M.I.A. denied visa, endorses MasterCard

AIM and M.I.A. are forever mated in palindrome, but the news site is reporting that Her Highness of Baile Funk has been denied entry into the U.S. (thanks, tipster). Visa officials aren’t hip to terror chic by either Modi or Maya.

Speed bump courtesy of the Tamil Tigers

London rapper M.I.A. has been denied a visa to visit or work in the USA by immigration officials… Sources close to the British Sri-Lankan MC said that her lawyers are frantically trying to resolve the situation… She is hoping to get back to the USA as soon as US immigration will allow for a collaboration with producer Timbaland on her next album. [Link]

… Arulpragasam doesn’t downplay her Tiger connection, she flaunts it, it’s integral to her marketing. She did a mix album using unauthorized samples called Piracy Funds Terrorism. Her song ‘Sunshowers’ refers to suicide bombs (‘And some showers I’ll be aiming at you’), her first album bears her dad’s [LTTE] codename. Jungle guerrillas are all over the ‘Sunshowers’ video, there’s a large running tiger in her excellent concert visuals, she does a soldier step on stage and a shoutout to the P.L.O. [Link]

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p>Arulpragasam’s blog is littered with misspellings, but her interview video clips have that sexayy, husky voice, a confidence which shows up on screen but not always on stage. Does your starcrush survive? Roll again.

THEY TRY SHUT MY DOOR!

Roger roger do you here me over!!!!
the U.S immigration wont let me in!!!!!
i was mennu work with timber startin this week, but now im doin a Akon “im locked out they wont let me in” im locked out! they wont let me in! Now Im strictly making my album outside the borders!!!! so il see you all one day, for now ill keep reportin from the sidelines
to my people who walk wiv me in the America, dont forget we got the internet! Spread the word! or come get me!!!!!! ill be in my bird flu lab in china! liming and drinkin tiger beer with my pet turtel. I love everyone for the support, now i need it more. ill stay up spread out else where. [Link]

im in india right now, hurding cows, theres some minister staying at my hotel, and his body guard has a a.k 47. me and my brother just caught him knockin on peoples doors askin for money. the police body guard that it. [Link]

The last time U.S. immigration turned back a pop star, they nailed international archvillain Cat Stevens. I sleep so much better at night knowing they foiled the plot to threaten America with music from the ’70s. Playing ‘Where’s Osama?’ pales in comparison.

Related posts: M.I.A.: Step up to blow up, The Modi protest, Modi gets B*slapped, Ain’t no junk in her trunk, Ga-ching-a-ching-a-ching, Wah, po’ Maya, I coulda been a contendah, Hello, this is M.I.A., Grind me down sugar salt, Fire Fire (updated again), Tinted Tilly, Bucky Done Underwhelmed, The transit of Venus in Mercury, New York, quieten down…, Acid-washed genes, M.I.A., fashion victim, M.I.A. now a role model?, Missing in Acton, Monsters of rock

184 thoughts on “M.I.A. denied visa, endorses MasterCard

  1. With the recent crackdown on the Tamil Tigers in Canada, and the upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka, and the increased sensitivity to terrorism, MIA was going to come under scrutiny now.

    But this is a stupid decision to take and an idiotic thing to happen – MIA is a threat to American national security? Yeah right.

  2. MIA is a threat to American national security? Yeah right.

    Word. Particularly galling when juxtaposed against stories like this one, which I finally read over the weekend:

    The C.I.A. flew Sudan’s national-security director, Salah Abdallah Ghosh, to Washington for a debriefing last year. He shared information that his office had on Islamist militants training in Sudan before 9/11. Yet he is one of a handful of top security men orchestrating Khartoum’s crimes in Darfur and deploying intelligence units that have carried out targeted killings since 2003.

    If the U.S. government thinks she’s a threat, then they should put their money where their visa policy is by letting her in and then having the guts to prosecute her for something. (Of course, I think I would have said the same thing about the distasteful Mr. Modi, but that’s a conversation for some other time.)

