For Fear of Music

It’s a world far far away and yet so close to home. It’s a world governed by a distinctively and unashamedly anti-Christian nation. It’s a world of exoticism, deserts, searing sun, idolatry, persecution, and burkhas. It’s a world in which every day you would be called upon to take a stand for Christ—a stand that could cost you your livelihood, your freedom, or your life. Every day you may be called into question to explain to those unwilling to hear explanation why you will not wear the required Muslim garb. Every day you may have to choose between uttering a few words that declare alliance with Allah or speaking those most difficult yet most precious words, “I belong to Jesus.” Every day you may be confronted for sharing the Gospel with your fellow countrymen in the streets. And now, every day you may face intense persecution, serious repercussions, and swift discipline if you commit another horror in Iran. If you teach music at a school.

Ali Bagherzadeh, head of the private schools office of the Iranian Education Ministry said, “The use of musical insruments is against the principles of our value system.[i]” Teaching music has always been banned in Iran’s state schools, and Iran considers it such a serious offense that a school that disobeys can be closed and its director blacklisted from opening any other schools. All instruments are banned from schools, and Iran’s 16,000 private schooled students are now left staring at the closed doors of their music classrooms, their violins and clarinets torn from their hands. I am incensed at this breach of freedom, but not flabbergasted. I am apalled, but not shocked. Because to me, you see, music is one of the best ways of bringing glory to my beautiful Lord, one of the best ways of worshipping Him, so it does not stagger me that a militantly Islamic nation would take issue with that. Bloomberg Businessweek doubtless thinks that Iran is simply being intolerant of an art form, but Iran and I and—I hope—you, too know better.

“The use of musical instruments is against the principles of our value system. [i]” A tidal wave of renewed enforcement of Islam’s moral teachings is sweeping Iran, so it should really come as no surprise that they are attacking music, unless you have always viewed music as just a means of pleasure. Psalm 138:5 would contradict that viewpoint:“Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.” You probably already know this, but it bears repeating and shouting from the rooftops anyways: God created music to honor Himself. Music in line with His standards—be it classical or sacred or folk or traditional—gives glory to Him and inspires chilling, trembling fear in those who would reserve glory for themselves and their false gods. Yes, fear. Psalm 40:3 even says,“He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.” (emphasis added.)

For Christians, music is not just an art form, but also a command. Ephesians 5:19 commands us to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Psalm 33:2 commands again, “Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.” You don’t need to be a concert musician or even able to carry a tune in a bucket to obey the command of Scripture—obedience is all that is required, not proficiency! I’ve always thought of the song “I Love You, Lord” as the theme song for those of us who are not the best singers, for it begs, even if one is entirely tone deaf, “Take joy, my King, in what You hear! Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.”

But simply banning Christian music is not enough for Iran because even so-called “secular” music can bring glory to Him. “Let’s be safe,” I can hear the school administrators discuss among themselves. “We don’t want any Christianity infiltrating our borders. So we don’t want our children learning to play the violin or the cello or the trumpet, for they could learn to love Bach or Dvorak, and such music is unacceptable, for it is the music of Christianity!” Some may reply, “Ludicrous!” but I would argue that Iran is doing the only sensible thing possible if they would desire to cut their people off from any opportunity to hear about or worship God. To not ban music and instruments would be a grave mistake for any Islamic nation, for it would allow a chink in the iron enclosement they have built around their people, a chink that could allow the light of Christ to shine through. Their worst fear would be that their people would be able to say, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' (Isaiah 12:2)”

But herein lies the sad climax. Iran is uneasy enough to ban music of any sort from their schools and their schoolchildren. We rise up in horror. But are not Americans apathetic enough to cold-shoulder music out of their schools, be they public, private, or homeschool, and their lives? Because of the very fact that Americans have freedom to participate in and learn good music, do they forget to do so? For education, Americans may be guilty of choosing sports over music class, or choosing superfluous science labs and perfect spelling tests over music appreciation. At home, DVDs may bury that dusty classic CD and more movie theater tickets may pass through hands than concert tickets. At church, I’ve observed too many people mumbling their way through meaningless songs, and even professional musicians who are not apathetic towards music struggle with taking all the glory for themselves. And all the while the people of Iran look on with longing eyes as their freedoms are taken away one by one. Yes, the government of Iran is very afraid of the power God has given music. We should be afraid of the absence of it.



Picture Credit
[i] Sheikholeslami, Ali. “Iran Bars Music in Private Schools, May Impose University Code.” Bloomberg, June 1, 2010. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-01/iran-bars-music-in-private-schools-may-impose-university-code.html