UNITED KINGDOM: Reaching number one in Pakistan, anti-terrorism song hopes to find similar success in the UK

Muslims living in the West have long complained of their unfair portrayal in the media but media consultant-turned-pop music producer Waseem Mahmood hopes to use the power of music to change's people's perceptions. "Yeh Hum Naheen" reached number one on Pakistan's pop charts in May 2007 and is now the anthem for many Muslims hoping to shed light on their religion to a global audience. Based in Birmingham, England, media consultant-turned-record producer Waseem Mahmood released the single in the United Kingdom on Monday (July 16) who said the song's inspiration came from his children. "They (his children) were very concerned the way Muslims were being portrayed so they said to me what's the point of being a media consultant if you can't get the message across to young Muslims and that's how the song came about," he said. The song features some of Pakistan's most well-known pop stars including Haroon, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar and Strings. Mahmood called on self-titled "The Greatest" i.e. Muhammad Ali to appear at the beginning of the music video but his health prevented him from participating. "Muhammad Ali, we approached him to actually record a message at the beginning of the song because there's nobody else more iconic than him in the Muslim world and he's so highly respected amongst young Muslims. Unfortunately he was too ill to do so so he just sent us a message praying for the success of the song and movement," said Mahmood. With the recent surge in fighting in Pakistan as well as the attack on Glasgow airport on June 30, Mahmood said the song's message of peace and temperance was more important now than ever before. "It just goes to prove the point that it's even more crucial now. Terrorism is murder and murder is harem (translation in English: 'forbidden') in our religion. This just, I hope, goes out to represent the majority and put even more value (in this song) than before. It just proves there's a need for it." The track was the first Pakistan song available at music store giants HMV and Virgin and is available in the UK and on the British version of iTunes.

ITN Source | July 20, 2007

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