Back when I was a religion graduate student I attended the first academic conference on theomusicology, the study of religion in music.  We talked about religious symbols in "Like a Prayer,"" the roll of the Rock in rock 'n' roll, and all sorts of other good things--somewhere out there, in fact, there's a little heard nor long remembered footnote with my name in it.    

But tonight Andrew Sullivan has linked to a music video that deserves to be seen:  Deeyah's What Will It Be?  It's a trenchant protest by a Muslim woman against the mistreatment of women by Islamic fundamentalists. 

Western dress, exposed flesh, a woman smoking a hookah in public--the images in this video break conservative taboos in a way that has far more cultural significance than transgression-for-transgression's sake in the liberal West. 

And then there's this conspicuous piece of jewelry worn by American rapper Young Maylay:  a Christian cross.

Which is one reason why the "Muslim Madonna" now has to guard against death threats.