Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia : One of the nine hereditary Sultans who are considered upholders of Islam said before banning muslims from performing yog, Malaysia’s top Islamic body should have consulted them first. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s rebuke brings into open the deep division caused by Fatwa Council’s edict in this muslim-majority country against yoga. Yoga, a form of Indian exercise involving breathing and other techniques is popular world wide.
According to the Counci, that yoga is rooted in Hinduism and this could corrupt Muslims. The edict did not go well with many ordinary muslims. They say that though they practised yoga for years, they never lost faith in Islam or yoga corrupted their faith. It seems that Fatwa Council is worried about the falling popularity in the parliament elections against the minorities . Hence , the apperahension might have resulted in issuing the edict.