Religious Fear Of Yoga

The yoga ban for muslims in Malaysia story continues after  Malaysia’s highest Islamic body, the National Fatwa Council, on Saturday banned yoga for Muslims, saying it could erode their faith. The decision triggered uproar from moderate Muslims, and from royal state rulers Malaysia’s sultans, or hereditary rulers,who are considered the guardians of Islam in the country. They are demanding that they consider the issue before it is banned.

Malaysia’s prime minister said Wednesday Muslims should still take up yoga, reversing an outright ban that has drawn widespread protests amid concerns over growing Islamic fundamentalism in the multiracial nation.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Muslims who performed yoga without chanting any mantra can carry on with their activity as it was good for their health. He also said that the "fatwa" or religious edit banning yoga would only be implemented if it received consent from a council of state rulers.

One sane voice came from the eldest son of the ruler of the central Negeri Sembilan state took the government to task over the yoga ruling.

"Islam is a progressive religion and the ulama (scholars) should be confident of the followers’ faith rather than micro-managing their way of life," …"If I go to a church or a Buddhist temple, is there any fear of me converting? … Where do we draw the line?"

Where indeed. I read elsewhere that the Catholic church is also worried about it’s members practising yoga which indicates to me how fear based these religions are throughout their heirachies. The great Indian saint Amma once said " so many people are ready to die for their religion, but so few to live by it’s teachings" . It is clear too how little understanding the different religions have of each other. Isn’t it a no brainer that there are many ways to God regardless of the name given to the Divine. I know there are many in each religion who do see this, but the ‘power’ in theocracy remains distinctly separated from anything but it’s own needs. Sad.

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