“Peaceful protest”
After this protest, the leader assured that there would be no further protests, but rather that “they would ‘wait and see’ before deciding on the next course of action” — an obvious threat of Islamist reprisal.
Sharia-Alert: No Dancing. “No Muslims for I-Dance contest,” from AsiaOne News, December 20:
Malaysia’s PAS wants competition cancelled. -The Star
GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA: The I-Dance street dancing competition starting today can go on, but without Muslim participants.
State PAS Youth chief Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin said the movement remained firm in its stand that the competition should be cancelled.
“We do not raise objections blindly. We had surfed I-Dance related websites and found elements like shuffle dancing that can lead to social ills among youngsters,” he said.
Mohamed Hafiz said this after leading more than 500 PAS members and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representatives in a peaceful protest in front of Masjid Jamek Kampung Rawa in Sungai Pinang here yesterday.
The event, supported by the state youth and sports committee, will be held at the New World Park today and Queensbay Mall on Dec 27.
Mohamed Hafiz assured that there will be no protest while the competition is being held, adding that they would “wait and see” before deciding on the next course of action.
He said they had sent two letters, dated Dec 4, to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Lydia Ong Kok Fooi but there had been no response.
Ong, when contacted, said the matter was a non-issue since she had already given her explanation to the state PAS top leaders in a recent meeting.
“We have agreed to the condition that Muslim male and female participants are not allowed to mingle with each other during the competition,” she said.