Islamist organizations often use anashid, a form of poetic chants, as a political tool. Since music is a contested issue in many Muslim contexts, anashid is one of few accepted musical genres. Hence, the usage of anashid is not only limited to the organizational sphere, but traverse the borders between the public domain of the organizations into the private sphere of the supporters. Through the examples of Hamas and Hizbullah, this chapter shows how the usage of anashid interacts in the public and private domains through the theoretical definitions of the purposive (intentional and strategic) and effective (inducing connotations) dimensions of how music can be used for political purposes. Anashid is explored through empirical data gathered within the milieus of Hamas and Hizbullah.
