"Fatwa banning yoga in Malaysia not yet in effect"

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 25 : Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah has reportedly said that the decision by the National Fatwa Council to ban yoga was not in effect in the state, as, he added, the Rulers' Conference must be consulted before significant religious edicts are issued.

In a statement, the Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani said that a state fatwa committee will be soon called to take a stance regarding this. "The Selangor state Fatwa Committee, chaired by the mufti of Selangor, will convene to discuss the practice of yoga in the state in detail so that a decision will not be made in haste," nstonline.com quoted Bani as saying.

He said in the statement: "It is the hope of the sultan that, in future, any fatwa decision that affects society in general will be presented to the Rulers' Conference before it is made public. This is to ensure that when a fatwa is issued, it will be done wisely to avoid confusion and controversy."

On Saturday, the National Fatwa Council had declared yoga "haram" for having the potential to undermine the faith of Muslims.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the Selangor government would defer to the state Islamic Religious Council on the fatwa. "We need to get advice from the council to understand what are the things that are against Islam. A study had been conducted on this matter and we need to respect the decision," he said.

He said it would not be necessary to close down yoga centres as the ban only concerned Muslims. "Muslims must be aware of the fatwa and they have to adapt to the advice of the council," he added.

ANI