"The Hijab Is No Obstacle to My Artistic Career"
When did and how did you start your career?
Sahira: My first album appeared in 2005 and was entitled "Frei Schnauze" ("Say What You Want"). I produced it from my personal funds and with some help from my mother, but it sold remarkably well. Right now I am negotiating with German record companies and labels to fund my new album. It will contain songs on love, the homeland and personal ambition. My message to young boys and girls is that it is okay to make mistakes and that they should not be embarrassed by because of them, but try to learn from them.
The new album features a song on Palestine which I sing in Arabic. In it I ask till when will the current situation remain the way it is! Of course, the search for a company that would sponsor and produce my albums or even the video clip is very difficult. It is not easy for anyone to take this gamble: a German Muslim with a hijab who sings about Palestine.
What was the reaction of your audience when you started wearing the hijab on stage? How long, in your opinion, would the tolerance of a German audience to the hijab last?
Sahira: The situation is difficult on the German street; everyone notices any woman wearing the hijab and it is hard to find employment, but I can cope with that kind of situation. With regard to my performance in a hijab – I did not encounter any difficulties on the part of Germans. They love culture and are eager to see new faces and appreciate, very much, anyone offering them beautiful art. So my hijab posed no obstacle in that regard.
I started wearing the headscarf after the events of September 11. Before then I did not know much about Islam beyond uttering the credence of faith, prayer and fasting. In the past I used to perform concerts where the audience just danced, not really listening to the lyrics. Now, I feel the value of the lyrics and I have become more picky about the gigs that I agree to.
My performances have actually increased since I have worn the hijab. Often these gigs are events like marriage, graduation, birthdays and such – often they are gatherings where no alcoholic beverages are served because I want the audience to pay attention to the lyrics. I choose my gigs now but I am not rigid in the sense that I do not put a condition like banning alcohol. I would much prefer when the audience listens and is aware of the message I am sending through my art.
Give us some detail on the topics that your songs are about.
Sahira: I sing about love and romance and how pure love is a kind of striving or jihad. It is easy in Germany to meet someone, fall in love and then leave them. No one cares and maybe that happens in Arab countries as well. So the love I sing about is really a type of striving and I want young boys and girls not to be afraid of it, or of Allah if they commit mistakes, we must never forget that Allah loves us and has mercy and this is what my songs are about.
What are the artistic characteristics that set you apart from others?
Sahira: I talk about what is in my heart and I do not act out a "role". I consider art a form of thought as well as a message. My aim is not solely entertainment; I want my audience to be conscious and to think. My heart and my emotions are Palestinian and my mind is German. I express what is on my mind without fear or shame, very much unlike most Arabs who are usually afraid of all kind of traditions that tell you what is wrong and forbidden.
I also sing about the situation of Arabs and Muslims in Germany, I sing about mothers and fathers who are raising children in this society and fear for them. There are families who do not speak German and live in total isolation from the society at large.
What I see is that as Arabs and as Muslims we give customs a priority over Islam and we raise our children according to a personal image. That is why in my songs I try to encourage teenagers to go out and discover life for themselves while at the same time maintaining and valuing respect for their parents.
Moderation is key here because that is what our religion is about. It is not important to just go to the mosque five times a day – we also need to think for ourselves, and we need to live life in a natural way.
Do you see music as a bridge between East and West?
Sahira: Of course, I am invited to many discussions and forums sponsored by organizations and political parties to engage in a dialogue about the role of music as a means of authentic communication between East and West and where we discuss many issues relating to Islam.
Germans want to know us more and they are confused by the experiences they have made so far, and that is actually quite understandable since we Arabs and Muslims are not easy to understand. So I try engage with Germans in a constructive way.
Tell us about your son and how it is like raising him on your own?
Sahira: My son Selim is seven years old and his father is an American Muslim and we have been separated for a few years now. I have raised my son not to know anything called hell in Islam but I tell him that he must love Allah and try to pray and fast gradually without forcing him.
Interview conducted by Nelly Youssef
© Qantara.de 2007
Translated from the Arabic by Mona Zaki
Qantara.de
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