“Do not patronize these hotels. Do not stay in these hotels. And do not step foot in these hotels as long as they are owned by such a criminal enterprise,” Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin said.
Effective immediately starting right now, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah announced that anyone charged with adultery or homosexuality will be stoned to death in accordance with sharia law.
Los Angeles lawmakers are calling for a boycott of the following hotels: 45 Park Lane, The Dorchester, and Coworth Park. Hotel Eden and Hotel Principe di Savoia. Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Le Meurice and Hôtel Plaza Athénée in France.
“This is as barbaric as anything that has happened in hundreds of years. We can’t abide by it and we have some logical ways to show it by boycotting hotels owned by the government of Brunei somewhat indirectly and sending them a message,” Councilman Paul Koretz said at a news conference outside of LA City Hall.
Hollywood A-Listers and luxury media are joining the call-to-action for people boycott against anti-gay laws like Ellen DeGeneres, and George Clooney quoted saying, “They’re nice hotels,” Clooney wrote Thursday in a column for Deadline.
“The people who work there are kind and helpful and have no part in the ownership of these properties. But let’s be clear, every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
A statement issued by the sultan’s office said:
“Brunei is a sovereign Islamic and fully independent country and, like all other independent countries, enforces its own rule of laws. Brunei Darussalam has always been practicing a dual legal system, one that is based on the Syariah Law and the other on Common Law…both systems will continue to run in parallel to maintain peace and order and preserve religion, life, family and individuals regardless of gender, nationality, race and faith.” And puzzling ends with, “an aim to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race,” in order to, “maintain peace and order and preserve religion, life, family and individuals regardless of gender, nationality, race and faith.”