  3. AK, Tigress…are you SURE she’s not a threat to national security? Maybe the immigration clerk was just very particular with spelling, punctuation and grammar. Maybe they had a thing about using too many exclamation marks. Maybe they were doing their best to maintain the integrity of the glorious English language.

    Oh wait, this is America. In that case, let her in!

  4. Uses MySpace. I am no longer a fan. Now I pity her.

    Uh, they all use Myspace:

    Outernational Falu Karsh Kale (Asian Underground NYC) Cheb i Sabbah (Eclectic) Midival Punditz (Asian Underground Delhi) Shiva Soundsystem (Asian Underground) Janaka Selekta (Asian Underground SF) Asian Dub Foundation (Asian Underground UK) Audio Dakoos Sub Swara (Asian Underground NYC) Dhruva (Asian Underground) State of Bengal (Asian Underground UK) Radiohiro (Asian Underground) Pathaan (Asian Underground UK) Sonik Gurus (Asian Underground) Kollektiv (Asian Underground NYC) Susheela Raman Navdeep (Asian Underground LA/NYC) Talvin Singh (Asian Underground UK) Maneesh the Twister (Asian Underground SF) Latafat Ali Khan (Ghazals!) Temple of Sound (dub and chillout w/ some Qawwali vocals) Jazzy B (Bhangra, Vancouver) Sukshinder Shinda (Bhangra, UK) Vijay Iyer (Jazz, NYC)

  5. come on people,

    part of her appeal is the myspace-ness and the blog typos and her crazy naivete in being so provocative about those Tamil Tigers when she is really just a harmless little brown girl tryna get some respect in the hip hop world…

    except now its backfired on poor MIA and people actually think she’s a terrorist. US citizens need to ask their govt what they are doing spending time, finances and human resources on controlling the movements of an independent muso while neglecting real homeland security issues.

    my starcrush mos def survives! let’s please not knock an earnest brown girl when she’s down, not from the people who invented karma…MIA keep on rolling with your crazy comments, hope you get that visa my darlin. til then keep being incredulously surprised by exotic india on your blog. tales of corrupt politicians with gun-wielding hombres are a bit par for the course for the natives, but we forgive ya.

  6. I am glad this individual was denied a visa. There is a long history of ethnic indian folks (and many others) living in the UK and USA (democracies based on rule of law) supporting and talking up the worst kind of mass murderers in India (South Asia) as “freedom fighters”.

    Historically, the US and UK govts have taken the attitude: you brown people need to improve your country first, we cant be bothered, this is freedom etc. In this respect, i think there have been positive changes since 9/11 and the London bombings.

  7. I am glad this individual was denied a visa. There is a long history of ethnic indian folks (and many others) living in the UK and USA (democracies based on rule of law) supporting and talking up the worst kind of mass murderers in India (South Asia) as “freedom fighters”.

    Yeah I agree – it is also fantastic how the USA denied a visa to that blood thirsty cannibal Mr Modi. It is good that the USA has woken up to the evil of people of his ideological stripe and I hope that the American government continues to monitor the fund raising activities and support he has amongst his constituency in their country. For too long have genocidalists under the cover of being elected politicians in India carried out their tyranny with support in the diaspora and with complete impunity. This is a very good thing to have happened after 9/11 and I hope the extreme right wing fascists of the Indian diaspora remain under scrutiny and their barbaric fuhrers are continually denied visas to enter the USA.

  8. I am glad this individual was denied a visa. There is a long history of ethnic indian folks (and many others) living in the UK and USA (democracies based on rule of law) supporting and talking up the worst kind of mass murderers in India (South Asia) as “freedom fighters”.

    What in the name of Galang-a-lang are you taking about?? Would you care to provide us with evidence of “ethnic indian folks” supporting mass murderers in India or should we just assume every hazel-hued human is aiding terror? How is MIA connected to these phantom abettors? What exactly does “talking up” denote?

    Historically, the US and UK govts have taken the attitude: you brown people need to improve your country first, we cant be bothered, this is freedom etc.

    Exactly, hence the joint Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. Oh, wait…

  9. It’s probably not a good idea for a citizen of a Western nation (eg. the UK or the US) to be openly supporting foreign terrorism within (or against) an allied country. Regardless of whether one is talking about Sri Lanka or Israel, for example, the same principle applies.

