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Malaysian royal intervention saves Japan festival from Muslim critics
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.
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Participants dance in circles during the annual Bon Odori festival celebrations in Shah Alam, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur on July 20, 2019. The summer Japanese event, which pays homage to one's ancestral forefathers, was attended by Japanese expatriates in Malaysia and also attracted a sizable number of Malaysian participants and spectators. (AFP/Mohd Rasfan)
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he Sultan of Selangor on Wednesday instructed religious officials in the Malaysian state to allow its festival for Japan's traditional summer Bon Odori dance to proceed next month despite calls from conservative Muslim groups for the event to be banned.
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 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."
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 practicing 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.
The Bon Odori festival has been held annually in Malaysia since 1977 without any issue. Its organizers include the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia and the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur.
It has long been a popular event attracting huge crowds with its carnival-like atmosphere of music, dance and plenty of Japanese food. Locals have even turned up in yukata or kimono to add to the festive mood.
