Mohsen Namjoo concert off – Rais

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KUALA LUMPUR: The concert by Iranian singer Mohsen Namjoo scheduled here for Friday is off.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said yesterday the government would not allow the concert, scheduled to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, because it was not appropriate in terms of religion, culture and the country’s cosmopolitan nature.

The application to stage the concert from the organisers was rejected yesterday at a meeting of the committee of the Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal), he said in a statement.

The singer has received much opposition from Malaysians because he is said to have ridiculed Islam in his songs.

In Sepang, the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), confirming that the songs of Namjoo ridiculed the Quran, had called on the authorities to revoke the permit for the concert.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said that following a report lodged by Kulim Bandar Baharu member of parliament Zulkifli Nordin, checks conducted by Jakim found that the songs by the singer ridiculed the Quran.

In June 2009, Namjoo was reportedly sentenced to five years’ jail by a court in Iran for ridiculing Islam and the Quran in his songs, but escaped the sentence because he was residing in Vienna. — Bernama