“I feel strong”: Moroccan rapper El Haqed defiant after concert is shut down by police

A former Index Youth Advisory Board member travelled to Casablanca to see Moroccan rapper El Haqed's first concert in the country. This is her account of the police crackdown that silenced the performance

#IndexDrawtheLine: Where should governments draw the line on everyday surveillance?

To what extent is it possible to escape everyday surveillance amidst these developments and how would this affect our communications?

#IndexAwards2015: Arts nominee Songhoy Blues

Fleeing North Mali after Islamist groups captured the area and imposed strict sharia law banning all secular music, four musicians who met as refugees came together to form the band Songhoy Blues.

#IndexDrawtheLine: How can we balance religious freedom and religious extremism?

Religious freedom and religious radicalism which leads to extremism has become an increasingly difficult balancing act in the digital age where presenting religious superiority through fear and “terror” is possible both locally and internationally at internet speeds. The ongoing series of beheading videos released by the Islamic State and the showcase of kidnapped school girls by Nigeria’s Boko […]

The godfather of Iranian hip-hop wants grassroots change

Being a hip-hop artist in a country where the genre is banned comes with many challenges Iranian rapper Hichkas explains. Mari Shibata reports