    You can’t always have your cake and eat it.

  10. I was speaking in the context of a person being a citizen of a certain country and acting in ways which conflict with the international political relationships of that country, and then expecting to get away with it.

    Also, considering the current US Administration’s stance on global terrorism, it is not surprising that someone perceived to openly support (in spirit if not necessarily in action) a terrorist group was subsequently denied entry to the US, even if the person concerned is “just” a singer rather than an active member of a foreign terrorist outfit. It’s common sense that this would happen. What did she expect ?

  11. Are those typos, or is it actually a language? What I mean is, wouldn’t it be much odder if she spoke in slang all the time, and then wrote her blog in pristine prose?

    As for myspace, if it’s good enough for Vijay Iyer, it’s good enough for me.

  12. It’s not just South Asian terrorists that are feeling the heat. People in America forget that for thirty years terorrists killed thousands of people with the blessing by ommision of America and her establishment. The IRA was funded directly by the Irish American community of Boston and New York and their apologists were lauded by the Kennedy’s and other politicians who gave them leeway because of the Irish vote and romantic notions of the Irish freedom fighter – all the while as the IRA blew up innocents in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Warrington – including children. Americans have a short memory and tend to forget all this when advising other countries on the terrorists in their midst. After 9/11 the British government made sure this inconsistency did not stand. It took the deaths of people in New York for Americans to understand this – but in Britain people were quite cynical about the new found opposition to terrorism in America, in light of their laissez fair attitude to the IRA for so long.

  13. Uh, they all use Myspace

    ew, but that doesn’t make it ok.

    Imagine– a desi kid who doesn’t medal at spelling?!

  14. MIA is an LTTE-songstress? I don’t think things are so simple. Regardless, it’s the US’ prerogative to decide who they want to let into their borders. The fact you need to get a visa to transit through the US suggests the US don’t know what they are doing when it comes to visas anyway.

  15. There is an important substantive difference in the denial of visa to Modi and MIA. MIA is a singer. She is neither materially supporting the LTTE nor is she as far as I know, a member of the LTTE. ModiÂ’s case was entirely different. He was in a position of power/authority during the Gujarat riots. Irrespective of how one feels about ModiÂ’s role in the Gujarat riots, one can surely see the difference between ModiÂ’s case and MIA.

  16. MIA keep on rolling with your crazy comments, hope you get that visa my darlin. here here! i’ll give her my passport. people say i look like her anyway. i love her! i’m all for any indian woman stirring things up anyway she can!

  17. i’m all for any indian woman stirring things up anyway she can!

    Ummm….she’s Sri Lankan.

  18. one can surely see the difference between ModiÂ’s case and MIA.

    At one level, this is unassailably true. The legal bases for denying or granting entry are different in each case. Modi was excluded for committing serious human right violations in Gujarat, while MIA seems to have been excluded in a completely arbitrary fashion for reasons that still remain somewhat of a mystery. (Although surely the claim must be that she’s giving material support to terrorism. That has to be what’s going on here, right? She did have visa trouble last year, as I recall, and had to cancel a number of tour dates — I think a Google search or Abhi’s M.I.A. scrapbook could confirm that.)

    And therein lies the connection between the two, for there is something deeply flawed about using visa/admission policy to advance these other goals when we do so on the cheap and half-assed. MIA gets excluded without any full and fair adjudication of what she may or may not have done — and yet she now will be tarred with the charge of “material support,” fairly or unfairly. By contrast, Modi probably should be tried for gross human rights violations — or at minimum, be subject to a civil suit that will allow victims and their family members to hold him accountable. (Had he come into the US, there was a substantial likelihood that he would have been sued under the Alien Tort Statute, which would have been a constructive and useful thing.) And yet, he too is excluded without any full and fair adjudication of what happens, and here the problem is exactly the opposite. On the one hand, excluding him minimizes the gravity of what he did, by essentially allowing the U.S. to conclude that it is “not our problem” or concern — even though genocide is a crime over which there is universal jurisdiction and an obligation for every state in the world to either prosecute or extradite for prosecution. Exclusion also doesn’t create any definitive factual record of what actually happened or really hold him accountable, which are both important elements in making victims whole, and coming to terms with/bringing some sense of closure to what happened. At the same time, he and his sympathizers can now claim to be victims of U.S. unfairness and arbitrariness.

