Shihad displaces Pacifier in battle of the band's name

By JULIET ROWAN

The New Zealand band that changed its name to Pacifier to break into the US market after the September 11 terrorist attacks is changing it back to Shihad.

The Wellington band says the change from Shihad to Pacifier in January 2002 was a mistake.

The change was made because Shihad resembled "jihad" - the holy war or struggle by Islamic radicals.

"The events surrounding the name change and our choice to be known as Pacifier are well documented. As much as we believed in what we were doing, and the reasons for doing it at the time, the truth is we were wrong," the band says in a message on www.shihad.com and www.pacifierband.com.

The decision came after 12 months of "reconnecting" and writing music in New Zealand and Australia. The name Shihad came from a misspelling of jihad used in the novel Dune.

Shihad faced a barrage of criticism after the change from fans who accused it of selling out. Now the news of its about-face is being greeted with elation.

"I'm glad they are returning to the true name the real name the only name they could ever really have ... SHIHAD!!!!," says a message posted on NZMusic.com.