Hindu Sangam urges Fatwa Council to ‘be more sensitive’

PETALING JAYA: The National Fatwa Council must respect the sensitivities and feelings of other religions in Malaysia while giving guidance to Muslims on the religion’s practices and tenets.

“Many Hindus have been deeply disturbed by the Fatwa Council’s announcement,” Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said in a statement Sunday.

“To call this ancient practice ‘haram’ and saying that it can ‘corrupt’ a person is very hurtful and demeaning,” said Vaithilingam.

He added that as many Hindus and non-Hindus practised yoga together in a non-religious manner, the fatwa could drive a wedge between those of different religions.

PETALING JAYA: Sisters in Islam (SIS) and several yoga practitioners have expressed disappointment with the National Fatwa Council’s edict yesterday prohibiting Muslims from practising yoga.

“I don’t think it has caused any Muslim to convert to Hinduism, neither has it weakened their faith. It’s just an exercise like qigong or taichi which has its roots in Buddhism.

Norhayati said that by issuing the edict, the council had acted as if yoga was a widespread threat to Islam.

“I hope they can focus their attention on bigger and more pressing issues, such as money politics and corruption. Isn’t that more serious?” she asked.

UPDATE****

Update****

Malay and Muslim NGS fights back

KUALA LUMPUR: Representatives from an umbrella body of Malay and Muslim non-governmental organisations lodged five police reports Sunday over several issues which they claimed endangered Muslim and Malay unity.

They also lodged reports against the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe and Sisters in Islam, the last for their remarks on the National Fatwa Council’s edict against pengkid or tomboys.

Pewaris spokesman Datuk Dr Maa’mor Osman told reporters

“We will hold several roadshows nationwide, starting in Selangor, to explain the issues that are affecting the Malays and to remind them of the importance of maintaining unity.

“Those who question the rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Constitution should be taught about how these rights and privileges had been agreed upon by the country’s leaders during Independence.

“We hope to reach a consensus by the end of the year, which will be detailed in a memorandum that we will send to the Prime Minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he told reporters after attending a closed-door talk with other Malay-based groups here on Sunday.

Later, about 500 of the coalition’s members held a peaceful gathering outside their meeting place at Wisma Sejarah before going to the Jalan Tun Razak police station to lodge their reports.

During the gathering, a woman who was standing at an overhead pedestrian bridge shouted obscenities at the group.

Some members of the group responded with shouts while others chased her before they were stopped by policemen.

The group lodged another report against the woman at the police station.

UPDATE**** from Malaysia bans Yoga,

Malaysia's National Fatwa Council is going to ban Yoga after the National's University lecturer Zakaria Stapa advised that to those Muslims practicing Yoga to stop it immediately as it is going against the teachings and practices of Islam.

Abdul Shukor Husein the National Fatwa Council's chairman will make that decision very soon.

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Mind you this is after Deepavali celebrations. What are they trying to instill in the already high strung malaysians, because it is such a sensitive people and culture.

UPDATE**** from Yoga with worshipping and chanting probihited

PUTRAJAYA: The National Fatwa council has declared that the yoga practice which involves three elements of physical movements, worshipping and chanting as haram (prohibited) in Islam.