IRON SHEIK
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Iron Sheik's BIO Using hip-hop as his medium, the Iron Sheik relays informed views on the Palestinian movement for independence, the war on terrorism, US foreign policy in general, the Arab world, and growing up Arab-American. Since releasing his first album, 'Camel Clutch 2003,' he has toured nationally, and performed internationally. Musically, the Sheik often draws on Arabic music, such as the legendary Um Kulthoum, Fairuz, Marcel Khalife, Abdel-Halim, and more. Intellectually, he draws inspiration from thinkers such as Edward Said, Ilan Pappe, Walid Khalidi, Hannah Arendt, and many others. He was a featured performer at the national American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Convention in 2003, the Palestinian-American Women's Association banquet in March, 2004, and at Awal Rabie (first Spring) put on by Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy in Cairo, Egypt. The Sheik performed at Native American reservations, inner city schools, and community centers, among other places. Media as diverse as the Berkeley-based radio station KPFA, Egypt's Nile TV, the web-zine Muslim WakeUp, Wayne State University's South End Press, and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Jerusalem Report, and the New York Times have covered the Sheik's work. Iron Sheik's next album, 'Yet We Remain,' is expected for release in September, 2004. The Iron Sheik's music has been and will be featured in documentarties and films. Olive Trees made it into a Japanese documentary called "Visiting Palestine Under Occupation - Refugee Problem." It was produced by the Palestine Forum, based in Osaka, Japan. The Tale of 3 Mohammads was inspired by a film of that title by Nasri Zacharia, who is working on a music video for it currently. About Baghdad, from the upcoming album, was inspired by a documentary by that name, as well.
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Q: Do you support
terrorism? A: No. Violence against innocent civilians is morally wrong, even if for liberation or security. Terrorism is a disgusting reality of modern conflict. Armies terrorize civilian populations, however, to a greater extent than do non-governmental groups. When discussing terrorism, we must recognize that the extent of coercion and fear inflicted by states far exceeds the capacity of non-state groups. Ask a suicide bomber if he would rather have a tank or a fighter plane. How is it that the US-led UN sanctions on Iraq killed at least hundreds of thousands of Iraqis during the 1990s (and the effects reachuntil today), but no one considers that terrorism? |
JUST TRYING TO GET HOME
This song is based on
a true story: Eyad L. tried to
make his way to Palestine, and Israel denied him
entrance for no good reason. They don't want us to
go home...
JFK New York to Ben-Gurion in Tel-Aviv
Taking off soon so I better leave
back to see the fam
and the land that formed who I am
I get to the ticket stand
show them my passport
"thank you ma'am"
I take my bag in hand to scram
when she says:
"Excuse me Mr. Youman, we need to search you and
make sure you are not a dangerous man."
I think to myself "damn, I'm not even there and their
acting Tyrannical, treating me as I were less than an
Animal"
They're the ones who stole our sun
yet they're treating me with suspicion
I follow them into a room
They better hurry up cuz my flight leaves real soon
they open my bag in front of me
and pull out my boxers, which they think are funny
They ask one million questions about ever item
at first I'm patient, but now I just want to fight em'
"I got my underwear at K-Mart"
Why do you want me and my fam to apart?
It's bad enough they took our days and nights
for God's sake, though, let me on to this flight
CHORUS:
Get out my way, leave me alone
who the hell are you to keep me from my home?
Mind your own business, get out my face
and stop acting like God gave you the place!
They Made me miss flight 241
I had to catch the next one
with a stopover in London
this one was so cool I couldn't believe
the pilot saw me and played my CD
this flight was so unique
all the girls yelled "we love you Iron Sheik"
I sat next to a geek and he didn't even try to speak to me
a record company CEO gave his first class seat to me
He shook his head to the beat
massaged my feet
A stewardess in a bikini came to me
with a bottle of bubbily
I lifted my glass but she poured it on my FACE
I suddenly woke up, I was in a much different place
It was dark and damp
I was being yelled at like I was in boot camp
standing next to me was Israeli security
with a bucket of water dripping on me
I was laying on the floor of someplace I never been
before
My watch read four, someone else walked through the
door
"What am I being held for?"
"We cannot tell you"
"I want out now, what can I do?"
He said, we have to wait for Israeli intelligence
"Nonsense, we'll be here forever cuz
your ignorance is so intense"
They moved me to another cell
my own personal Israeli hell
the window was small and the bars were thicker
"Welcome to Israel, they said with a snicker."
CHORUS
One day passed, no water or food
I banged on the door
"You're gonna get sued"
for the next 20 minutes
I used the door as the drum
trying to get the attention of someone
one second later, a soldier appeared
she was like 5 feet tall and had elf-like ears
She let me call the American consulate
In less than a minute
they basically told me to eat shit
I'm a Palestinian, a US citizen
Israel's America's best friend
this relationship has to end
I said our taxes paid for this damn prison
"let me out now or I'll resort to terrorism"
I'm just here to see my family
this is silly, stupid, and extraordinary
we give them billions of dollars a year in aid
at least they could feed me crackers and kool aid
They're starving me and doing me wrong
Because I went to a protest
and wrote the Olive Trees Song
I thought Israel was a great democracy
but it won't even let me see my family
the next day they sent me back to my second home
but my spirit stayed and it flies in the stones
each burning tire carries the fire
of my love for the land and my deep desire
to return to the land of my ancestors
They can't stop me.