Muslims force cancellation of Freddie Mercury birthday bash on Zanzibar

Yahoo AFP ^ | 08/31/06 | Issa Maalim

[Borges]

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania (AFP) - Organizers of a 60th gala birthday party for the late Zanzibar-born rock star Freddie Mercury, have cancelled the weekend event after outraged Muslims threatened to disrupt it.

Faced with fierce opposition from Islamists, who complained the flamboyant Queen lead singer's lifestyle was offensive to many on the overwhelmingly Muslim archipelago, organizers said they had no choice but to call it off.

"We have decided to cancel the party after misleading and erroneous information was spread about it," said organizer Simai Mohamed Saidi, who runs a Freddie Mercury theme restaurant in the capital.

"I urge Muslim groups in the future to seek correct information from us instead of relying on rumors," he said in an open letter, adding the event was intended to be celebration to honor Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991.

Saidi also lamented that the cancellation would hurt his intention to use the party to raise money for HIV/AIDS victims on Zanzibar.

Conservative Zanzibari Islamists last week demanded that authorities ban the party and then vowed to stage mass demonstrations if it went ahead, saying it would tarnish the islands' reputation and culture and promote homosexuality.

"We were ready to join forces against the party because we had information that a number of gays from abroad had come to take part," said Sheikh Azzan Hamdani of the association for Islamic Mobilization and Propagation (UAMSHO).

"We had also written letters to the tourist commission and the owner of the Mercury restaurant, demanding that they stop the party," he told AFP.

The authorities, who have long tip-toed between secular constitutional ideals, the demands of a booming tourist industry and the wishes of conservative Muslims, never formally responded to Islamists.

But Zanzibar's information ministry this week ordered local state-run media not to give the event any coverage.

Few on Zanzibar are aware of Queen or Freddie Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara on the main island of Unguja to Persian parents employed by the British colonial administration on September 5, 1946.

But the appearance of posters advertising the beach party to celebrate what would have been his 60th birthday in recent weeks prompted the Islamist complaints.

Although he was educated in India and moved with his family to Britain in 1964, Mercury, who died in 1991, remains perhaps Zanzibar's most famous son to many westerners and rock music fans.

[ZULU]

I guess even Muslims have good points.

[Red Badger]

Which nonsense? Theirs or mine?.........

[Red Badger]

There are three truths in life:
Jewish people do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader
of the Christian faith.
Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store.

[BenLurkin]

Everything is crazy.

Don't mind me.

[Red Badger]

A man went to heaven and was being shown around by St. Peter.
As they went from cloud to cloud they came to various doors which
St. Peter would open. One showed a large group rolling on the floor
and talking in tongues. "Our Pentecostals" he said..
Next was a serious ritual. "Our Jewish persuasion" he replied.
Then another ritualistic service. "Our Catholics".
At the next cloud, he didn't open the door but instead put his
forefinger to his lips in the hush motion and they both tip toed
past.. Once past, the man asked what that was all about !?
"Those are the Baptists", he explained. "They think they are the
only one's here".

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

(But 60th gala birthday celebration for someone who died at 45?)

Guys, maybe you need some help....died at 45, 15 years ago. Make sense now?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Is there an echo in here?

[WilliamWallace1999]

Another one bites the dust...

[BJClinton]

A Catholic, a Jew and a Southern Baptist all die in a bus accident. As they're being admitted through the pearly gates St. Peter addresses each of them.

To the Catholic he says "You have been a good a faithful Catholic. You may now eat meat on Fridays in Heaven."

To the Jew "You have been a good a faithful Jew, you may now eat pork and shellfish in Heaven."

To the Baptist "You have been a good a faithful Baptist. You may now drink in public in Heaven."

[StevieJ]

He may have been a grade A fudgenudger but he was one superb entertainer

[Cheburashka]

But didn't a Muslim country host Michael Jackson?
---
In Islam, pedophilia is OK. Sex between two adult men, however, is punishable by death. True fact. Would I make up anything that warped?

[Cheburashka]

I'm a Baptist........Where's my machete?.......
---
Check with the minister. He found three in the pews after services Sunday. I hope you can identify it.

[BenLurkin]

8^)

[Vision]

"I urge Muslim groups in the future to seek correct information from us instead of relying on rumors,"

Good luck with that one.

[zimdog]

The shareef dont like it Rockin the casbah

That's The Clash.

[zimdog]

Ha.

[zimdog]

I don't recall Baptists beheading people who disagree with their beliefs...... Or Bombing innocent bystanders, or......

Please tell us which Muslims bombed the birthday bash or beheaded its organizers.

[zimdog]

They're using the metric system.

Ha.

[EBH]

Interesting that they cancel "offensive" shows in muslim countries, but here in the US they would have pushed the envelope and did the show. Called all the whoopla, 'publicity.'

[zimdog]

The muslims aren't bright enough to realize Freddy was born Zoroastrian.

I'm not as well-read on my Parsee cosmology as I should be, but isn't it actually a terrible thing for them when fire is put to evil purposes? I believe in India they neither bury nor cremate their dead, but rather lay out the bodies in "Towers of Silence" where buzzards pick the flesh from the bones without despoiling the earth or the flame.

Hmm, that seems a little more serious than this thread has been...