This lavish party is over the top

Topless dancers. Flowing champagne. UK Topshop boss throws star- studded birthday bash at Maldives resort. Upset local Muslim leaders say:

HE is famous for his tops.

But ironically, the boss of UK fashion chain Topshop has upset Maldives politicians for throwing a birthday bash there that featured a lack of tops.

The BBC reported that a leading Maldives opposition group has criticised British tycoon Sir Philip Green after he celebrated his

55th birthday in a lavish party that featured celebrities like singers Jennifer Lopez and George Michael, and American Idol judge Simon Cowell.

The bash, which was held at the exclusive Soneva Fushi resort, allegedly featured topless dancers, a giant Buddha statue and copious amounts of champagne.

Politicians have criticised the event, saying that it was incompatible with the conservative Muslim culture of the islands.

According to the British press, the party cost an estimated US$10 million ($15m) and had a guest list of 100.

More than 500 workers were hired to set up the party venue, which featured three separate stages, pagodas, and a solid granite 11m-tall statue of the Buddha.

Guests were said to have feasted on lobster thermidor and vintage champagne while they enjoyed a cabaret performance by singer Michael.

The festivities also reportedly included a topless dance routine and a fireworks display.

Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman Ahmed Moosa has slammed the bash, saying that the outrageous celebration was completely out of place in a conservative Muslim country.

He said: 'This party was completely over the top. Maldives people are easily shocked and strong in their Muslim faith. Scantily-clad women and excessive drinking are not culturally acceptable.'

Mr Moosa stressed that his criticisms were not politically motivated.

'I think my views on this issue represent a wide cross-section of views across the country regardless of party affiliation,' he said.

Mr Moosa also criticised Sir Philip and his guests for their environmentally-unfriendly behaviour because many arrived in the Maldives by private jets.

'With so much emphasis on reducing greenhouse emissions around the world, their mode of travel - like their partying - smacks of decadence,' he said.

The Maldivian Democratic Party has also complained that the Buddha statue brought into the country for the party broke the law, which prohibits the promotion of any faith apart from Islam.

The group pointed out that thousands of migrant Sri Lankan workers are forbidden from carrying a personal Buddha in their pockets in order to respect this rule.

While the Maldives government has not commented on these criticisms, last week President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was reported to have extended birthday greetings in a telephone call to Sir Philip.

Local newspapers quoted the president as saying that Sir Philip's visit to the Maldives would help boost the country's tourism industry.

The businessman is reported to have thanked the president for his telephone call, and said that the Maldives was the most beautiful place he had ever visited.

A spokesman in Sir Philip's private office said that he was unaware of any regulations concerning the importation of Buddhas to the Maldives, and that the party was held at a private location.

Source: The Electric News

How can I make my party eco-friendly?

If you want your birthday party to go with a bang, make sure you don't blow your carbon budget sky high, says Lucy Siegle.

If only retail mogul Philip Green's party planner had such ecological foresight. Instead, his 55th birthday celebrations involved transporting 100 guests to the Maldives, in private jets. Each guest therefore becomes responsible for spewing out 1.9 tonnes of carbon rather negating the fact that the event was held in an eco spa. The choice of the Maldives, however has more resonance; with sea levels rising at 0.9m a year, environmentalists fear the 1,200 islands will be first to feel the climate change heat. All of this hot on the kitten heels of Liz Hurley's by now famous nuptials, reckoned by environmental consultancy Best Foot Forward to have created around 200 tonnes of CO2.

Unlike Liz's big fat carbon wedding, you'll be keeping it local. Even the Great Gatsby had the good grace to throw bashes in his own home, and nobody arrived via Learjet (one flight across the US is equivalent to driving a Hummer for a year). Local should apply to booze, too - a major requirement of most functions - Sustainweb (www.sustainweb.org) calculates that a sustainably UK-brewed bottle of beer clocks up just 600 miles. By contrast, a bottle from one of the main four brewers who control the UK market accumulates 24,000 miles in production and transport. Adnams is British ecologically brewed beer while St Peters brewery uses UK organic hops. And don't let the bubbles go to your head over champagne: nitrogenous fertilisers liberally sprayed on grapes in the Champagne-Ardennes region are responsible for serious environmental pollution. If you'd prefer to go the organic route, try: www.justchampagne.co.uk.

