By Ramon Alexander Jaime

Serj Tankian defies anything that straddles convention. As front man for the band System of a Down, his o­nstage persona is an aggressive, outspoken advocate for social justice. With the frenzy of a blistering, neo-metal sound serving as a daunting backdrop, his in-person sedate demeanor is a fascinating paradox. He’s a soft-spoken, self-effacing philosopher with a purity of heart that is immediately evident. If the famous adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” ever applied to anyone, it would definitely fit Tankian. But don’t let this gentle soul mislead you – he has a passion and a vision that is anything but passive.

Historically, musicians as part of the creative collective have been notoriously political, and to varying degrees, extremely visible. Woody Guthrie protested a variety of causes including an anti-war agenda and the injustices o­n racial segregation in the ‘30s and ‘40s; he was followed by folk singers such as Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary, and then rock musicians of many stripes in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, agitating against issues ranging from the war in Vietnam to nuclear power to Ronald Reagan’s blunt Cold War rhetoric.

From Coldplay’s Chris Martin writing “Make Trade Free” to Steve Earle getting arrested while protesting the death penalty, rock stars occasionally come bearing political causes. Sometimes, an artist’s activism stems from an urge to use his band’s popularity to further a good cause. Or, perhaps he wants to be judged as something more than a mere entertainer. But in the case of Tankian, the motive is that there isn’t a motive. He’s just following his heart and what he feels is the thing to do.

37-year-old Tankian’s political consciousness grew out of his ethnic background. An Armenian who moved to the U.S. as a boy, he says he experienced his own form of oppression. “As a kid,” Tankian remembers, “you see something that you know in your heart is true. It’s such a huge hypocrisy that it makes you think, ‘Well, if this is a truth that I know about that’s not officially accepted, at least in this country, then how many other truths are there that are under the surface that need to come out?’”

In 2000, Tankian and his band mates of System of a Down created an event called “Souls: A Benefit for the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide” at the Palace in Hollywood. With over 1,300 in attendance, the concert raised over twenty thousand dollars to support efforts of the official recognition.

This year is the third “Souls” benefit concert that System of a Down has organized and headlined, and as before, the four band members - Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan - have earmarked the proceeds from “Souls, 2005” to benefit organizations that work to eradicate genocides across the globe. This includes the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), an organization that supports legislation in the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide. “It’s important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide,” explained Tankian, “and that those actions continue to be covered up by the Turkish government, the U.S. State Department, Turkey’s allies in the defense and oil industries, and by our present U.S. Administration. Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler might not have thought he could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle.” Tankian said.

“The traveling minstrels were very well regarded by kings and the court because of the experiences they had traveling,” he says. “The poetry and music they did was like a direct essence of what they felt at the time — just not themselves but whatever society was feeling. Minstrels used to have a lot of respect from governments.”

Regardless of the vehicle, Tankian is convinced of the message. “Earlier o­n in my life,” he says, “I think what motivated me to be more politically or socially inclined in my thinking was the Turkish — as well as the U.S Congressional — denial of the Armenian genocide, the truth of the reality of the first genocide of the 20th century.”

In an effort to complement his political consciousness, Tankian teamed up with
Audioslave’s Tom Morello to create the non-profit social-activist organization Axis of Justice. He got involved when Morello approached Ozzfest about hosting a small-scale version of what would become Axis of Justice: basically a tent with information about different social and political organizations. Encouraged by the response, Morello and Tankian decided to expand their vision.

“It’s the sort of organization that’s not focused o­n o­ne thing,” Tankian says about Axis of Justice. “Our o­nly thing is justice.” He laughs at that. “That’s a huge thing to digest. There’s no formal way of approaching it. It’s whatever comes to us. I may read an article, something really interesting, and send it in to post o­n the site. Tom may see something, too. I think that’s how life is — whatever comes in front of you.”

Tankian’s “action speaks louder than words” mantra has involved him in a few high profile adventures. He broke city ordinances in Santa Monica by feeding the homeless around the Third Street Promenade as well as the “Tell Us the Truth Tour”, which spotlighted the evils of media consolidation and rampant globalization. The event featured R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Billy Bragg, and Earle. At the end of 2003, the organization set up a benefit concert at the Roxy to help striking Southern California grocery workers.

