Muslim scholar body issues guidelines on black metal music
Pergas urges community to be more cautious and sensitive about choice of entertainment
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The Watain concert was scheduled for March 7 at EBX Live Space (above). It was cancelled after the Ministry of Home Affairs raised concerns about the band's history of denigrating religions and promoting violence.
LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE PHOTO
The Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas) has issued religious guidelines on black metal, a subgenre of music that has been thrust into the spotlight after Swedish black metal band Watain was banned from performing here.
In a media release yesterday, it stated that elements of black metal are "clearly in opposition to Islamic teachings" and that such music may lead to the glorification of Syaitan, or the devil, and "to the level of worshipping him as God".