Philip Green's birthday cake appeared from photos to be about 5ft in diameter and featured a huge picture of his own face. If you'd prefer something less personally branded, Montezuma's (www.montezumas.co.uk) are powerful advocates of having your fairly traded chocolate cake and eating it.

Is there a backlash against party bags? I was recently contacted by a concerned mother starting a campaign against them and their diposable, placcy contents. They should at least be eco paper (www.partybox.co.uk) and www.petitartisan.com provides natural materials and toys for any kids. You can also get compostable cups and plates (www.sillyjokes.co.uk).

And in these times of ecological strife, even balloons count. Deflated and marooned around the English countryside, their remnants kill marine wildlife. Eco paper balloons, by contrast, are made of traditional Japanese papers, and coated with polyvinyl alcohol which is soluble in water. They come in dove and flower shapes (starting price £1.80, info@tsumura.co.uk). If you're planning to go big on lights, you could run them on a biofuel generator (www.pyramidelectrical.net) or use solar lamps outdoors inset into sustainable wooden decking (www.sunshinesolar.co.uk).

Whatever you do, just say no to Learjets, heat umbrellas, toxic champagne or latex balloons - all of which have a habit of spoiling the eco party.

Source: The Observer

Maldives anger over topless party

A leading opposition group in the Maldives has strongly criticised a lavish party held there last week by one of Britain's top businessmen.

The party was attended by a host of celebrities, including the singers George Michael and Jennifer Lopez.

It allegedly featured topless dancers, a giant Buddha statue and copious amounts of champagne.

Critics say that such an event was incompatible with the conservative Muslim culture of the islands.

Lobster thermidor

The party was hosted at an exclusive resort by the British tycoon Sir Philip Green - one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen - to celebrate his 55th birthday. It is estimated to have cost in the region of $10m (£5m).

Guests were reportedly treated to the finest vintage Pol Roger champagne and a cabaret performance by George Michael.

At one end of one of the dance floors a solid granite statue of the Buddha, 11m-tall, had been erected as around 100 guests ate lobster thermidor.

The party was held on three stages and also featured pagodas and two smaller Buddhas.

More than 500 people were hired to deal with the construction of the party venue, with hundreds more working on catering, flower arrangements and security.

The festivities were reported to include a topless dance routine and a brilliant firework display.

'Over the top'

Critics in the Maldives say that such merry-making is out of place in a conservative Muslim country.

"This party was completely over the top," said Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman Ahmed Moosa.

"Maldives people are easily shocked and strong in their Muslim faith," he said.

"Scantily clad women and excessive drinking are not culturally acceptable."

Mr Moosa stressed that he was not making a political point in his criticisms.

"I think my views on this issue represent a wide cross-section of views across the country regardless of party affiliation," he said.

Mr Moosa said that he found it "objectionable" that many of the celebrities and wealthy guests who attended the ceremony arrived in the Maldives by private jets.

"With so much emphasis on reducing greenhouse emissions around the world, their mode of travel - like their partying - smacks of decadence," he said.

'Happiness'

The Maldivian Democratic Party has also complained that the Buddha statue brought into the country for the party was in contravention of the law, which prohibits the promotion of any faith apart from Islam.

They say that thousands of migrant Sri Lankan workers are forbidden from carrying a personal Buddha in their pockets in recognition of this rule.

The Maldives government was unavailable to comment on criticisms surrounding the party, but last week President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was reported to have extended birthday greetings in a telephone call to Sir Philip.

The president was quoted by local newspapers as saying that Sir Philip's visit to the Maldives would help bolster the country's tourism industry.

He expressed his "happiness" that Sir Philip had chosen the Maldives for his birthday celebrations.

The businessman is reported to have thanked the president for his telephone call, and said that the Maldives was the most beautiful place he had ever visited.

A spokeswoman in Sir Philip's private office said that he was unaware of any regulations concerning the importation of Buddhas to the Maldives, and that the party was held at a private location.

Source: BBC

British Business Magnate Exempted From Religious Law of Maldives

Two huge statues of the Buddha erected on a beach at the exclusive Four Seasons Resort, as part of celebrations for the 55th birthday of British billionaire businessman, Phillip Green, have caused huge controversy in the Maldives.

The statues have openly flouted Maldivian religious law, placing Green, the owner of well known UK high street brands including TopShop, and more accustomed to grabbing UK business headlines, at the centre of a media storm in the Maldives.