Tankian hopes that political change can be achieved with as little rhetoric as possible. “I don’t like people that are preachy,” he says. “And I don’t like to get preachy. I don’t think it’s the way of making positive change. You affect change with the message being subtle.”
As for another obstacle, countless skeptics will always scoff at a group like Axis of Justice because of its founders. For every Bono who successfully bridges the gap between rocker and legitimate political advocate, there are those who widen it. Popular music has had its share of embarrassing public displays of activism. Who can forget members of Pearl Jam dressed in their grunge worst while speaking to Congress about unjust concert ticket practices, or Fred Durst badly fumbling an anti-war comment at the Grammy Awards? Shouldn’t entertainers just entertain?

As you would imagine, Tankian resists the notion that rock stars shouldn’t talk politics. Also not surprisingly, he insists that Axis of Justice’s “do-goodism” has not met with resistance. As far as Tankian is concerned, these assumptions about the limitations of popular artists are a recent phenomenon.

As founders of Axis of Justice, both Tankian and Morello had a sense of being outsiders in the great promised land of America, who managed to turn musical ability and social critique into popular and critical success. Both experienced social injustices and equally felt a desire to affect change in a very personal way.

Not wanting to abandon his political nature, Tankian has fused the energy he has for his music with his passion of personalized activism. While the founders of Axis of Justice talk a lot about their grassroots campaigning for others, they can proudly quantify several of its own accomplishments dutifully chronicled o­n their website.

In addition to his work with the band and Axis, Tankian is keeping busy with his gig as a socially-conscious DJ, broadcasting in Los Angeles o­n KPFK 90.7, where he hosts the Axis of Justice Radio Network, playing hand-selected “rebel music” such as Public Enemy, the Sex Pistols, and Woody Guthrie. Between songs, he speaks to guests ranging from activists/entertainers such as Michael Moore, to writers, including Jim Naureckas, editor of a bimonthly journal of media criticism to controversial self-described loudmouths.
Morello seems to echo this point. In a recent interview, he said, “To me, politics is not just politics, especially in today’s world. Economics is more political than politics these days. IMF [International Monetary Fund] and World Bank and WTO [World Trade Organization] have more say in the political world than governments do at this point. It’s so interrelated that you can’t even separate them.”

Naturally, a group like Axis of Justice could be dismissed as o­ne more, smug liberal swipe at the corporatization of the American media. But Tankian doesn’t see the issue in such a simplified way: “The truth is the truth.”

In keeping with Axis’ disapproval of media consolidation and shrinking news alternatives, Tankian believes that taking the truth directly to a fan base is far more effective than other sources of perceived propaganda because of the relationship he has with his audience. In this regard, successful musicians find themselves in a unique position to command the attention of millions of impressionable fans. And when those musicians happen to be passionate and outspoken, they’ll pretty quickly become go-to talking heads whenever the next newsworthy topic comes down the pike.

As a way to shepherd interested fans into action, Morello and Tankian’s website for the organization (www.axisofjustice.org) serves as the central headquarters for the group’s activities. The site offers suggested reading lists, news items, and events calendars for other groups, and ebullient inspiring quotes from Martin Luther King, Karl Marx, and Gandhi.
“The important thing [with] the Axis of Justice website is it provides an alternative source of news,” Morello says. “What’s chipping away at democracy is the corporate media consolidation. Soon, we’ll have a few massive corporations deciding everything we see and hear o­n the television, radio, and in print. In order for people to make up their mind about what’s going o­n in their community, their country, and the world at large, they need access to a diversity of opinions. They’re not getting that. So that’s o­ne of the things we provide.”
“What I’d really like to see Axis of Justice do in the future is to have a more formal, activist-based schedule where something is happening every month, every two months,” Tankian says. “We’re trying to set up an infrastructure to be able to facilitate that, to be able to work with different people, kids who want to volunteer.”

Tankian will keep fighting the system from the outside. And, like many, they’ll wait to see if the political landscape in this country will change anytime soon. But if left up to his own devices, Tankian would be well served if his message inspires others to share the confidence and clarity of vision to present viewpoints that other people might not hear. Or in Tankian’s case, speak softly and carry a big political stick.

Read The Original Article in Mosaix Magazine website

Thanks Vayreni

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