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From a Reader:

A Shout-Out to the Rhymes of Resistance Concert

Editors’ note: We received this correspondence on the Rhymes of Resistance concert that took place in Helsinki, Finland, on August 31.

Poster for Rhymes of Resistance concert in Helsinki, Finland, August 31, 2024.

 

Poster for Rhymes of Resistance event, August 31, 2024, Helsinki, Finland.    Graphic: Rhymes of Resistance

Joy and anger, grief and shared community, sweet melodies and clashing rock riffs, with musical artists and speakers from Palestine, Finland, Iran, Afghanistan, U.S., Egypt, bringing together their music and passion in Helsinki, Finland. Initiated by Osyan/Revolt,1 this very internationalist event felt like a small piece of a better liberating future, where people from diverse artistic expressions across oceans, borders, languages and culture came together to forge a new unity. 

Shekib Mosadeq jumped off the stage to join the crowd dancing, as he sang a mix cover of a song, Jako, by Armenian-French duo Ladaniva. Video: Osyan, posted by Shekib Mosadeq

As an Instagram post (translated from Farsi) by @Maosyangarim and @RhymesofResistance summed up:

“Rhymes of Resistance” is the name of the live music concert that was held for Woman, Life, Freedom and Free Palestine last Saturday, August 31, at the initiative of Osyan with the cooperation of many other people and groups in Helsinki. In this concert, different singers and groups from all over the world were present in solidarity with Woman, Life, Freedom and Palestine: The Outernational band from America; Shekib Mosadeq from [Afghanistan, living in] Germany; Egyptian singer Ramy Essam; Mira Shatat, the Palestinian singer; and Finnish rapper Tuuliviiri... 

This completely volunteer-run and nonprofit program was open to the public and more than 300 people from various backgrounds participated in it. All of them aim to show that they stand by the various struggles of people from Iran to Palestine, from Congo to America, and no one is free unless we are all free.

With this program, the message to the fighting people of Iran was to stand against the genocide in Palestine and not to let the message of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising be kidnapped by pro-Israel Iranian fascists! The message to the Palestinian people was to stand by the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising and not allow the Islamic Republic kidnap the cause of Palestine! The Islamic Republic and Israel are both fascist and anti-human governments. Our fight should be against both and against the whole system that creates such regimes. Our struggle is the same all over the world and this voice was shouted in different languages from the mouths of the singers of “Rhymes of Resistance”. Amplify this sound!

Video by @maosyangarim on YouTube
Outernational singing at Rhymes of Resistance concert in Helsinki, Finland, August 31, 2024.

 

Members of revolutionary U.S. band Outernational on stage.    Photo: Rhymes of Resistance

Mira Shatat at Rhymes of Resistance concert in Helsinki, Finland, August 31, 2024.

 

Palestinian singer Mira Shatat    Photo: Rhymes of Resistance

Ramy Essam and Samuli Kivelä singing at Rhymes of Resistance, Helsinki, Finland, August 31, 2024.

 

Ramy Essam and Samuli Kivelä     Photo: Rhymes of Resistance

Rhymes of Resistance also posted:

Beside wonderful artists we had great speakers such as @gashawbibani @arezoariapoor @norasayyad @mozaffari.bahar and @burnthecage. The strong message of this event should spread everywhere! This was just a beginning of a movement we have to build in Finland and everywhere. This was just the beginning of a movement that does not support one part of humanity at the cost of dismissing another part of it. This movement should be consistent in its values, what is happening now shouldn’t happen to the people of Palestine, nor to people of Iran, Afghanistan, Europe or USA. This movement does not side with any oppressive regime because one of their policies seems to benefit us at this moment—without seeing how in general it is against the interest of humanity. We ask you to step forward and bring your ideas for organizing such events together with us. Write to Rhymes of Resistance page and let’s connect and let’s discuss the crucial things for the future of humanity, for solving environmental crisis, for stopping wars and genocide, for freeing all people from all kind of oppression and exploitation around the world. Free Palestine! Woman Life Freedom!

An audio message in Farsi from exiled Iranian rapper Justina in Sweden was played. She was not granted a visa to travel to Finland for the concert. “I really wanted to be there to perform live for you, for the people who understand my language, but what can I do? It seems I am… to look for a home until the end of life! I wish all of us can go back home one day and make these kinds of events for celebration, not in the memory of the lost ones.”

Outernational: Welcome to the Revolution!

Welcome to the Revolution by ¡OUTERNATIONAL!

 

Album poster    Graphic: ¡Outernational!

Wish you were there? The revolutionary rock band Outernational is playing two “Welcome to the Revolution” concerts this month: September 19 in NYC @lprnyc and September 28 in LA @theparamountla. This on the heels of their release of the “Welcome to the Revolution” album. Get tickets and find out how to listen to their music here: outernationalmusic.com/connect. Don’t miss it!

_______________

FOOTNOTES:

1. Osyan/Revolt is a group of Iranian and Afghan women who are the voice of women’s rebellion to express the determination, and to serve the struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Taliban. [back]

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