On Anti-Turkism, Part II
I'm sure you all know of Armenian-American group System of a Down. They are extremely popular. A year or so ago I stopped listening to them because a website, anti-soad.org, pointed out the blatant anti-Turkism in their song lyrics and poster art. I used to be a fairly big fan of their music, but after reading the lyrics of "Holy Mountain," there was no way I could ever listen to them again. There is no way I could listen to a group of people who called me and all my people a liar, killer, demon, murder, and a sodomozer, who had no honor.
Here is one excerpt from the song:
Back to the River Aras!
Someone's blank stare deemed it Warfare.
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back to the River Aras!
Then later in the song:
They have returned resting on the mountain side
We have learned that you have no...
HONOR! MURDERER! SODOMIZER!
That's just the begining. The posters for their Souls benefit concerts (one annually from 2004-2006) were blatantly racist, attempting to show Turks as barbarians. The concert did not benefit any worthwhile charities, instead the money went to Armenian propaganda efforts, including trying to get legislation passed in the US Congress to recognize the so-called genocide. Here is a nice video which points out System of a Down racism.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to access anti-soad.org recently, so I fear that the site may done with. However, I hope to carry their message here to some. If you are a Turk, or are just plain against racism, don't support them. If you hear them on the radio, change the station. If your friend begins to play them in his/her car, respectfully ask them to play something else. That is what I do. As much as I used to like thier music, I just wouldn't have a clear conscious listening to people who probably want me dead even though they don't know me.
Here is one excerpt from the song:
Back to the River Aras!
Someone's blank stare deemed it Warfare.
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back to the River Aras!
Then later in the song:
They have returned resting on the mountain side
We have learned that you have no...
HONOR! MURDERER! SODOMIZER!
That's just the begining. The posters for their Souls benefit concerts (one annually from 2004-2006) were blatantly racist, attempting to show Turks as barbarians. The concert did not benefit any worthwhile charities, instead the money went to Armenian propaganda efforts, including trying to get legislation passed in the US Congress to recognize the so-called genocide. Here is a nice video which points out System of a Down racism.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to access anti-soad.org recently, so I fear that the site may done with. However, I hope to carry their message here to some. If you are a Turk, or are just plain against racism, don't support them. If you hear them on the radio, change the station. If your friend begins to play them in his/her car, respectfully ask them to play something else. That is what I do. As much as I used to like thier music, I just wouldn't have a clear conscious listening to people who probably want me dead even though they don't know me.
posted by Semih Aydin at 10:50 AM
10 Comments:
Pointing out the Truth is not racism. Jews remember the victims of the Nazi Holocust every year. They talk about it all the time. Is that racism? Every year, Americans remember Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Is that racism? Just because you don't like the message, doesn't mean it's wrong.
Wake up, Turks!! Your government has been keeping your eyes closed and ears covered for 90 years. Now, with the availability of the Internet and Media, you don't have to buy their garbage anymore. Do you think that Europe will EVER allow a country who hasn't faced it's dark past in? Follow Germany's lead.
Lets get past the fact that many historians dispute the so called genocide for a second. Pointing out the so called genocide is not what I charged them with racism for in my post. I charged them with racism for their lyrics in which they labeled the entirety of the Turkish people as murderers, sodomizer, liars, demons etc. Then they have posters which make Turks out to be barbarians. In fact, those posters use the same type of imagery that anti-Ottoman propaganda during WWI used (around that time propaganda in general was racist, look at the anti-German propaganda from the same war). And the cherry on top is the defacement of the Turkish flag on their website as seen in their video. This isn't like remembering the Holocaust or Pearl Harbor. Its like labeling all Germans as saurkraut-eating, Jew-murdering, Nazi bastards or labeling all Japanese as slant-eyed, shifty, war-mongerers for their parts in the said events.
Also, I have read much on the internet about the so called genocide, from both perspectives. I still don't believe that what happened was a genocide. Have you actually researched any of it? Check out tallarmeniantale.com, and maybe you'll learn something you hadn't heard before.
Jonathan: The EU can go pound salt as far as I'm concerned.
As for the Turkish band idea, I'm all for it. I play bass guitar myself. In fact, I've always wanted to form an all Turkish band. Maybe adapt some of my favorite Turkish folk songs into English and cover them. But, unfortunatley, I don't have many Turkish friends here in the States and even fewer that play instruments.
I should probably leave music to the musicians and singing to the vocalists.. The most important part of such an idea is writing good songs and music, and I'm no good for that either. I'd rather just be the guy collecting empty beer bottles at the end of every show.
Speaking of music, I recently discovered that Jared Leto, the lead vocalist for "30 Seconds to Mars" (and star of the movie "Alexander") lent his voice to the movie "Armenian Genocide", where Taner Akcam and Dr Fatma Gocek also took part (not to mention Natalie Portman) It really took the wind out of my sails because I was really liking the sound of their album. I may blog about this next..
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
yes,
You're the reason why I no longer allow any comments to be posted on my blog.
You're too immature, not to mention a racist, to hold an intelligent conversation/dialogue.
You must make your people proud.
Yes!
You are thinking of using my holy flag as toilet paper, right? You are thinking of using my friend's photo as toilet paper!! Your grand grand parents thought the same way. If you are so willing to hear; "I am PROUD that your grand grand parents were used as more than toilet paper by Turks. ;)"
aydin, your blog post about SOAD confirms their very point. You are a liar and have no honour, because your nation killed 1.5 mio Armenians and you are busy twisting history telling the world that "an alternative version of the story exists". The alternative version being the Turkish version, right? Do you think France, Argentina, Russia, etc would recognize the Armenian genocide if there was a shade of doubt about the facts? Face it. We Armenians have to face that you have done away with 1.5 of our kin. You have to face that you are a liar. And a coward. What happened has a price for both of us. For us, the loss is in life and land. For you, the loss is in honour (of which your nation never had much to start with). Don't hide from the truth 'cause you can't.
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