Islamic officials in Malaysia yesterday ruled that "black metal" music was unacceptable for Muslims, saying it can cause listeners to rebel against religion.
Black metal is akin to hard rock music, but often uses occult imagery and lyrics. It emerged in Europe in the early 1980s and has made inroads in Southeast Asia in recent years, though its popularity has remained limited to underground rock fans.
Some people in Malaysia -- a moderate, mostly Muslim nation -- have urged authorities to clarify whether Muslims should shun the music after police on New Year's Eve detained some 380 revelers at an alleged black metal concert in Kuala Lumpur for suspected drug use and other offenses.
The National Fatwa Council, comprising Islamic scholars hand-picked by Malaysia's king, said yesterday that the themes of black metal music were prohibited by Islam, claiming they could lead Muslims to stray from their beliefs, consume alcohol and indulge in sexual misconduct.
Authorities plan to enact new laws allowing charges to be laid against Muslims who form black metal bands, council spokesman Shukor Husin was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.
"We are trying to prevent any increase in our society in the number of such band members," Shukor said following a meeting by the council to investigate the issue.
Penalties for taking part in black metal groups were not immediately clear, and Shukor didn't say whether it would also be an offense to attend black metal concerts or listen to such music.
Phone calls to the council's office were not immediately answered.
Some 60 percent of Malaysia's 26 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims, who are subject to Islamic laws as well as the country's secular legal system.
The council's rulings do not affect the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, majority of whom are Buddhists, Christians and Hindus.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS