Muslims Can’t Rock!

Jakarta
Reader Contribution

Edited by – James M. Kelly

Muslims in Malaysia barred from a rock concert

Muslims in Malaysia have been barred from a rock concert that is being organized by beer giants Guinness. According to the Malaysian government, rules of the country forbid alcohol companies from organizing any event. However, an exception was made for this event in the hope that it will boost tourism, but Muslims have been strictly prohibited from the event.

The Malaysian government, in the past few days, has launched an extensive campaign against alcohol consumption by Malaysian Muslims. A Muslim woman was sentenced to canning by an Islamic court for drinking beer in public. However, the sentence was cancelled afterwards. The government has also banned the sale of alcohol in retail shops as part of its campaign against alcohol consumption by Muslims in the state.

Guinness has organized a concert near Kuala Lumpur as a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of its flagship brewery in Dublin. A famous rock band ‘The Black Eyed Peas’ are to perform in this concert on 25th September. But this ban on Muslims by the authorities has cast a shadow of doubt on the concert since over 60% of Malaysia’s population is Muslim.

This is not the first time that foreign performers had to face protest by the conservative Muslim society in Malaysia. Earlier, artists like Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne were hit by restrictions on grounds of immodest clothing, thus forcing them to change their whole attire to make it more descent.

According to the officials, only non Muslims who are over the age of 18 will be allowed to enter the concert, and Guinness will not be allowed to use its logo on the publicity materials. It is, however, not clear as to how the Malaysian authorities will enforce this ban on Muslims. Earlier performances in Malaysia, including one by the Black Eyed Peas in 2007, were always open to Muslims and enjoyed huge success in terms of crowds.