The public observance of any religion other than Islam is strictly prohibited under Maldivian law.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Although one might reasonably argue that no celebrity bash with Kate Moss, George Michael and Jennifer Lopez in attendance, has been convened for religious observance, the law also prohibits foreigners from brining any material which may be used for idol worship into the country.

Articles associated with Buddhism are particularly controversial, given its widespread practice on the islands until the arrival of Islam 500 years ago, and recent moves by religious radicals to remove pre-Islamic traces from religious practice.

Standard practice by airport authorities has been to confiscate statues of the Buddha arriving with foreign nationals, and destroy them or return them to their owners on departure.

However, in Mr Green’s case not only did the state somehow overlook the arrival of two ten metre tall Buddha statues, and hundreds of miniature ones, it has gone to great lengths to ensure that the Buddha-themed celebrations take place without any hitches.

The party officially begun on Thursday evening with a fireworks display put on by the National Security Service (NSS) in a departure from standard police duties. The NSS have also beefed up security around the Four Seasons Resort, ensuring that the celebrities can party in privacy.

On Friday the President’s Official Website proudly reported on a cosy evening chat in which the President had thanked Mr Green for choosing the Maldives to celebrate his special day.

While trumpeting the arrival of “Britain’s fourth richest man” as a “boost to Maldivian tourism”, the authorities simultaneously attempted to prevent any knowledge of the Buddhist statues from reaching the Maldivian public.

A member of staff at the Four Seasons Resort reported that the mobile phones of staff were confiscated by NSS personnel in order to delete images of the statues.

But while images of the Buddha were not allowed out, representations of Maldivian Islam were not allowed on to the island; women wearing veils have been prevented from entering the island over the four day period.

Workers at the resort were also angry that Maldivian men had been forced to work on constructing the large granite structures, despite some voicing religious objections.

This all comes days after Tourism Minister, Mohammad Shougee, told Minivan News journalist, Philip Wellman, at Berlin’s ITB tourist fair, that the government was working to increase contact between Maldivians and visiting tourists, opening up the possibility of construction of further resorts on already inhabited islands.

The actions at the Four Seasons Resort seem to fly in the face of official policy of gradually sharing the benefits and profits of tourism with more local people.

The Buddha statues have been the subject of intense discussion across Maldivian society. Conservative religious opinion has been outraged at what is seen as brazen idolatry. At a time when Maldivian society is ill at ease about the apparent growth of radical Islam, the controversy is presenting a tailor made opportunity to rally around the Islamic flag.

Maldivians of all persuasions have also expressed frustration at the apparent ease with which wealthy foreign nationals have purchased exemption from the laws of state.

There are even rumblings of discontent amongst Malé based expatriates who have complied willingly with the laws restricting religious freedom in the past, only to see high profile expatriates now flout them with government approval.

Phillip Green and his many guests will probably leave the Maldives blissfully unaware, but their flying visit has highlighted serious tensions in Maldivian society about the cultural and economic impact of tourism and the extent of religious freedom.

Sadly it has also highlighted the difficulties the current government faces in managing these tensions.

Tell us your views on the Buddha statues by emailing your comments to minivan.news@gmail.com

Source: Minivan News

Royal exchange

The business world came out to play last week as property's towering egos hopped over to Cannes for its annual Mipim bunfight, while the retail glitterati caught some sun at Philip Green's 55th birthday bash in the Maldives.

The theme in France was more "my yacht is longer than your yacht" than "my deal is bigger than yours".

Lined up in the harbour side by side were property tycoon Vincent Tchenguiz's yacht Veni, Vidi, Vici; his brother Robert's slightly bigger boat and a gin palace occupied by Vincent's former employee Paul Taylor, who now runs Qatari-backed fund Three Delta.

Taylor and Robert Tchenguiz are accidental bedfellows in the brawl for Sainsbury's, where both have done some rather mysterious stake building. But with Robert shunning Mipim for Green's bash, the focus of attention was all on the floating hardware.

Taylor's boat was easily the more impressive, but Tchenguiz junior was not to be outdone. "Yeah he's got the bigger boat. The difference is that I own mine," Vincent was quick to tell us.

But handbags at dawn were avoided in the Maldives. Green's star guest Kate Moss, who would still have been up at dawn, with or without her handbag, was a no-show. But so was Green's nemesis, Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose. Rose's inclusion was a sign Green is finally ready to let bygones be bygones after the takeover battle for M&S. But a rapprochement was not to be - Rose pleaded work commitments kept him back in London, the excuse Moss used.

