Let Bon Odori fest proceed, Selangor sultan tells Jais

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PETALING JAYA: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has instructed the Selangor Islamic religious department (Jais) to allow the Bon Odori festival scheduled for next month to proceed.

In a statement, Jais said Sultan Sharafuddin also instructed Jais and Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) officers to attend Bon Odori to “see for themselves” what takes place at the festival.

Jais director Shahzihan Ahmad added that the sultan himself had attended the festival several years ago and did not find that it was detrimental to the practice of the Islamic faith.

This comes in the wake of religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad advising Muslims not to take part in the annual festival, claiming that the celebration is “influenced by elements of other religions”, following research by Jakim, the Islamic development department.

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Why not take a look at Bon Odori yourself, Selangor sultan tells Idris

KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has suggested that religious affairs minister Datuk Idris Ahmad attend the Bon Odori festival to see for himself the difference between culture and religion.

The sultan added that he does not want the minister to use the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to issue confusing and inaccurate statements that will undermine the department’s image and reputation.

This is his second statement in two days amid the brouhaha over Muslims not being encouraged to attend the annual Japanese festival. – The Vibes, June 9, 2022

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PAS defies sultan’s decree, tells Muslims not to attend Bon Odori

KUALA LUMPUR – PAS is doubling down on discouraging Muslims from participating in the Bon Odori Festival given the view that the event still has elements of Buddhist rituals.

This comes after Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s warning that he does not want certain parties, especially politicians, to use issues linked to religious sensitivities for personal gain and popularity.

PAS Ulama Council and its women’s wing are in support of Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Idris Ahmad.

“The excuse that it is Japanese culture does not carry enough merit for consideration. The Ulama Council suggests that the Kelantan government not list the Bon Odori dance as a cultural performance in the Kelantan-Japan Cultural Festival 2022 that was held last May. This is after it was being identified as having religious elements that can damage akidah (faith).

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Ban Muslims from Bon Odori, PAS urges Selangor

PETALING JAYA: Selangor PAS is urging the Selangor state government to prohibit Muslims from participating in Bon Odori, a day after the Sultan of Selangor said the Japanese cultural festival should be allowed to proceed.

The party’s state commissioner, Ahmad Yunus Hairi, also said the state government should take action against any employers who make it compulsory for its Muslim staff to take part in the festival.

“The state government needs to be firm on the involvement of Muslims. We are not prohibiting others (non-Muslims) from celebrating it, but Muslims should be barred,” he said in a statement.

He said the call to bar Muslims was based on the views of several religious scholars and institutions who said the Bon Odori festival affected the faith of Muslims.

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PAS is doing to Bon Odori what it did to Mak Yong

From Sisters in Islam

Let’s face it. Islamic political parties and religious authorities in Malaysia have a problem with cultural traditions and practices, whether it belongs to other people or it is ours.

In 1991, the ruling PAS state government in Kelantan declared that the Mak Yong has elements of superstition and worship, and so declared it “haram”.

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Embrace open-mindedness about religion and culture, says PM

JOHOR BAHRU: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has urged members of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) to adopt the concept of ‘tasamuh’, an Arabic term meaning tolerance or open-mindedness.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the national Quran recital contest, he said there should be an attitude of acceptance and mutual respect for the various religions and cultures practised in the country.

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Bon Odori: PAS says it never defied sultan, accuses opposition of provocation

KUALA LUMPUR – After coming under heavy fire over its contentious comments on the Bon Odori festival, PAS has accused the opposition of fishing in troubled waters by pitting the Islamist party against Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Selangor PAS secretary Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir said history has shown that PAS has been one to consistently defend and exalt the Malay rulers despite attempts by other quarters to undermine the royal institution in the past.

He also jumped to the defence of Datuk Idris Ahmad, saying that the comments by the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs was not a personal opinion or in his capacity as PAS vice-president.

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No problems between us and Selangor sultan, says PAS

PETALING JAYA: Selangor PAS denied having any problems with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah over the Bon Odori festival scheduled to take place on July 16, following an audience at Istana Bukit Kayangan on Wednesday.

“We told the sultan our position and most importantly, we told him that we are, all the way, supportive of the palace’s role in uniting the rakyat.

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Malaysians are moderates at heart: Syed Saddiq on massive Bon Odori turnout

KUALA LUMPUR – The tens of thousands who were at the Bon Odori festival are a testament of Malaysians being moderates at heart, said Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who also took the opportunity to join in the festivities yesterday.

Speaking to The Vibes, the Muda president said there were more than 35,000 participants at the Shah Alam Sports Complex, which shows that Malaysians were not bothered about the earlier controversies surrounding the festival.

“I believe that Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, are moderates at heart. We do not put up with intolerance and the massive turnout was proof of that.”

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