RIYADH, 20 October 2007 — An elected member of the Riyadh Municipal Council was summoned by the authorities to sign a paper promising he would not interfere in Eid festivities after he recently prevented a Palestinian folk music band from performing on stage.
Abdullah ibn Ahmad Al-Suwailem was asked to sign the paper after he prevented the band from performing saying their show violated religion. The councilman initially refused to sign the undertaking but later relented.
Al-Suwailem had also written to the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Alsheikh asking for his advice and a fatwa regarding certain religious violations committed during Eid Al-Fitr celebrations at events organized by the Riyadh Municipality. He urged the mufti to ask responsible officials to stop such violations at coming festivals, a conservative website supervised by the popular religious scholar Sheikh Naser Al-Omar reported yesterday.
“Mixing of the sexes, singing and dancing, and some other negative phenomena are dangerous if we do not stop them,” Al-Suwailem was quoted as saying in a posting on www.almoslim.net.
It was reported that the councilman visited an event and tried to stop what he considered to be in violation of religious principles. “He personally interfered and stopped a Palestinian folk dance during the celebrations,” said an eyewitness.
Arab News telephoned Al-Suwailem, but he declined to speak to the press. It is not clear whether the Riyadh Municipal Council will question Al-Suwailem about his actions in its meeting next week.
Al-Suwailem is reportedly considering resigning from the council.
