TUBOM, I do hear what you are saying. I read that comment of yours exactly as I was wondering what the fashionable liberal reaction to a punk band singing “Hindutva in the USA” would be. I would like to think it would be …ummm…. less charitably received.

I certainly wish the band well. I found their Pakistan tour interesting but somewhat self-defeating. The fact is that South Asian society – whether India, Pakistan or Bangladesh – has had its own homegrown subversive culture since forever. For instance, we don’t have a gay underground, we have the Hijra tradition instead. We don’t have pothead hippies, we have babas and holy men. And so on.

In such a milieu perhaps they could have found a culturally appropriate way to communicate their message instead of donning T-shirts and playing guitars. Doing that is only going to get them upperclass Westernised followers, not hardy sons of the working class soil.

Amardeep, the difference was that MIA had / has talent, originality and swagger.

The dkennedys aren’t being ironic, rather godwinish hyperbolic. They’re intentionally conflating reagan with hitler. these guys are instead putting themselves in the shoes of the islamist, not their target (bush). its more like a punk protesting the bombing of dresden by taking on the persona of an auschwitz guard. creepy, no?

the kominas strike me as the bonzo in “bonzo goes to bitburg”

But as a Hindu who is into the hardcore straight-edge punk scene, I like what these guys are doing. Keep it up! For the naysayers, its really difficult to judge a band (especially a punk band) by seeing a few Youtube clips. You have to experience it live. I’ve heard of the Kominas before, but haven’t had a chance to check them out. I look forward to seeing them when they pass through the Midwest.

If you watch the video and listen, they ARE criticising Islam, and they got criticised and blacklisted in some Pakistani town for it.

Watch the vid.

Word. Plus, isn’t at least one member of Kominas an avowed ATHEIST? And the others don’t even practice Islam? One mentioned interest in “sufism” and other “spiritual” stuff.

I doubt most mainstream Sunnis or Shias would approve.

I mean, you saw what the organizer of ISNA was saying. She was upset coz a FEMALE was onstage performing. Tsk Tsk.

Taqwacore does not rep Islam and we all know it.

Salam.

The Clash and Sex Pistols both criticized capitalism, the UK, the monarchy, racism, ex-girlfriends, Christianity, etc. These two bands were quite representative of the UK, btw.

Amardeep, it ultimately comes to down to likability. bands have to be listenable(of course that is subjective), likable members, and should have some genuine sense of music. these guys don’t fit the bill in my opinion -

I’ll ban you both if you don’t quit it. I haven’t even bothered to read the banter, it’s so convoluted. Be punk rock and take it offline and outside.

Back to the regularly scheduled comments about The Kominas Summer 2009 Tour.