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**Lillie_Steins** · 10-31-2008, 02:45 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims in Malaysia may be barred from practising yoga if they engage in Hindu 'religious elements' during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said yesterday.
Mr Harussani Zakaria, a controversial cleric from northern Perak, said the government-backed National Fatwa Council would soon release a decree, or fatwa, on whether Muslims would be allowed to practise yoga.

'If it involves any faith or religious elements, it is definitely not permissible. But if it is just a form of exercise, that is all right.'

'Muslims cannot practise yoga in its original form because it involves another religion,' he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from practising yoga.

Professor Zakaria Stapa, from the Islamic faculty of the National University of Malaysia, had said yoga could cause Muslims to 'deviate from their faith', news reports said yesterday.

Muslims in Malaysia practise it as part of the growing urban lifestyle and it involved 'chanting mantras while in various positions', he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

And who's gonna evaluate whether and when people doing yoga is for exercise, or for religious purposes? Asking a muslim teacher to evaluate what's exercise yoga and what's hinduism yoga is like asking a tiger to identify different types of apples.

In my opinion, this fatwa is ambiguous, and hence is extremely dangerous. It does baffle me- and with all due respect, if the law is enforced without some kind of checks and balances, many innocent would be found guilty just because they do it in private Fitness centres such as California or some other place. The courts and jail cells would be packed, and seriously, the legal system would become a joke.

10-31-2008, 02:45 PM	#10
Lillie_Steins Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 4,508 Senior Member	KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims in Malaysia may be barred from practising yoga if they engage in Hindu 'religious elements' during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said yesterday. Mr Harussani Zakaria, a controversial cleric from northern Perak, said the government-backed National Fatwa Council would soon release a decree, or fatwa, on whether Muslims would be allowed to practise yoga. 'If it involves any faith or religious elements, it is definitely not permissible. But if it is just a form of exercise, that is all right.' 'Muslims cannot practise yoga in its original form because it involves another religion,' he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from practising yoga. Professor Zakaria Stapa, from the Islamic faculty of the National University of Malaysia, had said yoga could cause Muslims to 'deviate from their faith', news reports said yesterday. Muslims in Malaysia practise it as part of the growing urban lifestyle and it involved 'chanting mantras while in various positions', he said. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE And who's gonna evaluate whether and when people doing yoga is for exercise, or for religious purposes? Asking a muslim teacher to evaluate what's exercise yoga and what's hinduism yoga is like asking a tiger to identify different types of apples. In my opinion, this fatwa is ambiguous, and hence is extremely dangerous. It does baffle me- and with all due respect, if the law is enforced without some kind of checks and balances, many innocent would be found guilty just because they do it in private Fitness centres such as California or some other place. The courts and jail cells would be packed, and seriously, the legal system would become a joke.
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