Spoken word poet Malik Yusef performed the Star-Spangled Banner at a June 13 naturalization ceremony in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on June 13 in a unique, “jihadist-chic” style as part of the city’s Flag Day observances. The Chicago Sun-Times captured Yusef’s bizarre performance in the image above, but did not comment on it.
Have U ever heard the national anthem performed SPOKEN WORD style? Well u will 2day, downtown CHICAGO #IMAGRATIONRIHGTS #goodmusic
— Malik Yusef (@malikyusef) June 13, 2013
In his performance, Yusef desecrated the American flag, wrapping it around his head as if it were an intifada-style Arab kaffiyeh, then recited the anthem as local dignitaries, such as Miss Chicago 2013, Savannah Teegarden, looked on helplessly.
Seventy-seven new American citizens likely wondered what, exactly, they had just sworn allegiance to, and why.
The ceremony was co-hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights–one of the pressure groups supporting the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill.
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