While touring the United States in November 1979, Cabaret Voltaire became strongly interested in the rise of the Christian right and its use of television, especially the fund-raising broadcasts of TV evangelist Eugene Scott. They compared this to the rise of Islamism, devoting a side to each strand of religious politics on their 1980 mini-album "Three Mantras". "Red Mecca" was a culmination of this interest. According to Richard H. Kirk: "The whole Afghanistan situation was kicking off, Iran had the American hostages [...] we were taking notice [...] it's not called ["Red Mecca"] by coincidence. We weren't referencing the fucking Mecca Ballroom in Nottingham!"