Report: School incurs wrath of Muslim groups, refuses to abort Halloween activities

(Straits Times) – Muslim groups in Malaysia have hit out at an international school in Negri Sembilan for promoting and organising Halloween activities that will take place on Oct 31, urging the Government to pull the plug on the event.

However, brushing aside calls to abort the event, the international school has said it will go ahead with its Halloween celebration, a Chinese-language newspaper reported on Sunday.

Ikatan Guru Muslim Malaysia (IGMM) deputy president Mohd Azizee Hassan said the celebration of Halloween is inappropriate as it clashes with Malaysian culture and traditions, according to a news portal.

Another news portal quoted Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman as saying that Halloween celebrations were intended to spread atheism.

“We notice that such events are held to test moral limits or religion, and they are usually done by groups which are not religion-based,” Abdullah Zaik was quoted as saying by the website.

Halloween, which is celebrated on Oct 31 every year, has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. It was believed that the deceased would return to life on this day and cause havoc to the world.

Last week, a dog-petting event at the Central Park in Bandar Utama, Selangor, to encourage Muslims to touch a dog – which is considered unclean in Islam – led to threats made to the participants.

Syed Azmi Alhabshi, the organiser of the event, had to apologise on Saturday for the “trouble and insensitivities” that the programme had caused.

Earlier this month, Muslims in Selangor tried to get the authorities to cancel the annual beer festival Oktoberfest held at the One Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya. Alcohol is forbidden in Islam.