremely right wing ("time to arm everyone, close all borders, impeach Obama, exterminate the Islams" blah blah blah). I mean, seriously?
In the coming weeks and month, there will many attempting to hijack our justifiable anger into supporting something unjust (much like the Iraq war after 9/11) to create a false sense of justice. Beware of those who take words out of context to suit their own arguments (as will no doubt happen with this post).
When you get a moment, watch this speech from Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator" which feels appropriate right about now:
Peace, Love et La Liberté
AS