    And looking at the full range of examples like MIA, the guy from Sudan, and others (there are quite a few others), there actually is some truth to the notion that the application of these policies is highly arbitrary. I’m not saying that people who do bad things should never be excluded from the US — but the way we do it is pretty arbitrary. There certainly aren’t any clear standards — whether substantive or procedural — to guide the government’s decision-making, or really much by way of process to ensure that those decisions are made in a sober and fair manner for which U.S. decisionmakers themselves may be held accountable.

  19. We (and I) also shouldn’t speak too soon — lots and lots of people have had visa trouble since 9/11 for reasons that turn out to be wholly innocuous (in the sense that there is no serious suspicion involved, just procedural rules that cause the process of getting admission to grind to a halt). For all we know, that may be all that’s going on here. There could any number of things going on — it is, after all, immigration law we’re talking about, perhaps second only to the tax code in its ridiculousness.

  20. Has anyone thought that maybe she wasn’t allowed into America simply because she forgot to renew her visa in time or something like that?

  21. Has anyone thought that maybe she wasn’t allowed into America simply because she forgot to renew her visa in time or something like that?

    Yes, that’s precisely the kind of thing I was getting at — we all have been jumping to a lot of conclusions, me included. It could be any number of things, for all we know at this point.

  22. AK writes: >>At the same time, he(Modi) and his sympathizers can now claim to be victims of U.S. unfairness and arbitrariness

    Oh! So you’ve realised that finally! Damn.

    M. Nam

  23. At the same time, he(Modi) and his sympathizers can now claim to be victims of U.S. unfairness and arbitrariness

    I will add that to the list of grievance that tolerant Hindus of the 20 billion year old civilisation of Vedic Tolerance face alongside our perpetual rape by Abrahamics in general.

    Hail Mogambo!

  24. Oh! So you’ve realised that finally!

    Ummm, I said “claim.” I didn’t say that he’s a legitimate victim in any sense — in fact, I believe that I said he should be prosecuted for genocide. (And I don’t know where you get “finally,” since I don’t believe that I’ve ever had the pleasure of discussing this issue with you before.)

  25. AK, I especially like your idea of Modi being sued under the Alien Tort Statute. Of course we need for him to be physically present in the US to serve process, so if his visa is not denied this time over, it might not be as bad a thing.

  26. Jai:

    It’s probably not a good idea for a citizen of a Western nation (eg. the UK or the US) to be openly supporting foreign terrorism within (or against) an allied country. Regardless of whether one is talking about Sri Lanka or Israel, for example, the same principle applies.

    I hope that in this affirmation, you are taking into consideration the involvement of both the US and the UK governments and its dealings with Israel.

    Also, considering the current US Administration’s stance on global terrorism, it is not surprising that someone perceived to openly support (in spirit if not necessarily in action) a terrorist group was subsequently denied entry to the US

    What is the “US Administration’s stance on global terrorism”? Also, being a “terrorist group” doesn’t necessarily bar entry into the US. The US has had a record of hosting unsavory fellows on its soil.

    Divine Comedy:

    The IRA was funded directly by the Irish American community of Boston and New York and their apologists were lauded by the Kennedy’s and other politicians who gave them leeway because of the Irish vote and romantic notions of the Irish freedom fighter – all the while as the IRA blew up innocents in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Warrington – including children.

    While I agree with you, I also think it is important to point out that the UK government also terrorized people in Ireland. This is not to justify the IRA’s actions, but I don’t think it is correct to leave out government actions.

    If we are to speak of “terrorism”– keep in mind that there is no consensus on the definition of the term “terrorism”– I think we should also include state terrorism, ie that practiced by states.

  27. While I agree with you, I also think it is important to point out that the UK government also terrorized people in Ireland. This is not to justify the IRA’s actions, but I don’t think it is correct to leave out government actions.

