Rimsha Masih: faith, freedom, music, and what's really going on.

Each day we hear of more intolerance and persecution of religion. It can be more subtle in the failure to respect freedom of conscience in providing health care or not allowing politicians to express their beliefs openly.

Other times, it is dramatic and violent like we've recently seen in Syria and Pakistan. The latest seems to be the story of Rimsha Masih, a young handicapped girl in Pakistan accused of blasphemy for carrying a rubbish sack that contained burnt fragments of the Koran without her knowledge.

Ooberfuse, the same music project that I blogged about a couple of months ago (His Blood Cries Out) has released a new single in less than a week's time responding to the call for justice and charity.

They have hit it on the head, in the face of these incredible injustices, it's clear that we must:

Turn the tide of hate to the tide of love!
Set her free!

His Blood Cries Out: Ooberfuse and what happened to Shahbaz Bhatti.

They wrote the theme song for the Pope's visit to England. They peformed center stage in Madrid, and last summer ooberfuse was asked to perform at a high-profile peace rally in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The occasion was the 1st anniversary of the assassination of Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti. Ooberfuse is a music project that blends ingredients together that are usually kept apart. Whether it be the introduction of eastern flavours into western pop or faith inspirations into secular traditions the music challenges the tired conventions and formulas of regular everyday pop music. Hopefully the result of this experimentation, an explosion of soulful ryhthmic sounds, raises minds, hearts and souls.