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Malaysian Islamic party to protest rocker Lavigne concert
2008-08-27
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's conservative Islamic party has said it will mount protests at Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne's concert here Friday, after failing to have it banned. The concert is an insult to Islam as the fasting month of Ramadan is due to start just a few days later, said Nasrudin Hassan of the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party PAS. "A concert of this nature is not conducive to teach the younger generation to become good citizens, upright and competitive, but instead would weaken them morally and mentally," he said in a statement. "If the concert organisers do not heed this warning to cancel the concert, PAS youth will order all Muslim youth to turn up and protest the concert in order to prevent it from taking place." The Canadian singer is scheduled to perform in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's official news agency Bernama reported that the application to hold the concert was originally rejected by the government on the grounds it was submitted too late. However, it said the cabinet last week agreed to let the concert take place on the condition that the performance was "not a bad influence, especially on the young". Last year, US singer Beyonce scrapped a planned concert in Malaysia due to fears of protests, when Gwen Stefani went ahead with a performance but was forced to cover up after complaints about her outfits.
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