LAMENT OF THE NEW HOLOCAUST - PINK FLOYD'S ROGER WALTERS
- Mark Playne
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Early sneak peek at 'Lament of the New Holocaust' with Roger Walters and Co...
Rock icon @rogerwaters and the incredibly talented Palestinian singer-songwriter @monamiari have joined forces to reimagine the Pink Floyd classic “Comfortably Numb” as a sort of anthem to Palestinian rights with new lyrics in English and Arabic. After watching the live debut the other night at an extraordinary event in NYC, I have no doubt this new version of a song originally released 47 years ago will touch millions and even billions of people. These two artists have created an absolutely powerhouse partnership.
Rock icon @rogerwaters and the incredibly talented Palestinian singer-songwriter @monamiari have joined forces to reimagine the Pink Floyd classic “Comfortably Numb” as a sort of anthem to Palestinian rights with new lyrics in English and Arabic. After watching the live debut the other night at an extraordinary event in NYC, I have no doubt this new version of a song originally released 47 years ago will touch millions and even billions of people. These two artists have created an absolutely powerhouse partnership.
Many of you know that Roger and I have known each other for years and that’s he’s steadfastly supported the landmark pollution case brought by Amazon communities against Chevron. His music is globally known, but I’ve been privileged to have seen his human rights activism in real time. In 2018 Roger came with me to Ecuador to meet Indigenous leaders and farmers who were the victims of Chevron’s mass toxic dumping. The way he hung out with the locals — listening attentively to their every word — is something I’ll never forget. I was deeply honoured to be asked by Roger to moderate a panel about the reimagined song that included renowned Palestinian leaders such as the novelist @susanabulhawa, the journalist and poet @mohammedelkurd, and the award-winning Brooklyn-born poet @ajamonet. Mona is also the founder and director of the first Arab choir in New York, a 50-person group that appears in the brilliant film of the song that was premiered at the event.
It bears mention that the dispossession of the Palestinian homeland began well over 100 years ago and it’s still happening now with the ongoing genocide and war crimes committed by the Netanyahu government with the support of US tax dollars. As a Jew and human rights advocate, I want to state this clearly: I believe Palestinians for decades have been leading one of the greatest, strongest, and most profoundly inspiring resistance movements in world history. The legitimate Palestinian aspirations for self-determination give this Jew more security and safety because justice for all peoples is bound up together.
Roger and Mona have made a huge contribution.
The song is out May 8. 🙏🙏👊👊❤️❤️
copied and pasted from Walter's FB page
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