Thousands of Malaysians thronged a festival of Japan's traditional summer Bon Odori dance Saturday evening, defying conservative Islamists' call for Muslims to stay away.After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, many locals, including hijab-wearing Muslim women, turned up in kimono and "yukata," or casual summer kimono, at a stadium in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state, which surrounds Kuala Lumpur.The festival proceeded smoothly in a carnival-like atmosphere.The Bon Odori dance festival has been held annually in the predominantly Muslim country since 1977 without any …READ FULL ARTICLE