    Right OK, super, thanks for the context, but still, Irish Americans, tolerated by the US government, and supported by Democrats like Ted Kennedy, sent millions of dollars into the coffers of the IRA which went to buying explosives and guns which were used to kill children, men and women in their thousands. The British government over the 30 years of the Troubles did not systematically ‘terrorise’ in the way that the IRA supported by their American Irish ringmasters killed. Simple fact. The USA was a safe house for Irish Republican terrorists for a long long time.

  28. If we are to speak of “terrorism”– keep in mind that there is no consensus on the definition of the term “terrorism”– I think we should also include state terrorism, ie that practiced by states.

    1.Sorry, I wasn’t specific in the above statement. To clarify the above statement, there is no international consensus on the definition of “terrorism”, both in international law and in the UN. Furthermore, every government uses the term “terrorism” as it is convenient for them.

    1. State terrorism is NOT comparable to individual and/or group terrorists.

    Divine Comedy:

    The USA was a safe house for Irish Republican terrorists for a long long time.

    I am not disputing this fact.

    The British government over the 30 years of the Troubles did not systematically ‘terrorise’ in the way that the IRA supported by their American Irish ringmasters killed. Simple fact.

    You are entitled to your opinion.

  29. CAD,

    I hope that in this affirmation, you are taking into consideration the involvement of both the US and the UK governments and its dealings with Israel.

    I am not referring to governments and, although I understand your point, that is a entirely separate argument. I am referring to (for example) British-based citizens who espouse, glorify, and support acts of terrorism within/against foreign states which are “friendly” to the UK. As you are no doubt aware, the UK currently has some problems with certain members of the British population who support Islamist terrorism. Rightly or wrongly, it would be both misguided and, perhaps, naive to expect there to be no consequences of proclaiming vocal support for such groups.

    The same principle applies to American citizens too, of course, along with the issues inherent in domestic individuals supporting foreign terrorist groups based on religion, ethnicity, nationalistic concepts, and so on.

    What is the “US Administration’s stance on global terrorism”?

    I believe you already know the answer to that, vis-a-vis the current “War on Terror” etc.

    Also, being a “terrorist group” doesn’t necessarily bar entry into the US. The US has had a record of hosting unsavory fellows on its soil.

    The US is not a monarchy and, therefore, the agendas and positions of the individuals & groups at the executive levels changes with time according to the person occupying the Oval Office along with the political parties in control of the other branches of government. It’s incorrect to ascribe political policies from decades past to any individuals or groups currently in power, as the latter may not necessarily agree with the former. Times change, depending whoever is “at the top”.

  30. CAD,

    While I agree with you, I also think it is important to point out that the UK government also terrorized people in Ireland.

    Excuse me, “the” UK government ? The administration currently in 10 Downing Street ? The same people, and the same Prime Minister ?

    Governments change with time. That’s the whole basis of democracy 😉

  31. Cheap Ass Desi

    It is not an opinion – it is a fact. The IRA were responsible for the deaths of almost 2000 innocent people in the thirty years before the ceasefire. Loyalist paramilitaries had a similar death toll. The British government DID NOT place bombs in dustbins blowing up nine year old children in Warrington, they did not place bombs in pubs in Birmingham and Guildford slaughtering dozens of innocents enjoying a drink, they did not shoot dead a six month old baby who happened to be being held by his father who was an off duty soldier. They did not place bombs in the high street of Omagh slaughtering thirty Saturday afternoon shoppers. The IRA did all of this. It is a simple fact – the British government did not terrorise like the Irish Republican Army did, no matter how you wish to deny that out of an instinct to relativise the violence perpetrated by ideological fascists and terrorists.

    This was why in Britain there were sneers of cynicism when all of a sudden after 9/11 Americans started telling people to give up their terrorists – when America had been turning a blind eye to terrorist support and funding from the Irish American community in Boston and New York.

  32. It is dismaying to me that none of the commentators are willing to recognize the LTTE as a pol-potist and hyperviolent regime. Based on the comments so far, it appears that publicly celebrating suicide bombing in music or appropriating LTTE symbols is viewed as sort of the same as supporting Howard Stern or some other freaky but harmless group.

