MARCH 9 “THIS WEEK IN THE MUSIC OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE”

Famed Egyptian singer and composer Mohammed Abel Wahhab was born this week on March 13, 1907. Along with composing the national anthems of several Arabic countries, Wahhab’s music touched on political and social issues.

In 1949, Wahhab continued a tradition of musical resistance in Palestine with his song “Filastin.” The song argued that Arab nationalism had to support the liberation of Palestine. Just a year earlier, during the “Nakba,” hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs were forcibly displaced from their land after the creation of Israel.

To listen to more of Wahhab’s music, visit this. Also, check out this for a history of Palestinian musical resistance.