Muslims slam Freddie Mercury party

30/8/06

A Zanzibar celebration of Freddie Mercury has been condemned by local conservative Muslims.

A Zanzibar celebration to commemorate what would have been the 60th birthday of the African island's most famous native, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury - has come under condemnation of local conservative Muslims.

A Zanzibari Muslim group has complained that the gay singer’s flamboyant lifestyle offended Islam, brought shame upon the island, and therefore, a celebration must be stopped.

"Associating Mercury with Zanzibar degrades our island as a place of Islam," the island's Association for Islamic Mobilisation and Propagation said in a letter to the Tanzanian archipelago's culture ministry

"Allowing such a function for a person known outside Zanzibar as a homosexual tarnishes the name of Zanzibar," the letter continued.

Event organiser Simai Mohamed Saidi, who runs restaurant and club "Mercury's" on the waterfront, said he would go ahead with the party on September 2nd despite the complaint.

He defended the world-famous rock star, who died of AIDS complications in 1991, and suggested that he would launch a counter-drive and speak with officials about promoting Mercury's link with Zanzibar to promote tourism.

Zanzibar remains to be a popular tourist destination for gays from South Africa, despite oppressive laws against homosexuality.