The application of soft power in counterterrorism is a profoundly underutilized yet effective tool, particularly through cultural mediums such as music. Soft power, a term coined by Joseph Nye (2004), refers to the ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion or payment. This influence can be manifested through values, policies, and cultural exports. Music, as an essential vehicle of soft power, has historically played a significant role in undermining authoritarian ideologies and inspiring psychological liberation. Its power transcends political borders, ethnic divisions, and even hardened ideological indoctrination, making it a potent weapon against terrorism and militant extremism.
A notable example is how Western rock music, especially the Beatles, infiltrated the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Despite the Soviet Union’s strict censorship and efforts to limit Western cultural influence, Beatles records were smuggled into the USSR and secretly distributed. Their music became an underground sensation, sparking a cultural rebellion that subtly eroded the legitimacy of communist ideology among Soviet youth (McSmith, 2015). This cultural insurgency, driven by the Beatles’ message of freedom, love, and individuality, contributed to a generational shift in consciousness that ultimately undermined totalitarian control. As McCarthy (2011) notes, “rock ‘n’ roll was the soundtrack of the revolution that didn’t happen with guns but with guitars.”
Similarly, in the context of the Sri Lankan Civil War, music served as a deeply personal and transformative force for individuals entangled within violent extremist groups. I speak from personal experience. As a young boy in Sri Lanka during the early 1990s, I was abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)—internationally recognized as a terrorist organization—and conscripted into their ranks as a child soldier. Rapidly rising through the organization, I became an intelligence officer working closely with the LTTE’s leadership. Yet, despite the ideological conditioning I underwent, a different kind of message persisted within me—one born of melody, rhythm, and cultural connection.
My emotional and eventual physical defection from the LTTE to the Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and later to the Sri Lankan Directorate of Military Intelligence was profoundly influenced by the music of South Indian composers, particularly A.R. Rahman and Dr. Ilaiyaraaja (Ariaratnam & Bramadat-Willcock, 2024). These musicians created sonic worlds that clashed with the LTTE’s narrative of death, martyrdom, and ideological absolutism. The LTTE forbade its cadres from engaging with popular cinema, music, or any form of leisure that could undermine its austere doctrine. Romantic love, joy, and musical expression were all deemed “bourgeois distractions” from the goal of Tamil Eelam (International Crisis Group, 2007).
Yet I resisted. I secretly consumed these banned cultural artifacts, risking punishment for listening to cassettes of A.R. Rahman’s Roja (1992), a musical masterpiece that blended classical Indian instruments with global genres like techno, jazz, and orchestral composition. The themes of love, longing, and unity present in Rahman’s work—especially Roja and Bombay—cut through the ideological armor I had been forced to wear. His music was more than entertainment; it was an emotional map to another world—one where peace, beauty, and human connection existed beyond war.
This effect was not coincidental. Rahman’s music was intentionally pluralistic, embracing Hindu, Muslim, and Christian spiritual motifs while refusing to serve sectarian narratives. His compositions created an audio-visual counter-narrative that aligned more closely with human dignity than with the LTTE’s dogma. In the sterile and fear-laden reality of a militant camp, this music gave me hope. It stirred within me a desire to escape, not only physically, but ideologically. It was this very cultural affinity—this deep, pan-South Indian musical bond—that catalyzed my willingness to collaborate with RAW and later the Sri Lankan military. The defection itself, though facilitated by intelligence actors, was spiritually powered by the soft power of music (Ariaratnam & Bramadat-Willcock, 2024).
This illustrates how cultural artifacts—especially music—can be used strategically in modern counterterrorism. The same pattern is observable in other regions. Radical Islamist groups like al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Islamic State (ISIS) are notorious for banning music, destroying instruments, and executing musicians. This is not arbitrary. These groups recognize that music promotes empathy, memory, and joy—elements that weaken their grip on followers. Thus, music is not just a form of entertainment; it is a psychological battlefield that extremist organizations desperately try to dominate (Pieslak, 2015).
The West, in its counterterrorism efforts, often fails to utilize culturally appropriate soft power strategies. While Western music might have played a critical role in the fall of the Soviet Union, imposing artists like Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift in non-Western contexts can be ineffective or even counterproductive. Effective counterterrorism soft power must be localized. In the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, regional music, cinema, and popular culture are far more resonant than Western pop icons (Nye, 2011). The cultural impact of A.R. Rahman in South Asia or Mohammed Wardi in Sudan cannot be underestimated in fostering resistance to extremism. These artists inspire emotional and moral frameworks that contradict violence, tribalism, and religious extremism.
In conclusion, music is not simply a background to geopolitical events; it is often a catalyst for change. Whether it be the Beatles challenging Soviet conformity or Rahman inspiring ideological liberation in a Sri Lankan child soldier, music serves as a form of resistance. Its power lies in its ability to bypass rational defenses and connect with the human soul—making it one of the most powerful instruments in the fight against terrorism. Strategic deployment of culturally sensitive music can be a vital tool in the psychological dismantling of terrorist ideologies. It is time policymakers integrate this profoundly humane weapon into their counterterrorism arsenal.
References
Ariaratnam, K., & Bramadat-Willcock, M. (2024). Spy Tiger: The 05 File – A Child Soldier Turned Double Agent. Independently published.
International Crisis Group. (2007). Sri Lanka’s Muslims: Caught in the crossfire. Asia Report N°134. https://www.crisisgroup.org
McCarthy, J. (2011). Music as soft power: The case of rock music in the USSR. Journal of Cold War Studies, 13(3), 93–120.
McSmith, A. (2015). No such thing as society: A history of Britain in the 1980s. Constable.
Nye, J. S. (2004). Soft power: The means to success in world politics. Public Affairs.
Nye, J. S. (2011). The future of power. Public Affairs.
Pieslak, J. (2015). Radicalism and music: An introduction to the music cultures of al-Qa’ida, racism, nationalism, and Christian extremism. Wesleyan University Press.
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