Yoga Ban For Malaysian Muslims

Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council today issued a religious edict banning Muslims from practicing yoga, saying it involves hindu spiritual practices such as chanting that are prohibited in the religion.

"Yoga is forbidden for Muslims. The practice will erode their faith in the religion," Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of the government-backed National Fatwa Council, told reporters noting that clerics in Egypt also issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration.".

"We advice Muslims not to practice yoga. It does not conform with Islam," he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from doing yoga.

Decisions by the Fatwa Council in Malaysia are not legally binding on Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the country’s 27 million people, unless they are enshrined in national or Shariah laws.

However, many Muslims abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.
Personally I cannot help thinking how much organized religion is about limiting and controlling people, it doesn’t really seem to have much to do with God by whatever name you term the Divine.

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