Outrage over Saudi event

THE Saudi regime is hosting an international music festival in Jeddah on July 18 and the Muslim community has correctly expressed outrage, and voiced its criticism of the event.

Besides being held a few days before the start of the Hajj pilgrimage, such a music festival completely undermines the teachings and values of Islam.

The regime is undertaking steps to decrease its reliance on oil income and seeking to introduce other forms of income, such as tourism, entertainment projects, etc, in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030.

Agreed, economic and financial transformation is needed but not at the expenses of the principles of Islam.

In this regard, I believe the music festival, dubbed the region’s biggest-ever live musical event, is nothing but pure immorality and needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) so-called “modernisation” or “liberalisation” of the country has been relentless and this is not good, both for Muslims and Islam.

MBS’s reforms are nothing but about consolidating power for his own benefit.

It is genuinely misleading that MBS is a religious reformer. Islam does not need reformation or transformation as it is compatible with the progressive world and democracy.

The reality is that the Saudi regime needs to implement the teachings of Islam. Saudi Arabia, a country with no constitution, claims the Qur’an is its constitution.

But, sadly, the Saudi rule does not reveal Islamic teachings from the Qur’an and the life of Prophet Muhammed.