Yemen: Tackling the roots of terrorism through hip-hop
| Sanaa, Yemen
鈥 local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
Turbaned men dancing with daggers and rappers donning New York Yankees caps may not seem to have anything in common, but in Yemen this combination sent a packed theater of more than 500 Yemeni youth into a boisterous frenzy.听
On Nov. 17, a sold-out show at the Yemeni Culture House in the nation鈥檚 capital, Sanaa, fused elements of hip-hop culture such as break dancing with traditional Yemeni music, and doubled as a campaign to promote peace and national unity in this desperately poor country that is being torn apart by different domestic insurgencies 鈥� as well as touted as a new base for Al Qaeda.听
In Yemen鈥檚 staunchly traditional society, the main activities for young people are chewing khat, a mild narcotic, or going to mosques. Events like last week鈥檚 show hope to promote hip-hop culture as a healthy alternative and keep youths from being swept up into extremist ideas, say event organizers.听
鈥淸In Yemen] you have people who are trying to gain support among the youth for every sort of cause: Al Qaeda, Salafis.鈥� We have to win the hearts and minds of the kids,鈥� said one of the event organizers who wishes to remain anonymous because of his close ties with the Yemeni government.听
鈥淵emen is hungry for hip-hop. When I first came here in 2003 you couldn鈥檛 find a rapper or a break dancer,鈥� said Hagage Masaed, an American of Yemeni descent and self-described 鈥�Snoop Dogg鈥� of Yemen who has been a centerpiece of hip-hop鈥檚 growth in the country.听
鈥淎ll the problems youth are facing in Yemen 鈥� there鈥檚 no work 鈥� this a way for them to release. It鈥檚 an outlet,鈥� he said before the start of the show.听
Indeed, when Mr. Masaed came onstage rapping, with lyrics such as 鈥渙ne Yemen united鈥� and 鈥渘o terrorism please,鈥� the crowd went wild.听
鈥淚 hope in the future hip-hop grows more in Yemen,鈥� said Yunis Shuilah, a rapper who likes to go by the nickname 鈥淧ro Boy,鈥� after the show. 鈥淭he music and the dance are the best for the guys. We are free when we do hip-hop.鈥澛�
