As the battle over Donald Trump’s travel ban continues in the courts, literary agents have come together from several different agencies to put out an open call for submissions from Muslim writers.
“We all agree that the current political climate demands a need for a greater presence of authors of Muslim heritage in the book marketplace,” the agents said in a recent statement. “We are taking action to help make that happen.”
The coalition includes agents that represent a wide variety of genres, from children and YA books to commercial fiction to even thrillers and sci-fi.
“The events following Trump’s executive order on January 27, 2017, deeply shocked and saddened all of us,” the statement read. “The messages of fear and discrimination against Muslims within this country and to those outside its borders are not ones that reflect our own beliefs and understanding.”
Trump’s travel ban prevents citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia — from entering the country for 90 days while the Department of Homeland Security revises its customs policies. The ban was suspended by District Court Judge James Robart last weekend and is currently being reviewed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The travel ban has made waves in Hollywood, as it has left a direct impact on two foreign films that have been nominated for Academy Awards. “The White Helmets,” a Best Short Documentary nominee that follows rescue teams in Syria, was largely filmed by members of the rescue teams themselves because the film’s production crew could not enter major bombing sites like Aleppo for safety reasons. Those rescuers will not be able to attend the Oscars because of the travel ban. Neither will Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian filmmaker whose drama, “The Salesman,” has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
Anti-Trump Playlist: 11 Songs Against New President (Videos)
Donald Trump is entering the Oval Office with the lowest recorded approval rating of any incoming president. Millions are expected to march nationwide against him the day after he was inaugurated. There's a lot of rage going around, and it's being reflected in our music. Here's a playlist of anti-Trump anthems that have been created since Trump began his road to the White House.
Green Day turned Trump into a monster in the lyric video for their latest single, "Troubled Times." The last Republican president (George W. Bush) inspired Green Day to make "American Idiot." Who knows what they will make during the Trump era?
Anohni collaborated with the experimental sister duo CocoRosie to create "Smoke 'Em Out," a song they hope will serve as a call to the "weary-disappointed hearts of so many crest-fallen citizens." Don't think that Anohni is an Obama fan anymore, though. She also wrote a song about her disillusionment with the President of Hope.
In the days leading up to the inauguration, Fiona Apple promoted the National Women's March with "Tiny Hands," a song that features a chant that Apple wants to be yelled out at The March: "We don't want your tiny hands anywhere near our underpants!"
Though they never mention Trump, A Tribe Called Quest's latest single "We The People ..." clearly calls out the xenophobic rhetoric that became so prevalent in 2016. Sample lyrics: "Muslims and gays/boy we hate your ways."
In a similar vein, English rock band Depeche Mode has released a new single called "Where's The Revolution," which definitely taps into the frustration that has moved millions to protest since Trump took office.
Meanwhile, hackers have taken over radio stations in five states that went to Trump in the election and have forced them to play YG and Nipsey Hu$$le's rap song "F*** Donald Trump" on repeat.
The day before the inauguration, Moby released a new music video for his song "Erupt and Matter." The video includes Trump among images of riots, terrorism and Bashar al-Assad.
OK Go took Morrissey's song "Interesting Drug" and turning it into an anti-Trump song with a video that shows the lowlights of Trump's campaign over the past year. Sample lyric: "There are some bad people on the rise/They're saving their own skins by/Ruining other people's lives"
Trump was such a big deal that Gorillaz ended a six-year hiatus to release a song against him. "Hallelujah Money" features a Trump Tower-like lobby and lyrics that attack greed.
Death Cab For Cutie's "Million Dollar Loan" attacks Trump's boasts about his business track record. The title refers to the loan Trump got from his father to help start his business empire.
But by far the most rage-filled anti-Trump anthem you'll find is Brujeria's "Vive Presidente Trump!" The Spanish lyrics, told from the perspective of bloodletting Mexican drug bandits, hope for a Trump presidency "because he wants war, just like us. If he starts it, we'll finish it." The track ends with the sounds of the grindcore band hacking Trump to pieces with machetes. Yikes.
1 of 12
There are a lot of musicians who are not happy at all having Donald Trump in the White House
Donald Trump is entering the Oval Office with the lowest recorded approval rating of any incoming president. Millions are expected to march nationwide against him the day after he was inaugurated. There's a lot of rage going around, and it's being reflected in our music. Here's a playlist of anti-Trump anthems that have been created since Trump began his road to the White House.