Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Malaysia may ban yoga for Muslims: cleric


Muslims in Malaysia may be barred from the ancient practice of yoga if they engage in Hindu "religious elements" during the exercise, a top Islamic cleric said Wednesday.

Harussani Zakaria, a controversial cleric from the northern Perak state, said the government-backed National Fatwa Council would soon release a decree, or "fatwa", which would decide if Muslims were allowed to practise yoga.

"If it involves any faith or religious elements it is definitely not permissible but if it is just a form of exercise that is all right," Harussani told AFP.

"Muslims cannot practice yoga in its original form because it involves another religion," he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from engaging in yoga.

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, where more than 60 percent of the population of 27 million are Muslim Malays who practice a conservative brand of the religion.

The practice of yoga, a popular stress-buster in Kuala Lumpur, dates back thousands of years in India, where it was a favorite of holy men before becoming hugely popular internationally, especially among western celebrities.

Zakaria Stapa, a professor in the Islamic faculty of the National University of Malaysia, had called on Muslims to stop practising yoga, saying it could cause them to "deviate from their faith", news reports said on Wednesday.

Muslims in Malaysia practised yoga not just for exercise but also as part of the growing urban lifestyle and involved "chanting mantras while in various positions", he said.

"Why should we look for other alternatives to exercise and search for peace? Yoga could cause (Muslims) to stray from their faith because its movements are according to the style and traditions of Hinduism," he said.

The fatwa council, one of Malaysia's highest Islamic bodies, last Friday banned women from dressing or behaving like men and engaging in lesbian sex, saying it was forbidden by the religion.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Malaysian PM backs heir over Mongolia murder case

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday defended his deputy, who is slated to take power next year, against allegations that he interfered in a high-profile murder case.

"I can't believe that he would be involved in abuse of power," Abdullah told reporters after a political website published an SMS exchange over the case allegedly between deputy prime minister Najib Razak and a lawyer.

"I believe in him that he would be a good person, he would be prime minister and provide leadership," Abdullah added.

The popular Malaysia Today site was founded by Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who has been jailed under tough security laws for earlier linking Najib to the 2006 murder of 28-year-old Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Najib's close friend, Abdul Razak Baginda, is on trial for abetting the murder. Two police officers from a unit that guards the prime minister and his deputy have been charged with the killing.

Najib, who is expected to replace Abdullah when he steps down next March, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the slaying of Altantuya, whose body was blown up with explosives, and said he had never even met her.

The SMS exchange purportedly showed Najib and Shafee Abdullah, a lawyer who initially represented Abdul Razak Baginda, discussing the case along with possible charges and outcomes.
The site alleged that Najib spoke with police and officials in the attorney general's chambers about the case, "something that suggests an abuse of executive power," Malaysia Today said.