The Guardian of Liberty - Nemzetőr, 1984 (7. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1984-11-01 / 6. szám

RELIGEOUS PERSECUTION Islamic Songs Branded as ’’Musical Hooliganism” A gréât variety - of popular songs, many with Islamic the fries, hâve been branded as „musical hooliganism* by the Communist authorities in Turkmenia, one of the USSR’s constituent republics. • ' The authorities have also deplored thé wide­spread, unauthorised circulation in Turkmenia of cassette recordings of songs about Islam, although this and other areas of Soviet Central Asia, north of Afghanistan, are traditionally Muslim territory. A recent article in Turkmenskaya Iskra, organ of the Turkmen Communist Party, said that some of the cassettes contained songs about the criminal underworld, the „cult of money" and „moral depravity." Others had a specifically religious content. The article in this Russian-language daily newspaper alleged that the producers of the magnitizdat (unauthorised audio-cassettes and tape-recordings) were motivated only by desire for money. One of six performers named in the article had, it claimed, acquired two cars with his magnitizdat earnings and was trying to engage a personal chauffeur. „How can one not bless the Prophet and all the saints!" the article exclaimed mockingly. r . , >t also alleged that people“ who wrote religious poetry were being paid handsomely to recite their verses at well-attended weddings and other family gatherings, particularly in the countryside. The article deplored the misuse of State-run recording studios where members of the public can, for a fee, copy music. According to the article, many employees of the studios allow the recording of unauthorised songs which lay claim to „a wide aud ence and great popular­ity ' „How ccin it be," the article asked, „that recording studios almost everywhere in the republic have become the means of the un­official d'ssemination of the ,creations' by those who libel the Soviet way of life, of vulgar little duties of a low sort, of an .... ideologically damaging nature." -, Western tape-recordings were also involved. The article emphaised the harmful effect on young people of these „goods with a rotten little soul." A recent article in Sovet Turkmenistan!, - the Turkmen-language organ of the Turkmen Com­munist Party, said that employees of sound recording studios belonging to the republican Ministry of Public Services had been making equ'pment available to „pseudo-singers" and „pseudo-composers" who recorded „tasteless and unpleasant" words of their own to the melodies of „stolen" Sov et popular songs or „corrupt and noisy music by foreign pseudo­­conoosers." The article accused named individuals of trying to „excite religious emotion and fanati­cism" and „révvé damaging o'd practices." Many „pseudo composers" and „pseudo­­s ngers" were, the article sa d, invited to wedd­ing ceremonies and other „family extravagan­zas." „The false singers, who sing songs with religious themes, mostly perform their .pro­gramme live''rather than playing their record­ings. Then they bag big sums of money. There are some who, to avoid long bargaining, have a fixed rate of 100 roubbles a song... „The authorities of the Turkmen SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic) Ministry of Public Services have left these sound recording studos to their own devices and do not control them properly. How have these studios... become places for those who try to defame our Soviet way of life and centres for secretly distr'bufng vulgar songs of dubious .creativity’ and songs with decadent ideas which are ideologically harmful? Because most of these instrumental pièces, which should be thrown unhesitatingly into the dustbin, are recorded. „Not only are the works of these pseudo­­singers and pseudo-composers copied, but a'so the music of foreign groups like Pink Floyd and Kiss ... „The sound recording studios have been con­verted into places for parasites to become rich thrbugTi disgraceful music... This is ffahtening for society. It is particularly frightening when one thinks that only young people use these goods which are rotten inside.." These and. other recent articles in the Sov:et official Press, including in the daily Komsomol­­skaya Pravda, reflect the Communist authorities’ anxiety about their inability to prevent the widespread circulation of magnitizdat among young people. However, in Turkmenia, the KGB and other State organs have had limited success in recud­­ing this „hooliganism." For example, the Soviet Press has reported the discovery in but one r.ecord:ng studio of „an entire store" of 120 sonqs in various Sov:et languages by a single performer. 