Kuala Lumpur, August 28: Malaysia has barred Muslims from attending a concert by the US hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas because alcohol is to be sold during the event, which is being sponsored by Guinness beer, officials said Thursday.
The concert’s official website said Thursday that the September 25 “party is only open to non-Muslims aged 18 years and above.”
Previous major pop concerts in Malaysia, including one by the Grammy award-winning Black Eyed Peas in 2007, have always been open to Muslims.
A call to one of the concert’s ticketing agencies revealed that the ban was in place because alcohol would be sold and served throughout the concert at a theme park near the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
“Only non-Muslims are allowed to attend the concert as beer will be sold during the event,” said the attendant, citing an official memo handed out to all employees.
“Government officers will check everyone’s identification cards before they are allowed to enter,” she said.
The government and organizers have declined to comment on the reason for the ban.
Malaysia’s majority Muslim population are governed in family and personal matters by Islamic sharia laws, which forbid consumption of alcohol.
Last month, a Muslim single mother of two was sentenced to be caned six times and fined 5,000 ringgit (1,351 dollars) after she was caught drinking beer in a nightclub.
–Agencies