Islamic NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has called on the government to cancel a New Year’s eve concert featuring Jamaican artist Sean Paul in Malé, a day after an online group threatened to kill the singer should he visit the Maldives.
The NGO’s President Abdulla bin Muhammad Ibrahim said the ‘Tourist Arrival Countdown Show’ on December 31 would encourage youth to remain ignorant and sinful and said the state was “investing in destruction” by funding the show.
“Instead of ensuring the youth, who are the future of this Islamic country, are educated in the ways of Islam and reformed into being religious, the wealthy are encouraging the youth to remain in their ignorant state by getting intoxicated with music and other sinful activities,” said Ibrahim.
The Facebook statement went on to accuse government leader of “keeping the youth on the attractive footsteps of the devil” by arranging the celebration, calling for its cancellation.
“I further call on all brothers and sisters to refrain from participating in such misleading actions, and to do whatever you are capable of doing, in whichever field you can, to ensure that such activities cannot be carried out,” he continued.
The sponsors of the event will “regret their actions on the day of judgement,” added Ibrahim.
Salaf’s statement comes in the aftermath of a video posted on December 25 threatening Sean Paul with death.
“If you visit the Maldives, the world will see your burnt and blood drenched dead body,” read the message in the Youtube video.
The video bore the logo of Bilad Al Sham (BASM), an online group that claims to represent Maldivian militants in Syria. However, the group has denied any involvement in the video’s production.
BASM did, however condemn the concert as “filthy” and “part of the ideological attack being waged by the kuffar and their allies on the Muslim youth to take them further from their Deen.”
Police have confirmed that they are investigating the video and said they will strengthen security at the Galolhu Football Stadium where the concert is to take place.
“We are investigating the video. We also urge the public to not be alarmed or intimidated at all by the video. We are further strengthening security measures in response to the video,” a police spokesperson told Minivan News today.
Police have also issued a press release assuring the public that appropriate security measures would be taken and that a security plan, which includes blocking traffic in areas adjacent to the stadium, has been formulated.
The police said it is confident it can assure the safety of all concert goers based on its experience of overseeing security at international football matches at the Galolhu Stadium.
In addition to Jamiyyathuh Salaf, Adhaalath Party Vice President Dr Mauroof Hussain has also expressed his disapproval with the concert.
“I don’t like the planned new year eve show but I abhor more the extremism of some people issuing death threats which is more unIslamic,” a tweet dated December 26 from Dr Mauroof’s official account read.
The Adhaalath Party’s only parliamentarian Anara Naeem has meanwhile tweeted, saying the youth need Islamic education and not ‘music 24 hours’.
In a second tweet, she criticised the imitation of “Western” culture and celebration of Western festivals.
Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has commented on the threat yesterday via twitter, saying: “Bringing foreigners to hold shows coinciding with the New Year is unacceptable. Issuing death threats is also unacceptable.”
Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb has also condemned the video, saying that the government would not give in to threats.
The last major Western artist to perform in the capital was Irish singer Chris De Burgh in 2012. Prior to this, a concert featuring R&B singer Akon in 2010 was cancelled, with the event’s managers citing technical and security concerns.
Related to this story
Online jihadists threaten Sean Paul with death ahead of New Year’s concert
Police defiant in the face of taunts from jihadi group
Akon’s Supafest postponed “at least six weeks”
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Sean is coming here to "warm up" for heaven and help our youngsters in that "warm up" as well.
So, what's wrong with that? The President said we should warm up for heaven...
The mind boggles. How can you further corrupt Maldivian young men who are already into gang warfare and hard drugs? The same pattern of criminality is seem in other muslim countries, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Terroristan. Clearly ramming radical Islam down the necks of poorly educated and unemployed youth with nothing to do all day hasn't worked.
Funny how music, singing and dancing is deemed unislamic by the bearded mullahs but injecting heroin and inhaling crack isn't.
i respect his views.
however, it is his views.
it is i who will make a decision.
i don't care if i go to hell, come sean. we need you.
Music is haraam and it is gives no harm to your health instead it is good to reduce stress. Sugar, supari, tobacco, cigarette, is halal but they are bad for your health, but the Islamist prefer harmful halaal over beneficial haraam . Why there is no campaign by islamis against these harmful habits of fellow dhivehin. The reason is obvious, Islamists have some mental defects and they get nervous breakdown if they have to tolerate anything that they see as a taboo. Probably these Islamist are enochlophobics and sadists and are unable to stand to see people are enjoying.
Probably music is the art that human have mastered that paved the way for the development of languages and making human highly social animal. Why Mullas are so against such great things that made human a human and trying to remove music from human nature is like going back to primate. By the way what is the reason music is haraam? Is it because music and dancing is the creation of Shaithan to make people forget the only purpose of their life which is praying and living with fear of God ?. What about today’s biggest evil thing Shaithan has created; the capitalism and internet and social media. And there is nothing Mullahs can do to stop this and definitely these two things will take away God from the daily life of every men, women and child.
MissIndiaAgarwaltheThug, Indian Ambassador advised his Colleague Egyptian Ambassodor to do it”the Indian-way” who in turn enquired how? “Go to the first corner on the street out there and peeeeeeeeeeeee like the Indians do,” retorted the Indian Ambassador. So, it is official that the Indians are still in this 21st century, are at that level of backwardness officially declaring that Indian Streets are toilets. Moreover, former Indian Prime Minister Moraraji Desai declared officially to the media that he starts his daily ritual breakfast with a glass of his own urine. MissIndiaAgarwaltheThug, I have told your menatlity can be contagious and that they are looking for you to get yourself admitted to NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro – Sciences) in Bangalore, created by your beloved British Raj instead of wasting your energy talking about the most beautiful country and peaceful people of the Maldives. Run,, Run, Run fast to the open gates of NIMHANS waiting for your diagnosis because your mental condition is unique.
Get a grip - wake up to the century we live in!!
If anyone even think that ignoring the World around us and the music among other things that entertain us is harmful in anyway, i suggest to do the following as well
- close the border completely, no communication with the outside world
- close TV signals from outside
- close the internet
It still is for the individual to determine what is right and wrong.
Some is regulated by law, other by religion and finally by a persons integrity and common sense.
We are entering 2015 and not the stone age.
Besides, the youth here in Maldives are not having ANY entertainment at all.
No youth clubs, no organized social activities/meeting places (unless is is for political purposes witch we know is the root to so much evil here already).
So i say go for it! Let the youth feel free enough to listen to the music of the time we live in and not the time some wish it still was - because that belongs way back and has no place in the modern society.
@Peace: Because these salafis profit the best by the sales of hard drugs and narcotics smuggling.
@MissIndia.
You lousy comments will not change our people mind to bring back GMR. You and your corrupt GMR will never be allowed on this soil.
You can write what ever you want in this country since we have a better democracy than yours.
If you make any criticism like this in your own home town you would have been in prison long time back and should have been experiencing the tortures from your prison officers and you must have been pissing on your pants .
Its time you feed the cow now and then worship and seek the eternal life from the cow you feed.
@ Hero and habibib
We Indians are soooo backward, yet you queue round the block of our Male embassy for study and medical visas. Amazing!
We Indians are soooo backward, yet you survive on cheap imports from India. Incredible!
We Indians are soooo backward, which is why we bail you out whenever there is a crisis. Bloody astonishing!
Let us hope the desalination plant doesn't conk out again, forcing you to wear the same underpants for ten days. Yuck.
The devil will not allow Maldivians enjoy earthly pleasures in paradise on earth.