If you find yourself suddenly able to get a reservation at the The Beverly Hills Hotel, continue reading down this page before you book a room. The Beverly Hills Hotel, known as a flocking point by Hollywood’s elite, is located in the tiny country of Brunei. Recent implementation of harsh Islamic law in the country, including stoning and flogging, have had many A listers boycotting the hotel and the country at large.
The Motion Picture and Television Fund is among a growing list of groups and individuals refusing to affiliate with any of the hotels within Brunei. The fund released a statement that they will not be hosting a pre-oscar party at the Beverly Hills Hotel as they have done in years past. The director of the fund was quoted as saying “We cannot condone or tolerate these harsh and repressive laws and as a result support a business owned by the sultan of Brunei…”
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who owns the hotel, remarked the passing of these new laws as a “great achievement.” He publicly stated, “The decision to implement the (Shariah penal code) is not for fun but is to obey Allah’s command as written in the Quran.” The punishments are being implemented in order to discourage adultery and homosexuality, among many other “crimes.”
Other organizations boycotting the hotel include the Virgin Group, the Hollywood Reporter, and the Feminist Majority Foundation. Hopefully the Sultan will get the message, though it most likely will not make a difference. There have been national leaders who have subjected their citizens to worse treatment and picketing celebrities will probably not make the sultan change his mind. Though he and everyone else in the world should be allowed to practice their own religion, the line is crossed when human rights are violated.
Comment Template