Sometimes peaceful change happens in the
most unlikely ways, fostered by the most unlikely people. In the past
few years, while Israel’s relationship with the Arab and Muslim world
has drastically deteriorated, Orphaned Land, Israel’s biggest heavy
metal band, has been uniting thousands of Jews and Muslims across the
Middle East.
These fans come from Turkey, Syria, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Dubai, Yemen and Israel.
Orphaned Land has been able to achieve this through their music (which
fuses traditional Middle Eastern sounds and instruments with Western
Heavy metal), vision of coexistence, collaborations with Arab and Muslim
artists, and a vigorous and active community of fans.
While not overtly political, Orphaned Land are nevertheless proud of
creating a reality of coexistence that has escaped politicians and
peacemakers alike. They often speak of the power of music to turn
purported enemies into friends; frequently pay homage and encourage
collaborations with Arab and Muslim artists; and have made their latest
album free to download for anyone in a number of Middle Eastern and
North African countries.
Their endeavors to transform the region’s conflicts have not gone unnoticed.
• Reciprocating the band’s courageous efforts to cross religious and
national boundaries, Divan, an Iranian rock magazine, featured Orphaned
Land on their cover in an eight-page spread.
• In 2010, the band was awarded a peace prize by Istanbul Commerce
University for their contribution to the friendship between Muslims and
Jews in the Middle East.
• In February 2012, in a five-city tour of Turkey (in which proceeds
from the Istanbul concert went to the victims of the Van earthquake),
Orphaned Land was given The Friendship and Peace Award from Dr. Huseyin
Tugcu, official advisor to Prime Minster Erdogan.
• In September 2012, Orphaned Land was bestowed another Peace and
Friendship award by Bulent Tanik, Mayor of Cankaya (the main district of
the capital Ankara).
Again, it should be emphasized that this all happening during a period
in which relations between Israel and the Muslim world are at an
all-time low. Orphaned Land has produced a social force that pushes
against the direction of conflict, while at the same time creating space
for the type of peaceful relations that are still possible within the
region.
To nominate them for 2013 Nobel Peace Prize is therefore to make a bold
statement: violent conflict is not the destiny of the region.
Please sign this petition if you agree that Norwegian Nobel Committee
needs to seriously consider Orphaned Land as a nominee to the 2013 Nobel
Peace prize.
To get to the petition, click
HERE
