“Weapons Of Singing Destruction”

Arab music videos are sexy and alluring. But they’re also controversial in the Arab world. “This is a direct challenge to the forces of traditional Arab culture, which in many places remains an environment of constricted, traditional, and narrowly defined identities, often subsumed in group identities that hinge on differences with, and antagonism toward, other groups. Many Arab observers of these videos recognize the nature of that challenge, which is why one critic calls these videos ‘weapons of singing destruction’.”