Perlis mufti moots name change for Bon Odori

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has proposed that the Bon Odori events in Malaysia be renamed.

Asri said doing so will avoid any confusion about the event's traditional origin which contained elements of syirik (idolatry) and khurafat (superstition).

"If possible, the event should be given a new name or additional names... For instance, it can be called a 'Japanese cultural festival'.

"This way, the festival can be held, and arguments (about the events) can be reduced," he wrote on his Facebook page.

Asri also proposed that the organisers ensure that there will be no religious elements at the event.

Bon Odori is an annual dance event held during the Japanese Bon festival. Over the past three decades, the event has been held in Malaysia at various locations.

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Read more: KINIGUIDE | What is the Bon Odori festival?

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Although the event was rooted in Japanese religious beliefs, it was now mostly observed as a family reunion event.

Local proponents of Bon Odori have argued that the events hosted in Malaysia were not religious in nature but more of a cultural exchange experience.

Bon Odori events in Malaysia had drawn little controversy until Religious Affairs Minister Idris Ahmad advised Muslims not to attend the event.

He claimed that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) had researched Bon Odori and believed that it would lead Muslims astray.

However, the Selangor ruler had decreed that the Selangor Bon Odori event scheduled for next month will go on as planned and even urged Idris to attend so that the latter could learn about the difference between culture and religion. - Mkini