Bon Odori Festival: Malaysian royal intervention saves Japan dance festival from Muslim critics
- Sultan of Selangor said Japan’s summer dance would not be detrimental to the Islamic faith despite calls from conservative Muslim groups the event be banned
- Bon Odori festival has been held annually in Malaysia since 1977. Its organisers include the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia and the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur
Mohammad Shahzihan Ahmad, director of the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department, said in a statement that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah told his department not to prevent anyone from attending the festival scheduled for July 16 in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state.
Shahzihan said he was summoned on Wednesday to meet the sultan over the controversy stirred by Islamic affairs minister Idris Ahmad, who on Monday advised Muslims to avoid the festival due to its “religious elements.”
Malaysian minister tells Muslims to avoid ‘un-Islamic’ Japanese festival
The Mufti of Penang state weighed in on the issue, adding that Muslims should not get involved in the festival for fear that it could lead to polytheism.
“Since the festival is linked to remembering the souls or spirits of the ancestors, it is feared that it could lead to polytheism. Muslims must always preserve the purity of their Islamic faith,” the official news agency Bernama quoted him saying.
Sultan Sharafuddin, however, believes there is a difference between practising something and merely watching it, according to Shahzihan.
“His Majesty is not concerned,” he said, adding that “His Majesty himself attended the event several years ago and did not see any activity that would be detrimental to the Islamic faith.”
The sultan instructed officers from the religious department and the Shah Alam City Council to attend the event next month to see for themselves.
It has long been a popular event attracting huge crowds with its carnivallike atmosphere of music, dance and plenty of Japanese food. Locals have even turned up in yukata or kimono to add to the festive mood.
