"Rock the Casabah", when a pacifist song became a weapon

Friday, 13th of November, Paris is under attack. A stadium, a café, and a venue are the targets of terrorists. The city of lights is touched in her heart and soul, she lost her lights for a night in a tribute to all the innocent victims. But the day after she is back on her feet ready to fight barbarian using what they hate the most: music, booze and love.

Rock The Casbah the iconic song by The Clash became an anthem to fight the terrorists, written when  Ayatollah Khomeini decided to ban rock music in Iran.

Even if the music doesn’t directly reference Iran in the lyrics, in the music video the representation of the Arab country is clear.

The music has been used in many ways since, especially by the US Force. In 1991, they wrote “Rock the Casbah” on the bombs they used to attack Iraq, which is ironic considering that the song is pacifist.

This time it is used as a much different weapon, a pacifist one, relating more to the song. A French journalist, Christine Vanhoenacker, dedicated the song to all the “children of rock”, and all we can do is agree with her.

No matter, what they did the best way to win is to keep rocking the Casbah. Keeping on living, loving and drinking. All of this in music, of course.

Noura x