Indonesia not opposed: Fans of Coldplay taking pictures at the entrance of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium before the world tour concert in Jakarta. — AFP
Despite band’s support of Palestine, party deems it ‘disrespectful’ for show to go on
PETALING JAYA: PAS is calling for the highly-anticipated Coldplay concert to be cancelled, claiming this would be in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Its Youth vice-chairman Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin said the concert was a form of entertainment that contradicted the holiness of the struggle of Muslims standing in solidarity with Palestinians.
“At a time when the world is in solidarity in anger over the cruelty of the Zionists on the people of Palestine along with the Muslim world praying and hoping for the safety of Palestinians, this concert could be entertainment that would evoke His wrath,” he said in a statement.
Majlis Ulama Ikatan Muslimin (Isma) religious council chairman Datuk Zamri Hashim claimed that holding the concert now would be insensitive and disrespectful to the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Palestine.
“The council urges all Muslims not to get involved with the concert and would like to remind them that their ignorance of what is happening in Palestine is a sin which will be questioned.
“Isma urges that the concert be cancelled as a mark of respect for the misery and out of sympathy for those facing bombing and attacks in Palestine, where more than 11,000 lives have been lost,” said Zamri in a statement yesterday, as quoted by Sinar Harian.
These statements come despite neighbouring Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, allowing the British band to hold its first ever concert in its capital city of Jakarta on Wednesday.
Coldplay itself has been an outspoken supporter of Palestine for over the past decade with the band posting the song Freedom For Palestine on its official Facebook page in 2011.
In 2017, the band’s lead singer Chris Martin and his team even visited Palestine, which he said was to enrich their perspective and seek inspiration for their new album. This then led to the band eventually collaborating with Palestinian band Le Trio Joubran to produce a song called Arabesque, which was released in 2019.
Coldplay is expected to perform in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 22 as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.
