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MUI investigates yoga, tells Muslims to suspend practicing
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 11/25/2008 8:20 PM | National
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is telling Indonesian Muslims to stop practicing yoga while the council investigates the practice after public concern rose when a Malaysian top Muslim body banned the practice.
MUI head of edict affairs said Tuesday the council would invite yoga experts to explain the practice within the next two weeks.
"We will let them explain it to us before we issue an edict on the practice," he said as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com
The council plans to study whether yoga includes rituals, actions or teachings that run counter to Islamic teachings.
Last week Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, which has the authority to rule over how Muslims practice their faith, issued an edict banning Muslims from practicing yoga, saying the Indian physical exercise contains spiritual elements including chanting and Hindu worship practices that could corrupt Muslims.
Many analysts have said the edict reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia. The majority of Malaysians are Muslim. (dre)
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L (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 2:31pm
Isach, I've been practicing yoga for years, and I'm also a practicing religious person. I never see any chanting or Hinduism-related practices anywhere in my yoga class, any of which is also prohibited in my religion. Although I agree with your opinion that it's not the yoga, it's the chanting, I also have to disagree with the Fatwa Council & MUI.
I think it has to do with personal choice. I believe Islam is one of the religions of intellects but how can Moslems be intellectuals if they always have to be dictated?
How do Moslems learn to mature spiritually and intellectually?
delvi (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 2:05pm
oh god, we have really regressed so deep. first the porn law. now ban on yoga? what is next? are those islamic scholars going to gazette a haram edict regarding tomboys just like their malaysian counterparts did? or are they going to ban muslim women to wear bright color lipstick and hi-heel just what the women in kelantan, malaysia almost did? are we in indonesia going to practice the badawian (their prime minister) islam hadhari as well?
Siew Eng (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 9:23am
This is regressive of Indonesia, whom moderates all over the world have counted on as one of the leading Muslim nations which has consistently interpreted the Text in accordance with the principles of justice and equality, as intended by the Syariah.
Shouldn't MUI do its own research and fiqah instead of blindly copying the general Malaysian ulama, who are known for their questionable priorities and rulings that are the stuff of satire?
Please, enrol yourselves in a yoga class tailored to the modern masses before judging it as a 'danger' to Muslims.
Rulings like this, which would astound the many non-Hindu yoga practitioners all over the world who know that the yoga taught to them involves no chanting, do not help bolster goodwill for the much misunderstood and maligned religion of Islam, especially post-911, and now Mumbai.
Isach (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 6:30am
GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT! Shame on all of you claiming to be smarter than the people in MUI or Malaysia's National Fatwa Council if you only read one newspaper and claim to know everything. Take a look at malaysia's Bernama.com. You'll read very well that the Chairman of NFC Abdul Shulor Husin clearly state that the physical excercise is ok, it is the mantras and spiritual aspect thats not allowed! Muslim can practice the excercise but should not do the spiritual Hindu worship aspect (THAT makes A LOT of sense dont you think?). This fact is even stated again by Malaysia's Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently.
SO...As much as you love to critic Muslims in their practice, you should learn to read more. Of course its MUI & NFC's job to make fatwa, and if you do read, you'll know very well that even if sometimes we dont agree with their non-binding fatwas, these people do thorough research before saying anything. Not like most of you here.
For Jakarta Post, ive been a regular reader of your newspaper for almost a decade. Despite your mostly excellent reporting, you should hire more intelectual reporters that know about the Indonesia's Muslim before writing about them. Your reporters are lazy in cross checking their infos causing many non-muslim to get the wrong idea about indonesia's muslim & indonesian one-newspaper sourced muslim to even feel distanced with the rest of the muslim here. Do what media are supposed to do, educate...
Sikhi (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 4:22am
Corrupt a Muslim through yoga? Guys, what more corruption can yoga do.
Jan The man (not verified) — Fri, 11/28/2008 - 3:05am
MUI, is an anagram and means "Many Uneducated Individuals" the fact such organisations actually have a voice of opinion is a Joke, Man made religions always blame the fire on the match not the person who striked the match... Wake upsmell the Coffee, ignorance is Bliss in the land of MUI
Diana (not verified) — Thu, 11/27/2008 - 10:16pm
no, yoga can't corrupt muslims. but the these narrow-minded people of MUI can! why don't you think with your own brain instead of listening to this lies??
please
Encyclopena (not verified) — Thu, 11/27/2008 - 9:57pm
i think, we as people who believe in pluralism in our country especially to let everyone to chose their own religion cannot make a judgement just by saying that YOGA is not properly for own religion...
it's just the same like prohibit anyone to chose their favourite own sport. because for me YOGA is one of sport variety. there is not a relatively between YOGA and the religion..
Lewa pardomuan (not verified) — Thu, 11/27/2008 - 9:51pm
Just one word = imbecile
Siew Eng (not verified) — Thu, 11/27/2008 - 7:38pm
This is regressive of Indonesia, whom moderates all over the world have counted on as one of the leading Muslim nations which has consistently interpreted the Text in accordance with the principles of justice and equality, as intended by the Syariah.
Shouldn't MUI do its own research and fiqah instead of blindly copying the general Malaysian ulama, who are known for their questionable priorities and rulings that are the stuff of satire?
Please, enrol yourselves in a yoga class tailored to the modern masses before judging it as a 'danger' to Muslims.
Rulings like this, which would astound the many non-Hindu yoga practitioners all over the world who know that the yoga taught to them involves no chanting, do not help counter the much misunderstood and maligned religion of Islam, especially post-911.