Salman Ahmad plans Pakistan flood victims song

August 17, 2010

Salman Ahmad is penning a new song to raise funds for the country’s flood disaster. Salman & Samina Global Wellness Initiative (SSGWI) are producing an international song ‘Khwab‘ – the Urdu word for dream – which is due to be ready in a couple of weeks’ time and Salman hopes to record it with Pakistani and Western artists and video of the song will focus on the people of Pakistan’s resilient spirit and their yearning for relief from hardships.

He told the BBC it was important to let young Pakistanis know the world cared for them in their hour of need.

Salman, who has described his music as part of a cultural battle against Muslim extremism, said he was concerned that disillusioned young Pakistanis might turn to violence in the future.

This year has brought unprecedented challenges for the people of Pakistan. Urgent emergency relief is required in response to the devastating effects of floods which are ravaging life and property. Equally important to the Pakistan relief effort is the need to promote unity and solidarity. We saw a powerful example of unity and inspiration, last week, at the PAKPAC student conference at the Pakistan Embassy where Salman Ahmad performed and spoke to a room full of Pakistani teenagers about focusing their passions on social advocacy and positive careers.

SSGWI has reached out to major Pakistani stars to be a part of the music video. SSGWI hopes that a powerful music video will help create unity and galvanize support for Pakistan, both internationally and nationally. The music video project will also crucially promote pluralism, peace and global citizenship.

‘Urgent self-interest’

Speaking from New York, he told BBC World Service that he realised that people in the West were hesitant about helping, asking why they should care for a country associated with extremism.

“[But] there are 100 million-plus young people under the age of 25 who can go two possible ways into the future,” he said.

“They can follow their dreams or they can give in to the extremists and the Taliban who want them to go blow themselves up.

“If they feel that the world cares for them, you may change the destiny of Pakistan. Not only is it humane but it is urgent self-interest – this is a moment to win hearts and minds.”

Salman said his mother, his two sisters and his brother were all in Pakistan, and he was in contact with them by phone almost daily.

The flood disaster, they told him, had “eclipsed” the Pakistan’s conflict with militant groups.

Appealing for other artists to record with his band, Junoon, he urged his friends in India to join them and “come together for Pakistan”.

Salman has a huge following in Pakistan where, in the 1990s, his band were banned from performing after they took a stand against political corruption in a song called Accountability.

A Beatles fan inspired musically by Led Zeppelin, and spiritually by his Islamic faith, he sees his music as a cultural bridge between East and West.

Last year SSGWI produced the Concert For Pakistan ( www.ssgwi.org ) which brought together internationally known personalities (Sting, Outlandish, Junoon, Jeff Skoll, Bobby Sager, Naif-Al Mutawa, Deepak Chopra, Gavin Rossdale, and others) at the UN General Assembly Hall for the 3 million Pakistani IDPs in the SWAT valley. The concert was televised on major TV channels and was covered in the mainstream media as a unique and historic event which highlighted the needs of Pakistan to a global audience.