By Madanjeet Singh

“Music has no religion – like  water, air and fire – and it connects the world, rather than divide,”  declared Salman Ahmad, founder of the Sufi-rock band of Pakistani musicians.  He denounced the culture of intolerance and asserted that his music has been  enriched because he worked with renowned musicians throughout the world. A  devotee of the Islamic mystical tradition of Sufism, Salman believes in  humanity’s oneness with the divine, and has furthered that vision in his  lyrics by making the Junoon band a voice for peace and international  understanding. Like the Sufi music patronized by Khwaja Moinuddin Chist who  founded the Chistiyya order in Ajmer, Junoon invokes the necessary  ideological support to Salman’s musical mission to bring about emotional  integration of the people worldwide.

Chisti’s teachings emphasized  tolerance and respect for religious differences. He interpreted religions  and customs in terms of human service and exhorted his disciples “to develop  river-like generosity, sun-like affection and earth-like  hospitality.”

Salman Ahmad does not subscribe  to the notion of  “art for art’s sake.” The Junoon group  recently performed at the prestigious Nobel Ceremony in Oslo, in honour of  the laureates of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore, former US Vice  President and Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN international climate  panel. The acoustic Sufi music concert was dedicated to the lawyer’s  movement in Pakistan, the restoration of the Supreme Court judges, and the  independence of the judiciary. It was yet another landmark in support of  Pakistan’s civil society, media, students, and rights activists who have  heroically protested against the government’s illegal action in imposing  emergency in Pakistan. Like the western rock stars, Sting, George Clooney,  Brad Pitt, Bono, and Bob Geldof, among others, who are supporting worthy  campaigns – against poverty, disease, vanishing rainforests – Junoon music  is an antidote against religious extremism and terrorism. Salman Ahmad was  designated a UN Special Representative for HIV Aids.

Junoon’s collaborative concerts  include a piece composed by Yoshikazu Fukumora for the Hong Kong  Philharmonic Orchestra, titled ‘Tribute to Hong Kong’; and duets with  guitarist Charley Byrd, violinist Igor Frolov, soprano Glenda Simpson,  guitarist Barry Mason, and cellist Matthew Barley. He has been a Visiting  Professor at the universities of Yorkshire, Washington, North Eastern, and  New Mexico.

Junoon imparts a thrilling  passion to its live performances, combining a blend of powerful arena rock  with the spiritual tranquility of Sufi poetry. Founded in 1990 by  guitarist-songwriter-medical doctor Salman Ahmad, the band took both  Pakistan and India by storm in 1998 with the hit single ‘Sayonee’. It was a  part of the band’s tremendously successful fourth studio album ‘Azadi’  (Freedom). The band’s hybrid Sufi music is blended with some of the world’s  most innovative rock’n’ roll tunes and carries a powerful message of peace  and tolerance by sharing stages with bands such as Oasis and Pearl Jam.

The deepest of emotions are  invoked by language. The word junoon means “obsessive, passion” in  Urdu, an Indian language born between the Ganges and Jamuna Rivers near  Delhi.

By Asma Hasan The apparent smear of being labeled Muslim has re-surfaced again against Obama with the recent publication of a photo of him in an Islamic-looking Somali turban and robe. Taken during an official visit to Kenya in 2006, Obama’s business casual is draped in the white cloth worn by Somali nomads.