Is Music and Art against Islam?

Here is an interesting video of the debate in Pakistan over Religion and Music.  It is not the first one in this vein.  It has happened before…. when the great Mohd Rafi (God’s own voice) was persuaded by someone during his Haj to not to sing as it was against Islam.  He was finally persuaded by his sons to come back.  In fact, one of his sons – Ibrahim Rafi is a playback singer in Pakistan.

I once met another Pakistani gentleman here in Houston who actually when to his kids’ public school to protest that his kids should not be given any music, dance or any art form lessons – for it was against Islam!! We had become good friends before he told me this. It took me a while to recover from that shock for I had thought that this “Jahaalat” was the preserve of radical bearded mullahs only not one who was living and prospering in the United States!

It sometimes amazes me that Sufism could actually come about when it did from within the throes of Islam with its ideas of Spirituality that would go directly against some of these hardliners (with their emphasis on beloved/wine/intoxication as expressions of God/bliss/enlightenment and art forms like poetry and music).

In fact, I have been told by a few Muslim of Arabic descent how Sufis were Anti-islamic.   So, what is true?  Is Islam against Art and Music?  Or is it just an interpretation?  Well, even Aurangzeb had banned dance and music in his time.  It is time that the Islamic world comes out with one answer!