17 THE GUARDIAN OF U B E RTY (NEMZETŐR) *-— *— ‘■‘»nyit, i I Artid» 18, Univrerf Ódon*» of Human t#* Erscheint 2monatlich. Einzelpreis für Deutschland DM 4,— Edited by the Editorial Board Verleger, Herausgeber und Inhaber. TIBOR KECSKÉSI TOLLAS Journalist, Schriftsteller, München Ferrhenbachstraße 88, D-8000 München 50 FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Verantwortlicher Redakteur (Editor): MIKLÓS VARY Ferchenbachstraße 88, D-8000 München 50 Druck (print): DANUBIA DRUCKEREI GMBH Ferchenbachstraße 88, D-80Ö0 München 50 AFRICA REPRESENTATIVES & SALE CAMEROON: !.. T. JOHNSON, Divisional Inspectorate of Education, NKAMBE, North West Province, Republic of CAMEROON, EAST AFRICA: (2.— Sh, by air) (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania): General-Représenta'ive: International African Literary Agents. P.O. Box 46055 NAIROBI, Kenya, NIGERIA (2,— Sh): Yemi OYENEYE, P. M. B. 101, Agege, Lagos. SIERA LEONE: (10 Le. c.; annual: 60) 1. Alusine B. Kargbo, c/o 2 Alusine St., Newsite Kissy, Freetown; SOMALIA’: (2.— Sh., by air) Haji Jama Ali, P.O.B. 248, Hargeisa. MAURITIUS NALANDA Co. Ltd., 30. Bourbon Str., Port-Louis. GREAT BRITAIN •NEMZETŐR“, B. C. M., London S.W. 7. U. S. A. Béla H. BÁCSKÁI, P.O. Box 102, Audubon/Pa. 19407. AUSTRALIA N Mr. Jenő Beák, 3/50 Warrandyte Rd., ..RINGWOOD 3/34 Vic., Australia . PRICES: : Surface mail: 1 copy AFRICA 1.80 Sh (100 CFA), Britain 60 P, Australia, USA, Canada: $ 2.— Germany: DM 4.— Annual subscription: AFRICA Sh 10 (500 CFA), Britain 3 — £, Germany/Europe : DM 20 -(or equivalent) Australia USA. Canada: $ 10.— For air mail add 25 V* For students 50 "/o discount Our BANK ACCOUNT: • No. 2605756 Commerzhank AC Munich. Federal Republic of Germany. NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1984 STEEL PROJECT MAY BE ABANDONED (Continued from page 11) steel tèchnà'ogy available from sources such as West Germany. Expert observes have noted that if it is finally completed, the complex will only be obié to produce high-cost steel. From the start of the project doubts have been voiced about the Soviet advisers' choice of site in view of transport difficulties and the low auality of the local iron ore and coal deposits. The Chairman of the Commerce and Industry Committee of the Nigerian Senate has said that the iron and steel development schem­es had been „ill-conceived", without proper planninq. and that the A:aoküta plant would be a drain on N'geria’s resources and foreign exchange reserves. The Soviet Union is providing no fnancial aid for the project and after an initial down­­oavment by Nigeria it was arranged that the balance of the cost should be met on the basis of deferred progress payments, mainly in hard currency. S imilar controversy has surrounded the adoption of Soviet technology for the steelworks near Karachi in Pakistan. The desgn­­ed used means that the plant is dependent on coal and iron ore imports of three million’ tonnes a year, whereas alternative systems wou'd have allowed 'ocal materials to be used. The cost of the Karachi complex has more than Trebled from the original 900 million dol­lars. Pakistan is obliged to repay the Soviet aid with part of the plant's output and, with steel prices depressed, this has proved a heavy burden. Construction delays mean that achieve­ment of the full production level of LI million tonnes a year will be at least four years behind schedule. One of the earliest Soviet aid projects for steel making, at Helwan in Egypt, has no prospect of producing steel at compet tive prices because of the need to import all its coke requirements from abroad. The plants production costs have from the start run at between two and seven times the world market price for steel.

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