Gayoom greets British tycoon Green who threw 20 million pound birthday bash in Maldives

MALE -- President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Thursday extended birthday greetings in a telephone call to the visiting British magnate, Sir Philip Green. Sir Philip Green is currently on a visit to the Maldives and has thrown a birthday bash in a resort island in Maldives to celebrate his 55th birthday estimated at 20 million pounds.
Wishing him a memorable birthday in the Maldives, the President said that Sir Philip’s visit to the Maldives would help bolster the tourism industry of the country. The President also expressed his happiness on Sir Philip choosing the Maldives to hold his birthday celebrations.
Sir Philip Green expressed his happiness and thanked the President for his telephone call. Complimenting the beauty of the Maldives, Sir Philip said that the Maldives was the most beautiful place he had ever visited.
Sir Philip Green is the fourth wealthiest businessman in Britain.
Among the celebrities who came to Maldives for the birthday celebration include Jennifer Lopez, Mark Anthony, Ricky Martin, George Michael and Kate Moss.
Opposition websites have attacked the government for “double standards” for allowing a statue of the Buddha to be kept on stage at the festivities and topless dancers taking part in the celebrations. -HNS

Sir Philip throws £6m birthday party

The 55th birthday party of one of the world's richest men was always destined to be a lavish affair.

But Sir Philip Green's five-day celebration on a private island in the Indian Ocean will perhaps go down in history as among the most extravagant of all time.

The culmination of the all-expenses-paid extravaganza was a private concert last night by George Michael and the Latino stars Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.

The billionaire retailer has spent an estimated £6 million on the event, flying some 200 of his closest friends to a luxury spa resort in the Maldives. They had been given a "travel wallet" containing instructions to pack shorts and to be prepared for a long flight.

The bill for securing George Michael to perform for an hour on Thursday night was said to be several hundred thousands of pounds.

Guests were believed to have included Allan Leighton, the chairman of the Royal Mail Group, Richard Desmond, the owner of Express Newspapers, and Bill Kenwright, the theatre impresario.

The revellers were also serenaded by Roberta Flack, best-known for her 1973 hit Killing Me Softly, the American soul singer James Ingram, and the jazz singer Patti Austin.

Jilly Johnson, the former Page 3 girl, Eddie Jordan, the Formula 1 boss, and Charles Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse owner, who were pictured at Stansted airport, were also thought to be amongst the guests.

The location was kept a tightly-guarded secret, but Sir Philip is thought to have hired out Soneva Fushi, a resort on the island of Kunfunadhoo, where prices range from £600 a night to £2,000 for a suite.

Yesterday evening on the island was declared "White Night" and guests were instructed to wear no other colour. One guest said: "It's amazing, how elegant and beautiful the party has been."

The resort, where the motto is "no news, no shoes", offers an award-winning spa, a private beach for each guest and a variety of water sports.

Much of the decor is made from recycled products and there is an organic vegetable garden where residents can pick ingredients for their evening meal.

It is part of a chain founded by Sonu Shivdasani, an Old Etonian friend of David Cameron's, and his Swedish wife Eva, a former model.

Other facilities include a vintage wine cellar, a private cinema showing Hollywood classics, and the opportunity to be dropped off on an uninhabited island with nothing but a picnic.

Sir Philip has never been shy of exuberant displays of wealth and generosity to his friends.

He flew 200 revellers to Cyprus for his 50th birthday, where they were treated to private performances by Sir Tom Jones and Rod Stewart. At a toga party on the final day, he appeared dressed as the Emperor Nero, and his wife, Tina, gave him a solid gold Monopoly set featuring his own acquisitions. Three years later, he spent £4 million on his 13-year-old son's bar mitzvah in the south of France.

The retailer, who has his own Learjet and a yacht, was fifth on the Sunday Times Rich List of 2005, which estimated his wealth at just short of £5 billion. Sir Philip, largely credited with the recent success of the Arcadia Group, recently signed a deal with Kate Moss, whose fashion collection for Top Shop will be launched in May.

"We ran into each other and she says, 'I'm a Croydon girl and you're a fella from Croydon, we should do business'," he told the latest edition of Vogue.

Sir Philip struck gold when he was 33, making several million pounds profit from the sale of the Jean Jeanie denim chain. He bought Arcadia, which includes the high street chains Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins and Bhs, in 2002.