KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29, 2008 (AFP) - Muslims in Malaysia may be barred from the ancient practice of yoga if they engage in Hindu "religious elements" during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said Wednesday.
"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," Harussani told AFP.
"Muslims cannot practice yoga in its original form because it involves another religion," he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from engaging in yoga.
Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, where more than 60 percent of the population of 27 million are Muslim Malays who practice a conservative brand of the religion.
The practice of yoga, a popular stress-buster in Kuala Lumpur, dates back thousands of years in India, where it was a favorite of holy men before becoming hugely popular internationally, especially among western celebrities.
Zakaria Stapa, a professor in the Islamic faculty of the National University of Malaysia, had called on Muslims to stop practising yoga, saying it could cause them to "deviate from their faith", news reports said on Wednesday.
Muslims in Malaysia practised yoga not just for exercise but also as part of the growing urban lifestyle and involved "chanting mantras while in various positions", he said.
"Why should we look for other alternatives to exercise and search for peace? Yoga could cause (Muslims) to stray from their faith because its movements are according to the style and traditions of Hinduism," he said.
The fatwa council, one of Malaysia's highest Islamic bodies, last Friday banned women from dressing or behaving like men and engaging in lesbian sex, saying it was forbidden by the religion.
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081029/tap-malaysia-religion-islam-culture-yoga-0193655.html--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahahahahahha even yoga is banned now. What next? Can't watch Transformers because they speak English? Dumbfucks.
1 comment:
omgg they bann everything hahhahah like any1 is gonna listen to them. and they are not 60% anymore. more like 50% n below.next they will say taichi and kung fu, taek kwon do and all should be banned in school, right. did u see the news of these malays carrying the cows head and protesting coz they wanted to build a hindu temple near their housing area? at ss12 or 13 . not quite sure. stupid people nothing better to do.
what happened to the haji who killed kenny ong? they dont see what they should punish and stop in their own community but other they do.
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