Malaysian rapper detained for ‘insulting Islam’, state media says

A popular Malaysian rapper and film director has been arrested over a music video which allegedly disrespects Islam, the national news agency said.

Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where he was returning from overseas, the Bernama agency said late on Sunday.

The word “Allah” and sounds of the Islamic call to prayer were said to be used in the four-minute Mandarin music video, titled Oh My God.

The video featured footage of Namewee and other singers, dressed in outfits representing various cultures and religions, performing inside a mosque and a church as well as at Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist temples.

Malaysia generally practises a moderate brand of Islam. But religious tensions have simmered in recent years, with Muslim moderates and followers of other religions expressing concern at a steady rise of conservative Islamic attitudes.