    I am no fan of GWB, I am glad that Modi got a kick on his behind instead of a visa, but shouldnt musicians who advertise being linked to extremist groups be challenged about their affiliations?

  33. Nagarjuna,

    It is dismaying to me that none of the commentators are willing to recognize the LTTE as a pol-potist and hyperviolent regime

    Several people on this thread have been doing exactly this, indirectly if not necessarily directly, as this thread is about MIA’s support for the terrorist group and not about the group itself.

    shouldnt musicians who advertise being linked to extremist groups be challenged about their affiliations?

    Yes, absolutely.

  34. No big deal here. If MIA gets flagged for voicing her opinions of an organization that has met the general criteria for a ‘terrorist’ group, too bad. SHE has to live with the consequences of promoting such philosophy.

    It’s totally cool when a girl, who has some cheeky music, dances around and gets everybody all excited. She should get a pass, totally. So exotic.

    It is our country. Getting a visa isn’t some fundamental human right or requirement. If she had the balls and conviction, she’d say,”Well, screw you, I’ll keep preaching away with my music, I don’t need the United States.”

    But she wants the money, fame, fortune, and promotion. Timberland is waiting for her.

    I sleep so much better at night knowing they foiled the plot to threaten America with music from the ’70s. Playing ‘Where’s Osama?’ pales in comparison.

    Although I believe the Cat Stevens move was pretty stupid(since from what I’ve read, he’s an ardent pacifist), IF MIA got denied on the basis for supporting/promoting LTTE philosophy, it would alteast be consistent. If some potential terrorists have been denied visas, how will you know that? What are the reject rates of ‘deserving’ vs. ‘undeserving’ candidates? Denying a visa (rightly or wrongly) has nothing to do with forces looking for Osama. Even if we had captured and killed Osama or other terrorists on foreign soil, the dynamic/mechanism involved in attacking [the terrorist] on foreign soil vs. denying them entry is different. The state dept and military are the right and left hands of US foreign policy. Say, when all facts are out and about, the State dept is denying a whole host of alleged terrorists entry while barring some’deserving’ candidates. Now, if the left hand (Decisions as Commander in Chief) is missing the hook after the right cross has landed (denying terrorists and some other folk caught in the dragnet entry), it is a problem.

    Considering the 9-11 guys got here legally, their over cautious effort doesn’t give me heartburn. Not having caught Osama is a valid and strong argument in itself.

    The Indian scientist denied a visa was stupid (which the state dept officially anted up to.) Cat Stevens/ Yusuf Islam denied a visa was stupid. These examples show the govt is more on a default ‘reject’ mode. I will sleep better since the bad guys aren’t getting in. It does annoy me that mistakes like these give us bad press for not doing enough homework. MIA being denied a visa is not illogical, maybe extreme, but not illogical.

    I’m interested in what general reactions would be if you’d replace MIA with a muslim woman supporting Islamic fascists (say Hamas) ‘lyrically’?

  35. Especially now that the whole nightmare cycle of violence in Sri Lanka looks like it might be starting up again, which will see more innocents dying, it is especially important that she is challenged on her views on the LTTE.

  36. I’m interested in what general reactions would be if you’d replace MIA with a muslim woman supporting Islamic fascists (say Hamas) ‘lyrically’?

    My point exactly. A singer may not necessarily be actively involved in financing, planning, or executing terrorist acts, but as a “cheerleader” for the terrorist group, he or she can’t seriously expect there to be no legal or political consequences. Especially in the current global climate.

  37. SHE has to live with the consequences of promoting such philosophy.
    I’m interested in what general reactions would be if you’d replace MIA with a muslim woman supporting Islamic fascists (say Hamas) ‘lyrically’?
    A singer may not necessarily be actively involved in financing, planning, or executing terrorist acts, but as a “cheerleader” for the terrorist group, he or she can’t seriously expect there to be no legal or political consequences.

    Wait a minute, legal consequences for “cheerleading,” for mere speech and opinion? Last time I checked that’s protected. If she’s buying guns for them that’s different, but then let’s please have some evidence. Don’t like what she’s saying in her songs? Then write your own songs in opposition to her. Or become a music critic. 😉

  38. legal consequences for “cheerleading,” for mere speech and opinion? Last time I checked that’s protected.

