**1. Hardline Subculture:**
– Beliefs:
– Prohibits smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs, or medicine.
– Follows a strict vegan diet, avoiding certain processed foods.
– Influenced by human rights issues in food choices.
– Conservative stance on sexual activity, emphasizing procreation.
– History:
– Emerged in the 1990s from the hardcore punk scene.
– Influential bands like Earth Crisis and Vegan Reich promoted vegan messaging.
– Attracted followers after Vegan Reich’s EP release.
– Key role of Sean Muttaqi in shaping and spreading ideology.
– Active in organizing protests for animal rights.
– Criticism:
– Viewed as ecoauthoritarian due to militant views.
– Rejected racism and fascism.
– Accused of extremist actions by bands like Vegan Reich and Raid.
– Faced backlash for strict beliefs on sexuality and abortion.
– Some engaged in criminal activities, leading to law enforcement scrutiny.
– Decline:
– Peaked in the early to mid-1990s.
– Faded out of existence by the late 1990s.
– Failed attempts to stabilize with a Central Committee.
– Personality conflicts and lack of skills contributed to community failures.
– Disconnect from the hardcore scene led to decline.
– Legacy:
– Marked the hardcore punk scene with militant vegan straight edge stance.
– Activists like Walter Bond and Pete Wentz gained recognition.
– Influence extended to animal rights groups and radical causes.
– Tension between idealism and practicality mirrored past communal movements.
– Violent reputation highlighted in incidents like Salt Lake City in the late 1990s.
**2. Anarchism and Animal Rights:**
– Intersection of anarchist principles and animal liberation movements.
– Advocacy for abolition of all forms of animal exploitation.
– Emphasis on non-hierarchical relationships and mutual aid between humans and animals.
– Critique of speciesism within societal structures.
– Promotion of veganism to reduce harm to animals.
**3. Anarchism and Islam:**
– Exploration of anarchist ideas within Islamic contexts.
– Critique of authoritarian interpretations of Islam.
– Emphasis on individual autonomy and community solidarity.
– Advocacy for social justice and equality within Muslim communities.
– Intersection of Islamic teachings with anti-authoritarian principles.
**4. Animal Rights and Punk Subculture:**
– Connection between punk ethos and animal liberation activism.
– Critique of mainstream culture’s treatment of animals.
– Promotion of veganism and animal rights within punk communities.
– Emphasis on DIY ethics and grassroots activism.
– Influence of punk music and aesthetics on animal rights advocacy.
**5. Bioethics and Consistent Life Ethic:**
– Bioethics:
– Ethical considerations in human-animal interactions.
– Moral dilemmas in biotechnology and medical research.
– Exploration of environmental sustainability and animal welfare.
– Rights and responsibilities in bioethical decision-making.
– Intersection of philosophy, science, and policy in debates.
– Consistent Life Ethic:
– Advocacy for protection of all life forms.
– Opposition to violence, war, capital punishment, and abortion.
– Promotion of non-violent solutions to social issues.
– Emphasis on interconnectedness of all living beings.
– Intersection of pro-life, anti-war, and animal rights movements.
Hardline is a subculture that has its roots in the vegan straight edge hardcore punk scene. It is commonly seen as a more extreme version of straight edge, with influences from deep ecology philosophy. From its outset, hardline adherents put out statements and literature pushing a biocentric view of the world, which advocated for veganism, animal rights, pro-life, anti-homosexuality, and a much more militant version of the straight edge philosophy, which advocates for a no alcohol, no drugs, no tobacco lifestyle. The hardline worldview has been accused by critics as ecoauthoritarian. Hardline co-founder Sean Muttaqi adamantly rejected racism and fascism.
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A handful of hardline bands existed, the most well known of which were Vegan Reich and Raid. Earth Crisis was loosely aligned with the subculture, but were not necessarily classified as a hardline band.
The heyday of hardline was in the early to mid-1990s when hardline chapters existed in a number of cities across the United States as well in the United Kingdom and Germany. However, by end of the 1990s, the subculture had mostly faded out of existence.