CAIRO – In a video posted on YouTube under the title #ColorBlind, Muslim hip hop artist Abdullah Dahduli, known as Aye-D, has challenged Islamophobia in him community, using his music to send a message against extremism and hate.
The decision to write a mashup of Adele Hello came after he, his family and friends experienced discrimination in North Texas and across the US.
The problem maximized after terror attacks on Paris last November when many xenophobes began spewing their anti-Muslim rhetoric and anti-Muslim protesters hanged around mosques and Islamic centers.
“That was crazy. Basically, these people were lined up on the curb, screaming out racial slurs,” Aye-D told Dallas Observer.
“I’ve felt hate before, but not to my face like that. That builds up a certain feeling of, ‘Man, we’ve got to do something.’”
The new song was praised by Dallas representative of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as helping to challenge Islamophobia.
“It’s a way for people to relax and have the information without feeling that they are going to school, without feeling that they are being taught something,” Executive Director Alia Salem told Fox4 News.
“Art is one of the best ways that you can do that.”
Muslims make up 1% of America’s 322 million population, according to Pew Research center.
Anti-Muslim sentiments have reached an all-time high after the rise of the so-called Islamic State, formerly known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Moreover, the Republican presidential candidates, such as Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, have added to increasing anti-Muslim sentiments.
Trump’s views on immigration have sparked controversy nationwide, especially his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the US.