Islamists Urge Malaysia To Stop LINKIN PARK Concert
September 25, 2003Malaysia's Islamist opposition urged the government on Thursday to ban LINKIN PARK from performing in the capital, saying it could lead to moral decay, according to Reuters.
The hip-hop hard-rock band is due to perform on October 15 in Kuala Lumpur, capital of the mostly Muslim country, as part of a three-nation Asian tour that also includes Japan and South Korea.
But Mahfuz Omar, a leader of the main opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia, said the group's permission to perform — on condition they refrain from sexually provocative behavior — should be revoked.
"We feel LINKIN PARK will not able to contribute towards moral uplift among the youth in this country," he said. "The government should immediately withdraw its permission."
Mahfuz said holding the concert just days before Malaysia hosts a meeting of 57 Islamic heads of state was regrettable.
But concert organizers said they would go ahead with the show at the 45,000-capacity Merdeka Stadium after getting government approvals 10 days ago.
"We expect a sell-out concert," said a spokesman for the organizers.
Responding to Mahfuz's reservations, he said, "People have a choice whether to watch the concert or not. Anyway, LINKIN PARK is a very clean band."
The government approval comes with strict rules prohibiting provocative gestures or speech, as well as clothing or accessories that could be considered obscene or related to negative activities such as drug-taking, he said.
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