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At the middle of July 2001, the entire nation of Malaysia was rocked by news regarding a Satanic cult whose followers listen to Black Metal music. This cult, alleged high-ranking officials, engaged in "disgusting and ungodly behavior" such as drinking goat's blood, sacrificing virgins, destroying religious texts and declaring themselves apostates. This cult is said to have penetrated the Northern states of Malaysia, destroying the values of local teenagers. The target? Black Metal music. Black Metal music is commonly known to the general public as a type of heavy metal music whose lyrics contain references to Satan and evil. All around the world, many times over, Black Metal musicians have been accused of corrupting the listeners' mind by coaxing them to worship the Devil and involve themselves in unbeneficial activites. These groups - and their listeners - are stereotyped as being angry, often young, males with long, unkempt hair and a wardrobe filled with black clothing or emblems such as the skull-and-crossbones and the pentacle. They are accused of gathering around during Black Metal concerts while paying allegiance to Satan. Yet, more often than not, such accusations are unfounded. The Satanic messages in Black Metal music are nothing more than gimmicks, meant to convey the musicians' message about life and its troubles. "I know some Black Metal musicians who still pray 5 times a day," quotes a member of a Malaysian Black Metal band. [The Star newspaper, various issues] Reports of so-called cult behaviour have so far been based on statements by teenagers who claim to be ex-members of these cults. "I saw a VCD about it, and decided to follow it," says one ex-member. [The Star newspaper, July 17th 2001] These teens produce literature which contains rules of conduct such as burning the Bible and Quran and announcing themselves as apostates. They are said to have hand signals such as the familiar "thumbs-down" and "I Love You" gestures - all deemed to be Satanic. Such reports sound too much like the Ritual Satanic Abuse claims made in the early 90s in America and the UK, where various religious groups such as Pagans and Wiccans were accused of worshipping Satan and doing evil in his name, such as sacrificing babies and eating their flesh. These claims were made by various other religious groups and even by teenagers who say they were victims or were sucked into these groups. However, research and investigations have proven than such allegations are false - mostly the work of attention-seekers. Pagan religions, including Wicca, are nature-respecting religions whose code of conduct forbid their followers from causing harm to anyone, including themselves, such as the Wiccan Rede which contains the line "An it harm none, do what ye will." The pentagram/pentacle is a common symbol in Wicca, symbolizing the 4 elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth - and Spirit. The pentagram has been around since pre-Biblical times, yet in modern days it has always been commonly (and rather erroneously) attributed to Satan, who does not exist according to general Wiccan beliefs. (Wiccans generally believe that they are responsible for their actions; any wrong-doing is their own fault and NOT as an order from Satan.) Yet, due to past misconceptions and media hype, Pagans and Wiccans are wrongly perceived as being evil and something to be avoided. The Malaysian authorities have cracked down on these cult activites by banning Black Metal music and paraphenilia. Some schools have conducted full body-searches on students to check whether they have tattoos bearing Satanic ensigna. They have also put up exhibitions displaying Black Metal behaviour and set up Religious Studies programs to drive youth away from bad influences. Unfortunately, there is no actual proof of the existence of such groups - everything has been rather word-of-mouth. Even non-Black Metal bands such as AC/DC have been banned from airwaves due to their supposed connection. The color black is now a target: anyone who wears black is assumed to have a bond with Satan. Some have even gone as far as to claim that anyone who listens to rock music is worshipping Satan - a claim vehemently denied by musicians and music-listeners alike. Even now, Hip-Hop music has been accused of causing social ills in teenagers - a claim that is very much unfounded and unfair to teenagers and artistes in the Hip-Hop genre. [YouthQuake, July 2001] Only time will tell whether the Black Metal/Satanic Cult is real or just mere hype spread by people who do not approve of such music or are looking for attention. Maybe it will turn out to be just another rehash of the RSA claims. The investigations continue. Sources:
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