Malaysian Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's top Islamic body fresh from banning tomboys issued an edict Saturday that prohibits Muslims from practicing yoga, saying that elements of Hinduism in the ancient Indian exercise could corrupt them.

The National Fatwa Council's chairman, Abdul Shukor Husin, said many Muslims fail to understand that yoga's ultimate aim is to be one with a god of a different religion — an explanation disputed by many practitioners who say yoga need not have a religious element.


Well, it only took them a year after fundamentalist Christians in the UK booted yoga classes out of their churches....


Oh, that tomboy thing
Kuala Lumpur - The spiritual leader of Malaysia's hardline opposition Islamic party on Monday defended a national ban on Muslim women dressing and acting as males. The country's national fatwa council which makes Islamic rulings had recently outlawed the practice of "tomboyism," or females dressing and behaving like males.

Nik Aziz Nik Mat, spiritual leader of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia, hailed the decision, saying it was God's command that women should dress and behave as women.

"Who are we to go against Allah's commands, are we that great?" he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

Following the ruling, at least two Muslim non-governmental organizations have protested the move, saying it infringed on the rights of individuals to express themselves.