mango
Mustachio Nut
'Religion of Peace'? Not in Malaysia...
*does a downward-facing dog in their general direction*
*does a downward-facing dog in their general direction*
Muslims declare fatwa on yoga
By Niluksi Koswanage in Putrajaya, Malaysia
AAP
November 22, 2008 07:14pm
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24691039-401,00.html
A TOP Islamic council in mostly Muslim Malaysia has told Muslims to avoid yoga because it uses Hindu prayers and encourages a union with God that is blasphemous.
The latest edict from the National Fatwa Council reflects a growing swing towards a conservative brand of Islam in the multi-ethnic country that has prompted worries among non-Muslims.
"There are other ways to get exercise and a peace of mind," council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin said in Putrajaya, the country's administrative capital, today.
"You can go cycling, swimming and eat less fatty food."
"For us, yoga can destroy a Muslim's faith. But this is not a matter for the non-Muslims to be concerned about because its not imposed on them. We are looking out for the Muslim community," he said, noting Egypt and Singapore had issued similar rulings.
Fatwas or religious edicts are not legally binding, but they are highly influential in Malaysia.
The new ruling comes hot on the heels of another edict against young Muslim women wearing trousers.
The National Fatwa Council said that by wearing trousers, girls risked becoming sexually active "tomboys".
Gay sex is outlawed in Malaysia.
In May, the Government dropped a proposal to restrict women from travelling abroad on their own after an outcry from women's groups.
About 40 per cent of Malaysia's population of 27 million are non-Muslim, including sizeable minorities of Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.
Complaints of religious discrimination have mounted along with the turn towards Islamic conservatism.
