Soundtrack to Slaughter
The social media trend known as “Remove Kebab”
FFPF investigates how anti-Muslim hate circulates on YouTube through a propaganda song, its adaptations, playlists and comments.
Conceptual artwork generated with AI.
What the research found
Identified through 14 searches on 1 July 2026.
Combined views displayed across the 40 uploads.
Dated uploads posted after the Christchurch attack.
The study identifies 37 uploads as the core material and three as contextual examples. Researchers also recorded three curation playlists. The newest upload identified was approximately two months old at collection, dating to May 2026.
How the song circulates
The material appears as raw uploads, remasters, extended loops, instrumentals, altered audio and short-form adaptations. Descriptions identify reuploads, request downloads before removal and anticipate the return of deleted copies. An archive playlist includes repeated copies of an upload and unavailable items.
Search suggestions supplied the song’s name and format variants. Generated Mix playlists and other visible interface features appeared alongside documented uploads.
Extremist references in everyday formats
The song praises Radovan Karadžić, convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. The Christchurch attacker played it during the attack in March 2019 and used its meme name.
FFPF’s captured comments celebrate the perpetrator, mock murdered worshippers and present violence against Muslims as entertainment. Other comments describe the song as a ringtone or familiar cultural reference. The report examines how those expressions appear alongside the music’s circulation.
Historical and educational examples are recorded separately from the core material. Titles, descriptions, audiovisual content and comments provide different evidence about each item.
Recommendations
The report proposes six areas for follow-up:
- Assess the documented uploads, playlists and comments individually, with attention to content and context.
- Investigate repeated uploads and altered formats while preserving legitimate historical, educational and artistic material.
- Examine the reach and effects of the search suggestions, generated Mixes and other discovery features recorded in the study.
- Explain how advertising, Premium revenue and download eligibility apply to the documented material.
- Provide contextual review and routes to correct errors.
- Share non-identifying outcome information that supports follow-up research on availability, recurrence and responses to reported harms.
Methods and scope
Researchers ran 14 queries in a signed-in, English-language YouTube session using the Canadian storefront on 1 July 2026. They recorded titles, channels, URLs, displayed views, upload dates or ages, and duration, then removed duplicate video IDs. Six watch pages and one curation playlist received more detailed examination. Additional comments were captured on 3 July.
The figures describe the documented sample at collection. Combined views are not unique viewers. The study records search availability, visible interface features and audience comments; it does not measure recommendation exposure, detection performance, uploader earnings or a causal effect on offline violence.
About this publication
Publisher: Foundation for a Path Forward
Research: July 2026
Editorial edition: 6 September 2026
Report: 26 pages, including ten evidence exhibits and a 43-record register covering 40 uploads and three playlists.
Suggested citation: Foundation for a Path Forward. (2026). Soundtrack to Slaughter: The Social Media Trend Known as “Remove Kebab”. Research conducted July 2026; editorial edition 6 September 2026.
Read the full report
The complete report includes ten evidence exhibits, a 43-record register and references.
View PDFContact the research team
For research inquiries, collaboration or corrections, contact Foundation for a Path Forward.
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