'Philia: Artists Rise Against Islamophobia' fight back

CAIRO – 3 September 2017: In response to the rise of Islamophobia and racial tensions in the U.S, a group of American musicians have come together and formed 'Philia: Artists Rise Against Islamophobia'.

The word 'Philia' comes from the Greek word for 'brotherly love', and poetically expresses the goals of the project, as it aims to connect people through music and spread love to counteract hate.

Situated in Portland, this collaborative project is a 20-track album published by Floating House Records and features a diverse array of American artists bent on fighting back against Islamophobia, such as Tunisian musician Emel Mathlouthi and bands such as Fruit Bats. Other artists involved include Mac DeMarco and Hamilton Leithauser.

The project was produced in direct response to statistics released by the US Department of Justice that incidents of discrimination against Muslims and Arabs in America has dramatically increased this past year, according to their website United Against Islamophobia.

All proceeds from ‘Philia’ go towards the Unity Productions Foundation, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fighting Islamophobia.