Balancing Jihad and PR
Salman Ahmad has a knack for self-promotion. A few years back, Newsline received what seemed like weekly emails from him promoting his latest endeavours in music and global understanding; some were even op-ed-style pieces that he presumably sent to multiple news outlets, hoping someone would bite.
And surely editors did. Salman Ahmad was a popular figure. Junoon meant so many things to so many people at its zenith in the late 1990s that he is remembered, by many, with fondness.
These days, after years of going beyond rock music to promote a moderate image of Islam and encourage inter-faith dialogue, Ahmad is, again, everywhere in the media. With his autobiography, Rock & Roll Jihad, on bookstore shelves, he is busy giving interviews, attending meet-and-greet sessions and autographing his book.
And his book showcases his promotional flair. A short review of Ahmad’s book in Paste Magazine shows that his penchant for name dropping often rises to the surface and interferes with the story of his advertised mission of peace and understanding:
“With a cast and crew of multiethnic characters and influences including pop icons such as Bono, professional athletes and national leaders, his writing at times seems like lists of trivia.”
Though Ahmad likes to toot his own horn (repeatedly) and even embellish the melody a bit, it doesn’t mean Ahmad’s promotion is 100% of the shameless variety: being publicity-hungry doesn’t mean that his efforts are not noble. Sure he’s got a book to sell, but that’s just part of the business for all authors. He’s also been diligently plugging away on projects devoted to bridging cross-cultural gaps for years, and his commitment seems to endure. (Besides, despite how Ahmad likes to represent things, Junoon and Ahmad are not on the same level as U2 and Bono, and so he does need to talk a bit louder).
And it seems like he is making new fans outside the South Asian community. Since the January 12 launch of his book in North America, his numerous radio and television interviews have generated great interest and cheers from listeners. Listen to the American callers and read the comments from this NPR interview on January 15. Many of the clearly non-Muslim participants (besides being inspired) were, quite simply, surprised by his story of a moderate majority in the Muslim world who like things such as music and, heck, even peace. And those were presumably well-informed public-radio listeners.
On CBC radio in Canada, Jian Ghomeshi, the host of a super-popular arts and culture programme, gushed over Ahmad, even calling him prophetic when Ahmad simply described the reality of air travel today. Besides being a genuine, articulate and hopeful (including self-appointed) spokesperson for moderate Muslims and peaceful Islam, Ahmad is winning over the North American public with interesting stories too. “You certainly don’t fit in when you first arrive,” says the CBC’s Ghomeshi in a radio interview on January 14, when talking about Ahmad’s arrival in the US as pre-pubescent Pakistani boy. “But you very quickly find your way in to becoming an American-Pakistani. How did that happen for you?”
“Rock n Roll,” says Ahmad. He then provides the detail of his story, which involves references to Forest Gump, Danny Spitz of Anthrax, and Led Zeppelin. It’s a perfect American answer: it shows off his westernness and a certain level of cool. Hear a three-minute clip here (see below for a link to the full interview):
Other stories will win even more uninitiated fans. In the first chapter of the book, he describes his first dalliances with live rock ‘n roll in Pakistan and in doing so he ballyhoos his innate rock sensibilities by writing that even when being attacked on stage he was thinking about showmanship and Pete Townshend.
“He tore the Les Paul from my hands, and with a fury unlike any I had ever seen, proceeded to bash it on the green marble floor, wrecking it beyond repair.”
“I could not believe what I was seeing. Shocking as this act of wanton violence was, my first thought was that if anybody was going to smash my guitar it should’ve been me. Not these show-stealing thugs!”
If the early reception from his media rounds is any indication (he even won airtime on CNN), his book probably will do decent business. But until he makes it on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, his book tour won’t be considered as successful as Musharraf’s was in 2006. And the latter did it while taking care of official state business. Heck, the ex-general/ex-president even secured a book endorsement from then US president, George W. Bush.
Some links to info referenced in the post:
Read Newsline’s review of Rock & Roll Jihad by Salman Ahmad.
