Malaysia Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims

Staff and agencies

22 November, 2008



Malaysia Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims – Yahoo! News document.body.className = ‘js-enabled‘; Skip to navigation » Skip to content » U.S. Australia/Antarctica Malaysia Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims Buzz Up IM del.icio.us Yahoo! Bookmarks By EILEEN NG, Associated Press Writer Eileen Ng, Associated Press Writer – 25 mins ago

The National Fatwa Council‘s non-binding edict said yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.

Though the council‘s decisions are not legally binding on Malaysia‘s Muslim population, many abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.

Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.

There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.

“I am mad! Maybe they have it in mind that Islam is under threat. To come out with a fatwa is an insult to intelligent Muslims. It‘s an insult to my belief,” Putri told The Associated Press.

___Malaysia Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims