Muslims Offended by Freddy Mercury Party

ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA -- A beach party planned in the late Queen front man Freddie Mercury's hometown of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Saturday in honor of the 60th anniversary of his birthday is drawing protests from a local Muslim leader.

Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991, violated Islam with his flamboyant lifestyle, said Azan Khalid of Zanzibar's Association for Islamic Mobilization and Propagation.

"Associating Mercury with Zanzibar degrades our island as a place of Islam," Azan Khalid said in a letter to the government's culture ministry. The group also issued a request to the nation's media that they not report on the scheduled festivities or broadcast the date of Mercury's birthday, which was Sept. 5, 1946, for those keeping track at home.

Still, the Mercury restaurant, the waterfront site of the planned party named for the gay singer who died of complications of AIDS in 1991, will go ahead with the celebration.

"Our main idea is to promote tourism and Freddie Mercury was from Zanzibar. It's part of our history," restaurant manager Simai Mohammed told the Associated Press. "We are all Muslims and it's not our intention to offend any religion."

The Tanzanian government's position on homosexuality is one of the most repressive and intolerant in the world. As recent as two years ago, Tanzania passed a law imposing a prison sentence of 25 years for anyone convicted of gay acts, the same punishment as for murder.

Freddie Mercury gained fame as the front singer for Queen, whose hits included "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Are the Champions" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."