    I’m a British citizen so I’m afraid someone here will have to clarify this for me — Glorification of terrorism isn’t an offence in the United States ?

  39. nagarjuna, Khmer Rouge killed upwards of 1 million Cambodians. If you think they are in anyway similar to the LTTE, you are a dumbass.

    Divine Comedy, you may think the UK weren’t all too bad in the way they dealt with Ireland, but I suspect there are plenty of people that would disagree with you.

    I still don’t buy this argument that MIA is promoting violence in Sri Lanka.

  40. it is especially important that she is challenged on her views on the LTTE.

    It’s also especially important that people who assign views to others be challenged for it. She uses the imagery, she uses the terms but so what? Does that use constitute support? Like i’ve said before on here, maybe she’s just using the elements that played a significant role in her upbringing. If the reasoning for denying the VISA is that the US finds terrorist imagery unappetizing, then fine, that’s a valid objection. If it’s based on the notion that she supports the tigers then that needs to be challenged. She herself says she’s neutral regarding the conflict.

  41. Glorification of terrorism isn’t an offence in the United States ?

    Expand that to: “Glorification and support of terrorism…..”

    Is the LTTE recognised by the US as an outlawed terrorist group ?

    If the answer to either of these questions is “Yes”, then surely that further validates MIA running into legal problems with regards to entry to the US ?

  42. I’m a British citizen so I’m afraid someone here will have to clarify this for me — Glorification of terrorism isn’t an offence in the United States ?

    Where exactly does she say, “go blow yourself up, terrorism is great.” I don’t think I’ve heard her in an interview, or in her music, come out explicitly in favour of the LTTE. She uses LTTE imagery in her music and art work. Is this a glorification of terrorism? I somehow doubt it.

    On preview: what Ananthan said.

  43. Wait a minute, legal consequences for “cheerleading,” for mere speech and opinion? Last time I checked that’s protected.

    Cheerleading is protected, not the consequences of it (social, legal, personal, etc.) Also, she isn’t a United States citizen. Legally speaking, BIG DIFFERENCE.

    MIA hasn’t been persecuted or thrown in jail for her opinion. Maya can still sing, dance, and an do her weird thing until she drops. Just not on US soil. Equating being denied a visa in her case and some type of ‘injustice’ or persecution is not valid.

    Don’t like what she’s saying in her songs? Then write your own songs in opposition to her.

    I’d be as bad as her :), as for a music critic, I’ll wRigHT SoME naSTY rEviEW on HeR MYSPACE!!!! ROTFLOL!!!

  44. Ananthan

    Surely you are not suggesting that there is anything unreasonable in suggesting that she be challenged on the LTTE given that her iconography and music plays with the tropes of the organisation? Especially in the light of the tension and break down in the ceasefire in Sri Lanka at the moment? That is all I say – she should be challenged on this. She cannot expect that gangsta rap chic and people’s innocent thrill at her whole image gives her a free pass?

  45. AK

    Wait a minute, legal consequences for “cheerleading,” for mere speech and opinion? Last time I checked that’s protected. If she’s buying guns for them that’s different, but then let’s please have some evidence. Don’t like what she’s saying in her songs? Then write your own songs in opposition to her. Or become a music critic. 😉

    This is all fine, except that is only applicable to persons in the US soil. It is the US Govt prerogative in denying a visa.

    You guys were all gungho when Modi was denied a visa. Hope the US govt applies the same logic to Sonia Gandhi and the rest of the Congress govt (The 1984 pogrom in Delhi and teh rest of India was the worst and you know who was responsible). Atleast be consistent.

  46. Divine Comedy, you may think the UK weren’t all too bad in the way they dealt with Ireland, but I suspect there are plenty of people that would disagree with you.

    I know the faults of the British government in Ireland. I also know that the IRA were a murderous and fascistic terrorist outfit. The British government did not carry out mass slaughter like the IRA did. Simple fact that irks those who lust and glamourise terrorists.