In concert in Kuala Lumpur - unless you're a Muslim

More from the funless world of Muslim Malaysia – pop event closed to all Muslims because sponsor is the Guinness Brewery:

Malaysia’s government has banned Muslims from attending a Black Eyed Peas concert because the event is organised by Guinness, an official said today.

The U.S. hip-hop stars are due to perform at a theme park near Kuala Lumpur next month as part of worldwide celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of Guinness’ flagship brewery in Dublin.

The show will be one of five taking place across the globe to celebrate the landmark birthday.

The event’s Malaysian website read: ‘The party is only open to non-Muslims aged 18 years and above.’

A Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture official said: ‘Muslims cannot attend. Non-Muslims can go and have fun.’

She said the September 25 concert would not normally have been permitted, because government regulations prohibit alcohol companies from organising concerts. She said that authorities made an exception in the hope the event would boost tourism.

Guinness must not use its logo in concert publicity material, she added.

It was not immediately clear how the ban on Muslims is likely to be enforced. Concert organisers did not respond to a request for comments.

Past major pop concerts in Malaysia, including one by the Black Eyed Peas in 2007, have been open to all residents, however shows by Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne in recent years faced protests by conservative Muslims over their immodest clothing, forcing the artists to wear attire that revealed little skin.

In family and personal matters, Muslims in Malaysia are governed by Sharia or Islamic law, which forbids the consumption of alcohol.

The concert ban follows a crackdown on alcohol consumption among Malaysia’s Muslim majority.

A Muslim woman who drank beer in public was sentenced to caning by an Islamic court last month, though authorities this week agreed to review the penalty.

Officials also recently curbed retail sales of liquor in a central state.

Ethnic Malays make up nearly 60 percent of Malaysia’s 28 million population and are all legally considered Muslim. The rest of the country is mainly ethnic Chinese and Indians, most of whom are Buddhist, Christian or Hindu.

We believe one of the Achilles Heels of fundamentalist Islam (along with its shameful treatment of females) is the frustration of its youth at the draconian controls and laws surrounding music, art and freedom of expression. Against the laws of nature, it attempts to direct youthful spirit and exuberance solely toward the mosque, the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

This, as we know, produces a number of extremists; but also a much larger of young people who bear a grudging resentment against this repression. We have seen an expression of this recently in Iran, where the protests against the re-election of Ahmadinejad were co-ordinated and conducted mainly by the young; the same people who risk police brutality and worse just to attend a secret underground rock concert, or to write a blog.

Whilst we’re not celebrating the fact that Muslim kids in Kuala Lumpur won’t be able to see their favourite band, we hope they’ll remember who prevented them from doing so.

Our advice to the Mullahs? Ban more concerts!

[Main story: Daily Mail]

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