With news of refugees fleeing Syria and Donald Trump declaring that the US should close its borders to Muslims, border control is a much-discussed topic right now. What artist M.I.A. can’t understand is why countries need to have strict borders in the first place.
Speaking to NPR, M.I.A. holds Western media partially accountable for enticing foreigners to live there, only to turn them away: “If the West is so deliberate in promoting its brands and is using art and culture to inspire people’s dreams, how can the West then turn people away?” As a result of moving to Britain to escape the Sri Lankan Civil War, the topic is close to M.I.A.’s heart.
In November, M.I.A. released the music video for politically-charged song “Borders”, a song which begs the question: “Borders, what’s up with that?” and features boats filled with people supposedly headed to a better life. The video can be viewed below.
#Peace.Love.M.I.A.
